To think my manager will fire me tomorrow?!

[BlueNeighbourhood1]

I work in a department of a national company with four other people in my role and then a manager. Been there for six months and just passed my probation period.

We all get on really really well and have a WhatsApp group chat to discuss any issues. In January because of a great performance we were guaranteed our bonus to be paid at the end of March - usually we would have to wait another month for final March figures to be calculated but because it was guaranteed then apparently not.

Today (payroll cut off date) we all receive a letter to our home address, no apology for the misinformation advising our bonus would now be paid in April. When we got home we went onto the group chat to question this with our manager as obviously we had all mentally spent this money.

As much as it isnt the managers fault, I said something like that it was all premeditated to send the letter at payroll cut off because of the new financial year in April. And then asked how we can sell jobs to potential candidates if we get treated like this too and its making it very difficult to have belief in the company.

So my Manager kicks off and said theyre sick of the moaning and if any of us doesnt like working there to leave - fair enough. I left it half an hour and sent a personal apology to the manager for what I said to be told we will pick this up tomorrow.

I've now got it in my head I'm going to be fired tomorrow, does anyone know if its a sackable offence?!

anneoneill I presume the vast majority of people offering employment advice/opinions aren't actually in employment.

It is seriously weird that people think it is entitled to expect to be paid on time. It is also seriously weird the manager has such poor boundaries that they have opened the doors to this situation.

"but later that it's always been paid in March."

That is a lie. Since what has "has been the date since January" , which you actually quoted, meant "always been paid in March"? Are you a bit hard of thinking?

Whoops, "since when". Since you'll misquote accurate posts, I'd better not give you a typo to play with.

Small point - you said you would ‘keep’ apologising. I would apologise once, calmly and professionally and then not mention it again. You don’t want to keep reminding everyone of your error! Also disengage from WhatsApp and keep your head down, this is a great opportunity to practise keeping your counsel (you said you don’t always think before you speak - so make that a work challenge for a couple of weeks)

Your manager is not your friend.

waz I don't think anyone is saying it was entitled to 'expect' payment on the date originally stated.

Things change though and unless the earlier payment date was in writing, it wasn't guaranteed.

What is entitled is to slag the company off and threaten your boss that it's not possible to recommend them anymore because of this.

Calm down, anneoneill, you're very keen to suck up to the OP. Are you her?

"calm down" instead of an actual reply. Do you admit you were lying to goad the OP?

I didn't say either. I said it was difficult to recommend the company based on personal experience? Do you think if I left the company now I would have a good review to leave on GlassDoor?

We have difficultly all of the time attracting staff and I have to counter all these objections - but when someone says I've heard people don't get the bonus they are entitled to I can hardly counter the claims can I?

I think you are overthinking this whole thing OP.

Really, you made a mistake, and we ALL do. Go in and talk your Manager (don't wait for her to bring it up - if she wants to speak to you all together then you obviously won't be able to speak to her on her own - although, no potted plant, that will just make you look like a crawler)...

Make your apologies and move on... If this is the only thing you have done wrong in your six months and your past probationary period, then you would need to go through the proper channels i.e. Verbal Warning, Written Warning and then finally Sacking, so I don't think you will get sacked. You are probably thinking Worst Case Scenario. But make this a lesson learned. From here on in you will need to keep your head down and your nose clean (that way you will not get your arse kicked!!).

Good luck and keep your chin up!!

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You sound a bit dim to me. It's a month - you thought you were getting it early and you're not. The things you said were rude and unprofessional.

No I don't admit that, but I do wonder why you're frothing at the mouth about it. Seriously, you'll give yourself high blood pressure. I think the OP has not presented herself in a good light either to her work colleagues /boss or on here. She asked if she was BU and I'm saying I think she was.

OP - if you have not worked all of the 2017/2018 tax year then this change of date could, potentially, leave you worse off financially.
If it will - could you apologise and say that was why you were so upset?
You have learned a lesson so just see what you can salvage from tomorrow - no-one of us are perfect.

I forgot I'm not allowed an opinion on anything and just have to nod and agree.

This makes you sound about 14.

i gave a genuine observation about how hard it is to have faith in a company that goes back on its promises

And this makes you sound naive, at best. You're on a What's App group with your boss and will now be pegged as a troublemaker or someone who likes to stoke the fires. It's all terribly unprofessional.

