Awful feedback in appraisal

[ele1000]

Namechanged as identifying.

Today I had my yearly appraisal and as part of it had 360 feedback from my colleagues.

There is a colleague I work alongside, closely, on the same projects but in different teams (think project manager and engineer type scenario). I am the specialist in this case. I have posted before about this man but basically he makes my life hell. He is aggressive, rude, stubborn and thinks he knows more than me desire a degree in my specialism. He refuses to negotiate on any task and any job I do for him is met with constant criticism.

My line managers met with me to discuss the feedback and basically said I had failed to meet my objectives, based mainly on feedback from the colleague. I asked to see the feedback and was told I couldn't. Further questioning revealed this was because it was a three page critique on me, where he has criticised my character, work, ability to meet deadlines, management style etc etc. It is not constructive and more of a character assassination.

I was obviously very upset after this and my managers gave me a hard time. I was told there was nothing positive.

Today I found this wasn't true at all and all other colleagues had given me very positive feedback. In the whole time I've worked in the business and not with this man I've received positive feedback.

So how do I move forward? I feel in an impossible situation where if I continue to work with this man I will never move up. I come home from work crying every day and not sure I can carry on.

Pouring a drink on you is abuse bordering on assault

Do they have bullying guidelines at your work? there is an argument that they are reacting to your complaints.
Also had you previously given feedback on him? how was this regarded

360 degree feedback should be based on a number of colleagues feedback not just one - I do know of a case where an individual gave really negative feedback on a colleague and it was actually deemed unprofessional behaviour and he got a warning for it

It's depressing how many bad managers there are out there. This has been handled awfully. OP I'm so sorry. Can you look at going somewhere where you will be valued?

I'd ask for coaching (I'm a coach so I would say that). The coach would ask to see your feedback and can often be used to gain a wider picture. They are also objective. I'd get HR to be the sponsor. A decent coach will look at the wider issue and also give feed back to the company.

OP, this is appalling. I’m so sorry for you.

Asking the HR experts on the thread; can the OP take time off sick due to stress and start filing for constructive dismissal ? Is from today? Then she has basically not gone back to work.

Ducks in a row; get your CV out there.
( is this bloke shagging your line manager?)

This is appalling but the fact that you've only been there a year means you can't pursue anything such as constructive dismissal.

You need to address this head on, I'd suggest:

• Outlining the entire situation to HR - accompanied by dates, times, anything you have on email
• formally requesting to see your 360 feedback (in my company, all 360 feedback is requested and provided to us - otherwise, it's not 360 )
• formally requesting a meeting to understand why you haven't met each objective and what they're going to do to support you

You might be able to get him out of the company for bullying, I'd also be trying to get the line manager's incompetence highlighted too.

It doesn't matter if you have no direct HR in your office - most places don't, HR are there to support staff no matter where they are based.

@CurlyWurlyTwirly she can't do anything around constructive dismissal as she hasn't been there for 2 years.

The best form of defence is attack and so I would go in there and raise a formal grievance for bullying against this man. Speak to HR immediately to make sure you are following their procedures and make the complaint. I know it's going to be difficult for you to do so but please do not allow this person to walk all over you.

Your problem is not him but the fact that the powers above support him and trust his views over yours. Sadly it means that the more you highlight his wrong doing, the more you will be portrayed as trouble maker and blamed for anything you raise.

You have two choices: lay low, focus on your objectives as specific tasks rather than criticism. Get on with you work with the mindset that what you do is for your boss, not him. Keep that smile on your face and pretend all is well. This attitude can over time totally overturn situations. I've seen people in your situations coming out with much praise whilst the bully loses all respect. 8t can take time though and distroy your energy and faith in the meantime.

Or you just get out accepting that you just don't fit in the culture of the place.

Honest advice, if I were you I would just try to leave this job as quickly as you can. things are badly toxic. Even if it’s a sideways move, can you get out of that team/manager within your same (large) company? Or look outside this company for a clean break?
You can always job hunt again from your new job if it’s not right, but from what I have seen in these situations your confidence and MH are the crucial things to hold on to. They tend to be badly affected by a fight with an employer over a long time. Leaving rather than pursuing a bullying claim may save you pain, the drink pouring is bullying.

