My husband was told that he was next in line for the promotion. Well his boss got demoted and the VP for his region hired his friend of 10 yrs for the position and didn't even bother to post the job. The VP's friend didn't even work for the company. This company says they promote within. Ya right! My husband has worked extremely hard for this company. Guess hard work and deditcation just doesn't matter anymore. Anyway do they have to post the job when a position within the company is available?

They don't have to post the job vacancy if they don't want to. When the old boss left, so did your husband's "promise" of the job opening. Just because a company is supposed to promote from within does not mean that they have to follow this policy 100% of the time. Apparently the new boss's friend was "in line" to get this position.

I have seen companies advertise a job in the newspaper, go through the motions of actually interviewing scads of people, and then hire/promote whoever they want to into the position. Happens all the time. Sometimes it's not what you know but who you know that really matters. Sad but true.

There is no requirement ( in the US) that they have to publicly post for a job opening. In fact it is very common to have higher management bring in from the outside, senior level management that they have worked with before.

And even old promises of "you are next' are empty and not inforceable.

He needs to get over this and just do his job, if he stays angry over it, his job will suffer