Your boss has said they'll pick it up in the morning, which sounds a sensible thing to do and is certainly in a more appropriate environment. I would look at this as a learning experience: choose your moment and always remain professional.

Good advice from LotsofPlanets and I'd add that if you don't already have regular team meetings it might be an idea to suggest this to your manager, particularly since you mention issues with other departments within the business. A far better forum to raise issues and discuss solutions than WhatsApp!

Fwiw Blue I don't agree with the entitled accusations, it's understandable that people are annoyed and disappointed given you were expecting this money. How you express this matters in the workplace though so maybe just see this as a learning experience.

All this "unprofessional" BS gets too much some times. "Professional" is so overused a term it's now pointless. As is "my role" and even more gag-worthy if it's "niche" or too "specific" that it might be "outing".

No you won't get fired, yes you spoke out of 'turn', some of us do whilst the majority run for cover pretending to be 'busy', yes you will be blamed; yes there will be soon a new workplace 'drama' to replace it; yes - make sure you stay ou t of the next drama.

And yes, that's the prob with 'group chat shit' and why it's best to stay out and just do the job-side only.

@KasimirPushkino If you weren't being deliberate then you just have shit comprehension. You wonder why I'm frothing at the mouth? I'm wondering why you jumped in and accused OP of changing a story that she never changed.

I'd expect a conversation, but I wouldn't expect to be fired on the strength of that.

OP, but you are getting the bonus you're 'entitled' to, aren't you? Just in April's pay check, not May's. I think you have massively overreacted if you and your colleagues think this means you can't recommend the company. I'd pick your battles with your employer, and your manager, and I'm amazed you have all chosen to kick off about this.

Please don't be as bolshy and backchat your Manager when you see her tomorrow OP and do please update us?

Unlikely to be sacked op but suspect you might be given a warning, lose the bonus and told to be more professional. However you have alerted your manager and if a similar situation happens you might be let go. I think you dont get much protection before 2 years.

All this "unprofessional" BS gets too much sometimes. Professional" is so overused a term

I disagree, I don't think people are professional enough in their jobs.

didn't say either. I said it was difficult to recommend the company based on personal experience? Do you think if I left the company now I would have a good review to leave on GlassDoor? “

If your manager said she didn’t like your work ethic and she’s not sure how she could give you a positive recommendation in your future employment based on how you behaved in last week, would you feel that she is entitled to her opinion of your performance or would you find that threatening?

I imagine you’d feel it was threatening. Which is why what you said could also be interpreted as threatening.

Does your company bill clients? If so, perhaps that’s why your bonus was late?

A company will only have so many people in accounting/finance departments and if partners are chasing up late payments from clients so that the money gets counted as part of that fiscal year.. that takes priority. It’s where the bonuses come from, after all.
Because your performance bonus also requires not just for the sale to happen but for the client to pay the invoice.

I think your manager is completely out of order. I don't understand all the other responses on this thread, my job 'bonus' is considered part of my salary for pay review. 'Entitled' ODFOD.

Look for another job now there are clearly serious cash flow/ financial issues. If creditors find out they will go under.

People on here are seriously naive.

😂😂😂

I've worked for multiple companies that have a bonus scheme.

In none of them has it been a contractual benefit... therefore I wasn't 'entitled ' to it.

It not paying out was absolutely not an indication of serious cash flow or financial issues.

Unless the OP had something written into their contract about this, there is no leg to stand on.

I really can't see why the need for all the drama.

Some years ago I worked for a firm which announced a bonus scheme for hitting various targets. The targets were almost impossible to achieve for most people. 1 or 2 did though, at which point the bonus scheme was promptly shelved. Those people were understandably livid.

But a bonus being paid a month late? That's fairly common. In the company I work for bonuses are based on the Jan-Dev of the previous year and paid in March. Over the last 10 years they've been paid in April at least twice either because the cut off was missed or due to issues with calculation.

People have been a bit but I've never heard any complaint, the discussion generally is that whilst it's a bit inconvenient it's not the end of the world and we are lucky to get a bonus when lots of cos similar to our no longer offer them.

Had it been your salary payment that was late I could understand the anger but not a bonus. Not least because surely having been there for less than a year your pro rata bonus would be pretty small anyway? In our co you're not eligible for a bonus during the first year of employment anyway.

So in summary, YABU to have complained and you can expect your manager to have a word about professionalism.