If your face no longer fits in this job, this could be nothing to do with you or how you work, none of us can know why. I do agree with PP that appraisals can be used to signal if managers think the person is in the wrong job. So however unfair the reason, your manager isn’t on your side. You could mount a challenge but that is time and energy that you could be spending job hunting or being in a new job where you don’t have to think about all the bastardy.

So much of happy working is about working relationships not the work itself and the bully guy AND your managers sound both horrible and deeply unprofessional. So even if you know you have right on your side (and you do) the rot is in several key places. I would just put myself first and leave them to it ASAP. Other people who matter will already know what this group are like, you won’t be the only one.

Or you just get out accepting that you just don't fit in the culture of the place.

This should say Or you just get out because you have self-respect and do not want to subject yourself to this toxic culture

OP, it doesn't bode well that you don't have the backing of your line manager. If you don't have regular line manager 1x1 meetings, they are unlikely to have direct visibility of your work activities, and it enables them to be arms length with you over this awful situation.

I would

• formalise your grievance in terms of harrassment in the context of the Equality Act for which you have full protection from Day 1 of employment.

• Throw everything into the grievance document, provide tangible examples of how he's treated you, don't hold back.

• State clearly so there is no doubt in anyone's mind this is discrimination against you as a woman, so include the situation where he threw a drink over you and said you were beneath him.

• State that by failing to protect you from this treatment, your employer is failing in their duty of care towards you under Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) which nowadays is often applied in the context of providing a supportive and healthy working environment to mitigate against workplace stress.

• consider getting signed off sick by your GP (if you can get an appointment today, then start sick leave from today). There's no way you can possibly continue "business as usual" after what he's done to you. Use the time to construct your grievance.

• request via SAR full access to the 3 page document with the 360 feedback. When you get it, go through it forensically and refute everything you know to be lied or distortion of the truth in your grievance document.

• look for a new job. There is no doubt they have an agenda, they undoubtedly want you out. It could be collusion between this vile bully who has poisoned your LM against you. I doubt there's any way back from it.

Life is too short to put up with this I agree look for another job but in the meantime raise a grievance about his bullying and the managers inability to deal with it.

My line managers keep saying I will always meet difficult people but this guy is another level.

Interesting, so your line managers agree that your colleague is a difficult person ? What they want, is for you to continue to deal with the difficult behaviour with the least fuss possible or leave. This means they do not actually have to deal with the uncomfortable reality of doing the job they are being paid to do. Pathetic.

Give HR a ring today from home, ring in sick, don't go back in until you have spoken to HR.

Blimey, OP that sounds awful. I’d be really upset too.

Would it be easy for you to get another job?

You've got yourself a toxic environment with weak management. Get out. Life is too short. I was in a job like this, it got to the stage where I threw up before going to work a few times a week I was so stressed. Don't get yourself into that state.

I would wonder if he has a friend or family member he wants your job for. Or he just wants another person similar to himself to banter with and, very obviously from what you say, wants you out!!!!! As soon as.

As you are getting no support from above I would look to leave. If you got support from above perhaps a sideways move would be an idea.
But he has it in for you and if you feel positive enough you can try to fight this but if you are good at your job and can find another definitely leave.

I just done a 360 appraisal for one of my managers. It was made clear to me that they would see it but that it would be anonymous. Also made me aware that although anonymous anything I added in the comments might identify me.

I am also a manager and if I told one of my staff that they 'like to play the victim card' I would find myself on the end of a grievance or even a disciplinary and rightly so.

I agree with others that you really need to involve HR.

Hope you get the support you deserve and that things improve.

Involve your HR.

I would contact ACAS about your work situation and also start looking for another job. Life is too short to work with bullies and any associated lily livered management.

You have been give some good advice here and I do hope you take it.
I would definitely go sick from today but in the meantime get my CV ready and also contact HR to seek advice about a grievance. If you have witnesses to the drink pouting incident or the SMT saying you like to pull the victim card , all the better. Still shocked that this behaviour continues in the workplace

I totally sympathise OP, I had a similarly bad appraisal where I cried my eyes out then went on sick leave.

I submitted a grievance - now in month 3 of sick leave and still no grievance hearing yet!

Definitely put in a subject access request and a grievance to HR.

One thing that could be a problem though - if people are saying things to you and there's no witnesses - like the victim card comment - then you might not win that one.

