I'm at IC-2 at Oracle atm. I've been with the company for two years and I am looking to get a promotion which was promised to me last year. It's been in the talks for half a year, constant back and forth with my manager and HR. After all this time they came up with stock options which is the complete opposite of my stated requirements. They claim that no one in the Java Platform Group is getting a salary increase and I wanted to verify whether HR is trying to manipulate me.

I am at the beginning of my career and I don't want to tie myself to Oracle for another year. Very sly move...