Transfer, promotion or pay change: compare before agreeing

Gather these facts

• Current terms and the written proposal, with the proposed effective date.
• Old and new duties, grade, reporting line, workplace, hours, fixed and variable pay.
• Employer entity, service continuity, probation, benefits, travel costs and return arrangements.

Is this a promotion, a temporary assignment or a new employment?

Make a before-and-after table rather than relying on the job title. A new title may add hours or responsibilities without changing fixed pay. Ask whether the move is temporary, who pays you, whether the legal employer changes and what happens to service dates and benefits. A move within a group of companies is not automatically the same employment arrangement.

How do I discuss a change I cannot accept immediately?

List the concrete impact, such as commuting time, caring commitments or reduced guaranteed pay, and ask for the reason and alternatives. Request time to review a written proposal. Contract variation rules depend on location, terms and the facts; Chinese law and British Acas guidance below cover their respective systems. Neither silence nor the word “transfer” is a universal answer about consent. Seek advice before resigning or taking a step that could change your position in a dispute.

What should the written confirmation include?

Ask for the changed items, effective and end dates, pay components, hours, location, review date and any return arrangement. Keep a copy of both the old and new terms and your stated response. Check the first payslip after the change and record any difference. If a change follows pregnancy, leave or a complaint, preserve the chronology as well; timing alone does not establish unlawful treatment.

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