How can a grievance be successful if things are said with no witnesses? That's the problem I have atm myself

Sounds as though the OP is being managed out and with less than two years service Constructive Dismissal isn't an option. OP you've been given some great advice about contacting HR and requesting all the data held on you. Start looking to change jobs as soon as possible

I have been where you are and let me tell you why you have to move (and yes I appreciate it’s not fair):

1. Your mental health is paramount and this guy is affecting it with his bullshit
2. Your company is spineless and hasn’t bothered to investigate the issue between you and this guy even handedly
3. They never will; this appraisal shows that
4. The guy has a degree of influence somehow, somewhere meaning you can never win even though you, everyone, even the cleaners know he’s an ass
5. Even if you do manage to “overturn” the appraisal you can bet your bottom dollar they’d find something else to hang on you to save face

It’s a sad fact of life that sometimes bullies do win. And all we can do is pity the stupid fuckers that let decent hard working people leave because they can’t see how destructive these poisonous individuals are.

Leave. I can tell you now it’s really really really really not worth it.

Doesn't 360 feedback include your line manager's? So LM is saying that nobody at all in your colleagues who gave feedback including themself, can find one single positive thing to say about you? That's absolutely piss poor of your line manager, if they themselves cannot even think of one tiny reason why you are an asset not a liability then their manager and HR should be hauling him over hot coals in order to explain why he hasn't managed a totally failing member of staff in any way that would facilitate awareness on your part or better results from you. AND why he cannot find even one small positive, like "you have a nice telephone manner" or something. I'm furious for you at your incompetent line manager and the w@n£er above him who thinks "play the victim card" is an appropriate thing to say.

I also just want to echo what everybody else has already said - the best most positive action you can take is to move out of that job. It's not fair and it's not right, but getting a change in a company culture that seems to embrace Drinks Dickhead exhibit A, Incompetent wet spicy flatulence Line Manager exhibit B and Utterly Unprofessional stinky toe fungus Manager's Manager exhibit C isn't likely to happen. The rot runs deep. Going through formal grievance takes time, burns goodwill (not that there sounds like there is any) and burns your energy and MH when you already sound understandably low. Treat your health like the most important asset you have: because it is. Get the hell out of there as quickly as you can is your number 1 priority. In fact ALL of your priorities are now around YOU, not looking after your colleague or your manager's feelings. Do what you need and are prepared to do to survive - for me, I tried to get my head down until I could leave in my own time but my mental health burnt up too quickly and I had to take time off sick and hand in my notice. I turned out fine, but my mental health took the longest to fully return. If you are mentally able, call out rudeness and bullying every time in factual writing. An email to exhibit A copying your manager and HR; "I'm forwarding back to you the email that you have just raised your voice and shouted at me about not having completed yet. You'll see it was time stamped ten minutes ago. It is not appropriate to ever raise your voice at me, and it's not appropriate to aggressively chase something sent in an email 10 minutes ago. If you have a task that that is urgent and you need me to do, in future please speak to me, as I don't read every email as it comes in. Thanks."

"Dear arsewipe manager (cc HR)
I am writing to surmise our meeting yesterday regarding my 360 feedback. You said that there had been NO positive feedback about my performance at all. Is that correct? If so I am puzzled, as I feel that I do good work for this company. Since your feedback was part of my 360 I'm concerned that you my line manager didn't see anything at all positive about my performance that you could comment on, and why if that is the case you haven't raise any concerns about my performance with me before now. You said that I cannot view the feedback about me. I am raising a Subject Access Request to HR today as I believe that the information I have received may be incomplete.

As you are aware, I find exhibit A numbnuts difficult and unprofessional to work with and have reported concerns about him bullying me to you. Please can you give me an update on what you have done to action these reports, thanks.

I wish to say on the record that I do not accept the feedback given to me in my review to be accurate, balanced or fair.

I would like to resolve these issues. I look forward to hearing from you how you feel we can address things and move forward positively."

And,

"Dear HR

Please could I have a meeting with you at earliest convenience, regarding bullying and professional behaviour from A, B and C. Many thanks."

Put in a subject access request and get hold of everything x

I was in tears during the appraisal. The senior manager accompanying my line manager said 'I like to play the victim card'.

He said what???

I'm not remotely qualified in that area but reading @XVaginaAndAUterus advice it seems perfect.

Do you not think they're trying to get you out? They seem to have been so unprofessional on every level.