Work issue long sorry! I think my manager is fibbing. And I've had an audit sprang on me..

[Shadybluebell]

I'm quite possibly cynical as I've had so many issues at various work places. I've been bullied out of three in a row over the last ten years.

I started my current job in January last year.
When I started, they were looking for someone to work either Mon-Wed, Mon-Thur or Mon-Fri. At the time I worked a Thursday elsewhere so I asked for Mon-Wed with a view to increasing to Mon-Thur once my contract ended with the Thursday job.

They said yes, but when they sent me the offer letter it also included the Friday. So Mon-Wed and Friday. I discussed it with them and said this was fine for now but could I change it to Mon-Thur once my Thur contract ended with the other company. They said they couldn't guarantee it but they'd do their best.
Anyway May last year my contract ended and I put in a flexible working request. One day before the deadline for a decision they told me they couldn't yet but would do it with the next cohort of new intake of staff.

That happened, and they didn't do it. They said they'd look at it again when more new staff were taken on.

Today my manager called me to a meeting with her and asked if I remembered some time ago being told that I was going to be audited. I didn't/don't remember this. Of course it is possible that I've just forgotten. I didn't believe so but possible.

I asked what was it about? But manager said she couldn't tell me and that there'd be a meeting with her and another manager tomorrow.
Of course I am feeling a bit dubious about this.
I asked about the flexible working request as a third cohort of new employees have been taken in very recently. She said 'Oh! You're meant to do a new flexible working request every three months!'

I said 'Well, I didn't know that. I was told you'd look at honouring it each time new staff were taken in, so was that not true?'

'Oh yes yes it was true, yes, we will still look at that just we couldn't do it this time. HR just need a form that's a recent request, for when it comes to it'.

I don't believe her.
Also, I said I'd do another form, no problem and after the meeting I downloaded one from the drive and went to fill it in.

It has a disclaimer on it stating;
'I declare that I am eligible to request and I meet the requirements as I have not asked for this previously in the past 12 months'.

How on earth is it that we have to request every three months but can't request if we've requested in the last 12 months?!

So, I put it to my manager in a zoom message and I got a fluffy apology saying something like 'Oh silly me! I got mixed up with a different request! You don't need to do a form!'.

I'm not sure how to handle this audit tomorrow.

I didn't know that I'd done anything wrong. Of course I make the odd mistake, we all do but I do my best despite it not being my dream job or anything, I'm careful and professional and okay at it, as far as I know.

I also think that they forgot alll about my flexible working request and were trying to wriggle out of it!

Paranoid perhaps but I've a feeling a scenario like with my previous jobs is happening all over again.

What does an audit involve? Are there options as to how you handle it, not sure what flexibility you have in that situation.

Sorry, I don't actually understand what's being audited? Is it an external firm, carrying out an internal audit review of an area that you work in? Or is it an audit of HR processes?

All I know is it is an audit of my work. So every account I've worked on potentially has been looked at. They've not told me anything else.

The audit and your flexible work request are unrelated.

Depending where you work/what field you are in certain types of audit are done at short notice.

You’re overthinking it.

the legislation changed around flexible working requests, you can ask twice in a 12 month period so it sounds like the policy is out of date. And you should have had a formal response to your previous request…I’d talk to HR. https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/applying-for-flexible-working

I know they're unrelated!
On the over thinking part, thank you, I really do hope so.

I'm sure nobody else has been audited. And it hasn't ever been mentioned.

I'm a clinician, do a lot of admin for other clinicians, I speak to clients and make decisions about treatments, that sort of thing.

Thank you so much for this! I wasn't aware.

Not sure what would count as a formal response. I had it told to me as part of a standard meeting, that they couldn't honour it at the time.

Is the general consensus that I didn't need to be told that they were going to conduct an audit on my work?
I've a sort of 'here we go again!' Feeling. I think the way I present at work has been open to being made an example of, based on past experience.

My gut instinct was right.

I've been put on performance improvement plan. Which might be fine if I was underperforming. However I feel that they've given me an impossible task.

Manager brought up two things. One, was a matter which was brought up in a meeting recently, apparently a few of us are doing things wrong regarding it.

When Manager told me this I said 'But, I wrote the documentation for (this thing) apparoved by management at least 6 months ago, and in (recent meeting) I was told the documentation was excellent, and as long as people follow it there won't ever be a problem?'

Manager hadn't known that I'd written this material and quickly backtracked and said I was doing it right but that the PIP is to ensure I continue to.

Nah.

You can't put someone on a PIP because they need to make sure they continue to keep doing something right.

The other thing was that I should double check my cases with others in my profession more often. For context we're supposed to convene with another professional if we have a particularly tricky case, or there's other elements to it that require us to.

I check mine all the time. I'm one of those who's never fully confident in my own abilities. I have to be 100% sure about something to not check with someone else. I can't do any more peer checks than I do, unless she's saying that I am absolutely incapable and must check every single one, I.e I'm incapable of doing my job.

I've had a horrible chest infection for several weeks, and worked throughout it. So I've decided to take the opportunity to have some time off to recover from it now, as my loyalties are not what they were, and to get the union involved.

I am not sure what the agenda is, I suspect management 'have to' put someone on PIPs every so often and they've picked me as I'm soft, unassuming, friendly, 'easy'. This has happened to me many times.

That’s sucks. Thing is you’ve been there less than 2 years, so they don’t need to bother with a PIP if they genuinely wanted to just get rid of you. So the PIP could be legitimate.

I did consider that.

