Heading to disciplinary (I think) - any advice?

[posyplum]

Hello (long one, sorry)

I work for a large company, and have been struggling to feel motivated for the past year. I have made several mistakes (data entry ones mostly), which have been noted on my annual appraisal.

This week, my boss told me he had talked to his boss, and that the mistakes I had made were a continuing problem for him, and that it was time to 'draw a line under it'.

He has asked me to put three meetings in my diary, and sent me an email confirming the dates. He also sent a paragraph explaining the work I would be doing over that period (involving a large amount of this data entry type work). He said HR weren't involved 'yet', and could I go away and come back and give him my thoughts on the matter in our first meeting on Monday.

I might be jumping the gun, but this is an informal action plan, isn't it? And when I do make mistakes on the considerable amounts of data entry involved over the next few months (which I will), they'll put me on a disciplinary? If so, what happens then? A final warning? When might I get fired?!

My feeling is that I don't do enough work in my job in order to have been able to master it. I am part-time and my boss has always been very reluctant to give me work. I thought it was because he is a control freak (which he is) but he told me this week that he has more recently been withholding work from me because he doesn't think I can do it right.

He has always checked everything I have done (and I mean everything). The lack of autonomy, and recently lack of work, has made me (over 2 years I mean, it wasn't always like that) apathetic and bored, and I think this is why I am making mistakes on this simple data entry work. That and I don't use the system enough to know it well when he wants me to.

I have sent him an email explaining my views and we are going to discuss them on Monday. He's a really nice man and isn't vindictive. We otherwise get on well. But I think he and I have a different way of working, and after two years, it's come to a head and we are both completely fed up. He has tried to solve the issue by giving me less work, and I have been bored by not having enough. At the same time, I have stopped bothering being proactive because initiative has not been welcomed in the past, and now I am not even doing the bare essentials right.

I have been looking at jobs for over a year, in an industry to which I think I would be better suited, and have experience of, but have held on there because I wanted a reasonable stint there my CV. I was also planning to take redundancy anyway, after having a second baby (which I am ttc) because the company is relocating (announced a year ago). Should I now bite the bullet and resign?

Would it be better though now, to leave before it gets to a disciplinary stage? I don't want to mess up my working record. Would love to just leave and temp - but is this wise when I am trying for a baby? (Not going to delay doing this, either way). Not sure my confidence could take being sacked. How long have I got before it gets to that stage? And if they do end up wanting me to go, when might a compromise agreement come into play? Just feel really confused and in limbo. Any advice would be appreciated!

[mrscumberbatch]

The procedure that they should be following would be verbal warning before a written warning. i would ask your manager if this is just constructive criticism or if it is a warning.

If you are on an action plan they have to tell you that you are on an action plan.

If you are due a redundancy payment then I think it would be silly to jump the gun just because you're worried.

It's difficult being bored at work, I understand that bit completely, but you have to find some way of motivating yourself as nobody else will do it for you.

Get some actual confirmation on what is happening before you make any decisions.