Maybe we disagree on the sequence?

As I understand it, it goes like this:

  1) Employee gets promotion, effective in the future (at #3)
  2) Employee resigns, to be effective after promotion (at #4)
  3) Promotion is to be effective at this date
  4) Resignation is to be effective at this date

In my understanding, the employee's resignation is to be effective after the promotion it to be effective, so that the they would resign with the new/promoted level.

I understand the surprise.