I think it is a box-ticking thing. They've had to put someone on it, we'll all make mistakes or miss things now and again so she's picked me as I'm the easier one.

There was one case where I'd actioned it and the manager had spoken to me and said she'd have done it differently, however that's totally ordinary for what we do in our team. How we handle people's cases can depend on life experience, professional experience, and the assessment we've done. I spoke to her about this and she agreed that we all bring different experience and professionalism and expertise to the team. I can't fully guarantee I'd never deal with something differently to the next person. It's unrealistic, and again it is also impossible for me to check with someone else before sending through every case I handle, I'd never have time to do anything else. If I'm incapable of doing my job I shouldn't be doing it (I do know I am capable)... I think I've just been made an example of.

I'll see what the union say. Trying to stay positive.

Doesn't help that I'm up all night coughing and feeling rubbish either. I am as I've said, loyal and don't like letting people down, but I probably should've taken time off with this chest infection earlier.

They've kind of shot themselves in the foot as I'd volunteered to work bank holiday Monday.

Everything you describe could be ascribed to either bullying or incompetence, so it's a bit hard to call really. I'd be following up with emails to create a paper trail in any case.

Every single time a manager speaks to you about working hours/contract/pay/overtime or similar, follow up the conversation with an email setting out exactly what was said. Always create a record.
If they don't reply they are basically agreeing with what is in the email.
Don't just keep them on the work server as they can be removed remotely.
I honestly think everyone should get into the habit of doing this. I know so many people who have been gaslit and lied to by their employers, it is rife.

I am going to write down everything that has been said, and once I've spoken to the Union I'll transcribe an email about it and send it from my personal one.

I contacted the Union straight away and apparently I have been assigned someone but they haven't been in touch yet.

If I don't have anything within 7 days of self-certifying sick, I suppose I'll have to be signed off with work-related stress unless my G.P wants to sign me off with this infection if it is still hanging around by then.

My manager is fairly new to her position. I honestly think she's just trying to prove herself and had to do it with someone and chose me.

Thank you for the help, I really appreciate it.

Sorry OP that you’re going through this. Also, I’m not sure it’s correct to suddenly have a PIP launched at you. Forgive me if I’m wrong as I’ve never been involved in one myself, but common sense dictates to me that if a manager was doing their job properly they’re meant to be giving you advance notice if there’s anything concerning about your work. It’s part of normal coaching and developing your teams capabilities. You don’t just throw someone on a PIP surely at first sign of errors? Only if you’ve coached them and given them a chance to correct and improve quality of their work and there’s no effort or improvements on their part - surely on then your manager should implement a PIP?! Or am I wrong in my understanding here?

Thank-you. Well, she said 'You'll remember a few weeks ago (other manager's name) told you about this.. I said no, I've never been told about it. I had a very informal chat with said other manager about a different case, and then we spoke about her new puppy for a few minutes and that was it. My manager did seem surprised that I hadn't been told but in any case, I haven't. So I'll await contact from the Union.

Thanks again all who've replied! This sort of thing really does seem to happen to me.

Manager rang me yesterday too. I don't think this is appropriate either 1 because I'd only been off sick for one day and 2 because I don't work Thursdays regardless anyway, so it was a day off, not a sick day. I've updated the union.

I would recommend keeping a record of everything your manager does that is relevant to you .It doesn't sound like your manager is a good manager. Keeping in touch with your union is a god idea. I wish you all the best OP.

The PIP has to be SMART so you can actually achieve it. So it has to have specific measurable points on it for you to work towards.

Does it?

I haven't got anything in writing to my knowledge, I haven't logged in as have been off, but I definitely didn't get anything on the day. I really don't feel like it now, but I will log in tomorrow and see if I have anything.

She said that I am to meet with her once a week to discuss the plan and how things are going.

And in the meeting she said I am to review more of my cases, and I am to 'keep up the good work' with the other matter, the one I wrote the form for to help everyone with.

One thing I did think is I will now feel like a total idiot if I ask anyone to review a case with me! Even something I'd have reviewed regardless. I can't see me reviewing any more often than I already did, unless It's every one I do-I have lost some confidence in myself now.

I realise that part is a 'me' problem. I'd just feel that I was under a microscope.
Hasn't done much for morale as far as I am concerned.
I am keeping a record.

She's new to the role. She'll have probably been told that she should do some of these, perhaps a certain number of PIPS per certain length of time.

I think she's just looked at things, realised a lot of us make mistakes with that one matter and not realised I wrote the material to help everyone, and because I've done one case she didn't agree with she's picked me.

I am keeping a record, definitely. Of course with the bank holiday I am unlikely to get anything back from the union for some time now

When you get your PIP send it to your union. Your work needs to make sure it's documented and achievable within a certain time frame so you should get something in writing soon.

Look up SMART meaning, you need to know what it means so your work do it properly. If it's not SMART you can request a revision.

Thank you @RechargeableGnu .

I am semi-familiar with SMART goals (have used SMART when taking interviews etc) but I will refresh myself on them.

I have checked work, and nothing in writing yet. The meeting was on Tuesday, I would've thought I should have had something by now. I updated the union that she rang me on Thursday-I just don't think that seems right.

It has been a week and no contact from the Union. I have rang (always voicemail and I have left them more than one) and emailed with updates and today to just ask when I can expect some contact. So frustrating.

Manager sent me an email yesterday informing me of some work place (positive) changes.

So have they given you the PIP yet?

Good there have been positive changes.

Can you find another number for the union? Is there a rep in your workplace? If there is - even if its another union - go and see them.