Desperately seeking employment advice, worried sick...

[Ohgodwhat]

Hi, really hoping for some advice. I've been knocked for six..

I started at my current company on a temporary contract in June (big national company). My temp contract was extended beyond the initial 3 month timeframe as they were very pleased with my work. I was asked if I'd be interested in going perm if a role came about. I said I'd be delighted. I got on very well indeed with my team and my manager and received great feedback from her.

I was absolutely over the moon when I was offered a permanent role with another team (in ultimately the same department if that makes sense). Everything was going brilliantly, this team is renowned for having a harder time - the workload is larger but ultimately I enjoy the work. Two weeks ago I had a meeting with my manager who said she was very pleased with my work. Happy days.

Today I was called into a meeting to say that she wasn't happy with my work. I'm not hitting targets (impossible to hit them all as certain vendors aren't paying into the accounts which is standard and part of the job. Out of my control. Other team members have the same problem. She has said that im being invited to a meeting entitled "unsuitability to do the job" and I will likely be suspended. I asked if I would be sacked and she said this was likely. I was sick to my stomach and couldn't muster the strength to challenge this.

There are only 2 things which come to mind which could be affecting this:

• last week I made an error. At the end of the business day last Friday I was asked to do something on the spur of the moment and made an error on the system. This was rectified
• two weeks ago a colleague from my old team said that a lady on the team is retiring an my old manager (the one I got along with) said they were all saying how perfect I'd be for this role. Nothing happened so I didn't persue this

I am planning to have a chat with my old manager to see if she knows about anything that has happened here? Is it worth asking if I can switch back to her team. I know that they can sack me without any problem as I have less than 2 years' service and haven't yet passed my probabtion period.

I get the feeling that she is in trouble because we haven't hit target (she says herself that she doesn't know what we all do) and im the scapegoat.

I cannot think straight and am desperate for some advice. If the worst happens, this will look awful on my cv. Frantic with worry.

That's incredibly frustrating for you, especially as you have been so happy. It really does sound like they want to sack you to make it look like they have taken "action" to rectify the underperformance of the team.

Agree with others that you aren't sinking your career, you can talk this through on your cv. Definitely take someone to the meeting. Is the meeting with people senior to your manager? I'd think through either talking to the current manager beforehand to be clear that you are going to be a little difficult or just being a little difficult in the meeting without warning them. By a little difficult I mean a confident staff member who asks legitimate questions firmly. I would want to know why you yourself said two weeks ago you are happy with my work and now you are so unhappy to the point of sacking me (unfortunately they may be able to use this mistake as the reason , are you able to provide any more information on that? Everyone makes mistakes) , and if it's about targets I would have all the exact facts and be able to state calmly ' in our team of 7 there are 4 people under target , for essentially the same reasons which are X y and z. You discussed these reasons and have said previously they are out of our control. Why am I not being held to account for them? Are Bob, Jane, and Sally also being sacked or am I being treated differently? Probably won't change outcome but 1 good for your manager to squirm a little and 2 excellent practice for you :)

*now not not

Is there a possibility of being transferred somewhere else in the organisation? Maybe not your old team but something?

I would make sure you take notes with you of how often you do hit your target and the % you haven't managed and the reason behind them if unavoidable.

They need to give you specific reasons why they are not happy with your work, and if they are decent management, help you to improve. Are you in a union or professional association? they may be able to help with the meeting. Telling you one week you are doing ok and the next, that you are about to be suspended/sacked, sounds like they are incompetent, not you.