To sack someone due to 'bad cultural fit'

[aveleila]

So I work in a field that is notoriously difficult to recruit. So I was delighted to find someone who seemed perfect for the job and had excellent qualifications.
All started well, she settled into the team with effortless ease. Within a month or two she started gossiping that the team had too much work and that she had been given too much work. She struggled with the pace of the job ( lots of concrete examples).

She seemed to work it out after about 4 months but her presence has simply disrupted what has always been a friendly, professional team who work well with each other.

On the same floor she has made friends with people from a different department and seems to have fitted in great with them.

She never speaks to me, not even to say hello or goodbye. If she wants authorisation for something it is always through email. She makes all decisions without speaking to me and if she needs advice it's always the medical team not me she goes to.

I have had to bring up with her errors she has made on a pretty much daily basis. To begin with I put it down to her being new. However now I know she is competent and capable but just lazy and doesn't feel the need for very high standards of work.

I overheard her gossiping about me to colleagues saying 'I literally come in each day wondering what I will get told off for today. If she does not stop I am leaving and good job trying to recruit for my position when I have gone'.

She is passing me off as a bully when all I have done is challenge lazy behaviour.

The final straw is now she is lying about completing tasks she hasn't done. Claiming she has checked equipment she couldn't have as they were locked in a different building.

She has depression and I am worried about being accused of being heartless but she is disrupting the office environment. A few team members have complained about her work ethic and I don't feel like I can trust her due to previous false claims from her.

I'm now at the stage where I can't even stand to give her a friendly smile and I really don't want to end up accused of bullying.

Sorry for ranting on, but this is the first time I have ever been in this situation. Would the things I have mentioned here be enough for her to fail her 6 months probation?

Her 5 month review is coming up and I know I have to give her a chance to improve but I really just want her out of the company at this point.

In my experience, far too often not enough value is placed on behaviours in the workplace. Successfully completing your probationary period isn’t just about what you do, it’s also about how you do it.

The employee in question is demonstrating poor competencies which, even without the mistakes and deceitful behaviour, would be enough not to confirm their employment (you would need to ensure they are given notice as per their contract or paid in lieu for it).

The other option you have is to extend the probationary period, clearly pointing out the expected behaviours and improvements to be made.

You can't just avoid her and keep your fingers crossed that she will move on. You're a manager, taking a manager's wage, and you need to manage her. If you refuse to manage you need to step down from your own role.

If you want to become a better manager go to HR tomorrow, explain that one of your direct reports is underperforming and discuss options. Ask for training so you're not on AIBU asking how to do your job.

If there is conflicting evidence, it could be possible for HR to extend the probation period if their are doubts.

I have spoken to her repeatedly.

However this last week I have got to the point I can't even speak to her.

This is confusing because you have also said she never speaks to you. Did you previously manage her face-to-face and did she not say much/anything?

Whatever has happened, it sounds like frequent conversations are needed so that any issues with tasks, workload etc are discussed and monitored. You might want to avoid her but it shouldn't be an option.

Totally different now you've explained that the consultant who did her review, thinks she's fabulous.

fascicle
It sounds like the OP has raised things repeatedly by talking to the colleague but nothing changes so they are at the point where they are finding it tough dealing with them

Set out expectations in writing eg "if you have any concerns regarding workload or how it's allocated please speak to the appropriate people rather than colleagues as issue can snowball unnecessarily" "rather than email which can cause delays you need to speak to me about any urgent issues" . Address the other concerns you have.

Have the review, out expectations in writing (ask hr for assistance with this, they should include a statement to warn her that termination of employment is a possibility if no improvement) extend probation by a month and have weekly catch ups. If no improvement get rid.

I'd just get rid now though iiwm, she sounds like a bomb that has been dropped into a nice environment and if you have had no issues before, that suggests the problem isnt you. So I'd just terminate now tbh. Nothing is worth having an employee that isn't right.

Why don't you trust HR when they tell you that dishonesty is against your employers' policy? On what planet would it not be against policy?

I second the idea of doing a performance review now involving at least one other person. Write it up afterwards with a clear list of expectations and give the consultant who manages her a copy. Otherwise you have the situation where she had a glowing three month review and the consultant is presumably still prepared to back her up, but you suddenly want to get rid of her at the end of six months. Can the consultant override you?

I think you will probably have to set the useless whining bitch targets and give her time to improve before you can actually get rid. (I do admin work in education and sometimes have to attend meetings around probationary periods and capability). Is your job unionized? Is she a union member?
I think you should be able to bin her if she doesn't get better (and lazy selfish complainers never do), it will just take time.

It’s not reasonable and less legal (don’t need 2 years service for a discrimination claim) to dismiss for “bad cultural fit” where you mean you don’t like her and she doesn’t like you

It is entirely legal to sack someone because you don't like them if it's less than two years service as long as it's not due to discrimination. Discrimination is limited to protected characteristics which does not include 'dislike their personality just because' or 'poor cultural fit' . Although you have to be careful she can't attribute the things you don't like to her depression.

Can you clarify, are you her line manager? Reading between the lines, it doesn't sound it and comes across that you're more of a senior colleague. Apologies if I've wrongly interpreted here.

You have to have a difficult 1:1meeting about her performance and the lying,minutes as signed by both of you.You need to have an action plan with a month for her to improve.Be positive as you took her on believing she could do the job.
Give her a month but with a two week review where your cover thereto be improvements.
Also talk talk consultant and get them to understand the issues as he has made it very difficult with his 3 month glowing review.
Who is her line manager and will be doing her appraisals if you employ her because if it is you then you need be managing this.
Making lazy errors in a medical setting where everybody's work load is very high is not acceptable.

I am her line manager.

My line manager is very senior and would neither back me up or disagree with my decision to fail someone's probation.

Everyone else seems happy here. The team seem to like me.

She doesn't respect you as her manager, she underperforms snd she's disruptive.

I had someone like this, but she'd already passed her probation. I was in the public sector. It was very, very difficult. She was very manipulative. had a very supportive manager, and the manager above her was supportive too. There was a plan to get rid of her but it was derailed at the 11th hour by one of the higher ups who could see no wrong in her. So we needed a Plan B. That turned out to be very disruptive to the team as a whole. It worked, in as much as she left - eventually - but the effects of the disruption are still being felt, a year later.

Do something now, or you will regret it.

I have offered her training to allow her to address the errors but she declines.

Yes, this! She always stressed that her work was well within her capabilities, it was just the sheer volume of it that was the issue. In truth, she complicated things unnecessarily, so everything took longer and was more effort than it needed to be. But she refused all my offers to support her.

I think there are two issues here

The underperforming and the attitude.

The attitude I think you see going to have to suck up for now. Most colleagues moan about the boss - justified or not - it is often part of being a team

The underperforming you can and should definitely address. Keep a record of absolutely everything, in writing and you need to evidence you have addressed individual errors with her. Keep it completely factual. Have a talk with her and try and approach it as more of a 'these mistakes have been made - what can we do to help you? Would a formal mentor or buddy or further training help? What can I do so you feel more confident in approaching me with questions' type thing. Email her a written record of all conversations.

Then when she still makes errors after a certain number say 3 you can say 'I asked you to do x by this date and you missed the deadine' 'you sent x email to the wrong client and denied it when I queried it' or something and ask for a proper review.

This is where HR get involved and put her on proper performance management and formally extend the probation period. I assume your company has formal performance management program so to some extent it will be out of your hands. It is normal for HR to be involved with this.

Alternatively if she is putting people in danger or its very very serious mistakes then I believe you can sack someone in their probation period fairly easily. Just need to keep records of her mistakes so that you don't get accused of any discrimination.

You mention depression so I assume she has told work about this? If so you need to speak to HR to check the discrimination angle as it may be classes as a disability you need to make reasonable adjustments for??

Honestly I think you both need some extra training for your roles.

I think you are managing the situation poorly and are blurring boundaries of work colleagues and friends. She obviously needs to be professional and competent (which it sounds like she is not) but she doesn’t need to be your friend or chat and smile at every given chance for you.

You need to be offering her more training for her role, you need to be clearly setting boundaries but pulling her up everyday for one thing or another is clearly going to lead to bad feeling and be demoralising and demotivating. You need to start with one big thing and offer praise when she has improved then slowly add the other things that she needs to improve on but not everything, everyday!

Can you find out if your job offers an NVQ in management or some other equivalent? I really think equipping yourself with the tools to manage people effectively will improve this situation immensely.

I think you sound like a dreadful manager! You have a problem that she has made friends with people in a different department. OMFG.

You need to start managing, tell her what is required, even on probation people deserve this.

You seem to have taken a personal dislike to somebody and are looking for an excuse to get "friends" around you.

I'm hoping she just leaves of her own accord

Not very proactive is it? (And have you done a name change?)

I agree with the PP who suggested a performance review involving at least one other staff member, where you can give her a list of written targets to reach within a month - copy to the consultant

BTW, just how far into the probationary period is she?

MaisyPops

fascicle
It sounds like the OP has raised things repeatedly by talking to the colleague but nothing changes so they are at the point where they are finding it tough dealing with them

I don't think the OP has given any examples of the employee talking to her at all. OP has indicated she e-mails employee about errors and that the employee expresses comments/dissatisfaction to other people. OP has not clarified how she has previously managed employee (frequency, format etc).

Personally (and I say this as someone in HR and as a Manager) I would have a very direct conversation with her, about the mistakes lies and about the attitude, extend her probation and have regular reviews on all the areas you have brought up. It's then up to her whether she improves, if she doesn't she'll fail her probation.

fascicle
Aren't the emails to establish a paper trail?

Maybe you're right and I'm being too charitable, but the only time I've ever followed up meetings with emails and ensured all issues are documented by email is when previous friendly but professional discussions have been had. (E.g. If I've offered training, shared work, given explicit guidance on requirements and the colleague is still not meeting basic requirements and playing games)

Personally, I think the OP needs to have a sit down meeting where they raise and show evidence of issues and then offer a way to resolve it. It gets minuted, support is evident and then if the colleague continues it's evidently a competency issue.

I always think there's a big difference managing someone who is weak but professional and willing to develop and managing someone who is lazy, less than competent and more concerned with stirring in the workplace than developing. If the person is in the first category then OP needs to step up as a manager and get over the friends thing. If the person is in the second category then ending after probation might be better all round

I suspect there are two very different sides to this story. If the consultant thinks she’s marvellous she must be doing something right and you have to be a bit careful that she doesn’t raise a counter grievance against you if her last review was glowing (why on Earth as her line manager were you not doing it?) Given how most hospital politics works, I suspect the consultant’s word is going to be taken more seriously than yours if it comes to a dispute. You don’t sound a particularly confident manager and there will be lessons from this situation for you in the future. It sounds like it has all got a bit petty and personal.

What Brussel says. (Also HR and a manager here)

It all starts with you being able to communicate and have difficult conversations with everyone in your team, like it/them or not. You've got a total breakdown here and I'm not surprised you aren't seeing the best of her.

I would be very direct about your expectations, and lying clearly isn't ever acceptable. She doesn't seem to be working efficiently to cope with the workload so address this through a pip or training plan, which you don't necessarily need to deliver, but do need to stay close to.

I'd try and speak to the consultant and calmly set out your concerns to prevent her going direct to them, and then I'd extend her probation with regular, documented reviews.

If that doesn't improve things, follow your disciplinary procedure to the letter and you may need to dismiss.

Because people go to work to do a job, not to make friends. And most people have higher moral and ethical standards than to fuck up someone else’s life on the basis of not liking them.

hahaha

you are not a work to make friends, but you are not at work to deal with nonsense from immature people.

The standard is to do the job as best as you can for the companies, the users and the rest of your team. If you are happy to employ a piss-taker that will aggravate everyone, give more work to the rest of the team, you are a poor manager, and frankly an idiot.

In real life, you don't employ someone you dislike just because of his credentials. You give valid reasons for employing the one with similar qualification but who will be a good fit within the team. Welcome to the real world!

There's a reason why we still held face-to-face interview and don't recruit on computer tests and cv only. Where do you come from!

I’m not sure I see anything she’s done so terrible here

• you say she’s lied about checking the equipment, but a doctor has provided you with a perfectly good explanation (she has a key)
• her “gossiping” is mostly complaining about her high workload (which you agree is an issue) and the fact that she feels you’re constantly criticising her (and if your only contact with her is emails detailing her mistakes, I can see how she would feel that way)
• being friendlier with another team is maybe disappointing but not a crime?
• she’s been making mistakes in her work because she’s only been there 5 months and you agree that her training wasn’t great

Honestly it sounds like she needs support more than anything.