WWYD - probation period

[probationfailed]

Name changed so not linked to primary account.

Have been in a new role since October with six months probation. Things have not been great; there's been no leadership, for first two months manager was absent then new manager started just before Xmas.Have missed two significant deadlines and called behind on filing which has piled up in drawer.

Friday was told probation would be failed and today was invited to a meeting next week to confirm probation outcome. Have been asked not to come to work this week- on 'paid leave'; not been suspended as still have access to work emails etc and can contact colleagues for support. If fail probation I am entitled to 1 month notice.

Manager has now offered to pay an extra £3k (another months salary) on top if I resign - under a settlement agreement. Not sure if this shows that they have a weak case- I've had no formal meetings before Friday and no 1:1 minutes. I think I could argue that process hasn't been followed?

WWYD?

Take the money.

You’ve been there less than 2 years and are failing probation. Not much of a leg to stand on.

God I’d just take the money and go. Letting filing pile up in a desk is super rudimentary shit and not something that should be done by someone at your pay grade!

@Lastqueenofscotland

God I’d just take the money and go. Letting filing pile up in a desk is super rudimentary shit and not something that should be done by someone at your pay grade!

I'm not sure which pay grades are allowed to let filing pile up, and which aren't 😄.

Sorry OP, this sounds rubbish. Why did the filing pile up, did you just have too much to do? Why are they trying to pay you off when it seems like they can get rid of you relatively easily anyway?

They can fire you with no money. Take the money and leave, then you get more money.
They don't need a case.

Yeah I’m this case I’d just resign and take the money and write it off as just an unsuited match.
Sounds like the role wasn’t working for you anyway with lack of leadership or support.

Even if they couldn’t prove it’s completely your fault for failing the probation, would you want to stay anyway?

There is no statutory process required and since you are under 2 years service they don't even need a reason to dismiss you.

Just take the money, which is very generous, and find a job that suits you better. If they want a settlement agreement ask for an agreed reference to be included (even if it's just job title and dates). They should pay an agreed amount for the independent legal advice your require for it be signed off as legally binding, or you can all agree to do it as a COT3 through ACAS so no costs involved.

I got fired once or ‘let go’ once at probation in similar circumstances.
I wish they’d given me a resignation offer as this would’ve made things less awkward for listing it on a resume/reference. Being fired let me sign on for jobseekers here (Scotland) immediately (think it’s different if you quit) so it may depend on how long you think you will be unemployed. If 3k plus salary is enough for a while then I’d take it. I had a new job within a month so it turned out to be a non issue and the stress of reference/explanation at interview/ cv gap if not listed etc was a bigger one.

Grab their arm off.

HR experience here. Take it but make sure they agree to confirming you worked there, a basic reference confirming your dates employed. This should be covered in your settlement agreement.

Definitely get an agreed reference. DH walked from a job when they kept extending his probation without giving him defined objectives that he needed to meet but the reference he received for a subsequent job said he didn’t pass probation, which caused all sorts of issues.

Accept it OP. It’s generous. They obviously feel that you’re the incorrect fit so it would be really awkward all-round if you tried to stay.

I agree with the reference comments, although I’d be tempted just to leave the job off my CV given the short time frame and tell prospective employers that I’d had some time out to do XYZ (a similar thing happened to my mate when his kids were little so he had a ready-made excuse).

Don’t let it affect your confidence. These things happen.

Bite their hand off op, they don't need to pay you anything after such a short period.

Definitely take it @probationfailed and as someone said make sure they agree to confirm you worked there.

Have been asked not to come to work this week- on 'paid leave';

I'd take the money and run provided they provide at least a neutral reference.

Why would you want to work for a company that would rather pay you stay home than have you in the office?

What was the reason for the files piling up and the missed deadlines?

Take the money.

It’s very generous, especially with less than 2 years service

Time to cash out!

You missed two significant deadlines and show no accountability in this post. Be very glad they've made you an offer.

This sounds like a good offer. I agree about making sure the settlement contains details of any reference that will be given (confirming roles, dates, etc).

I think they are being really generous, you obviously weren’t doing the job.

I'm surprised they made you an offer, they could just fire you. Take the money.

The offer is not generous, it's a month's pay, which is what you'd get if they dismiss you for failing probation. So it's cost neutral to them, but you resigning looks slightly better on your cv than dismissal. Take the money, agree the reference wording, and good luck in finding something new.

It's been well hashed, take the money! You aren't a good fit with the company. Offering you the money is their way of making this all go away quickly and quietly. But they don't have to pay you a months salary for not working.

This sounds a bit mean as everyone needs support and a bit of training/leadership when they start a new role... but I'm struggling to see a role that pays £3k a month where you're not expected to have the initiative to make stuff happen, present manager or not. I'd resign and take the money.

Take the money and use it to find something more suitable. The company sounds like it is in a bit of mess and you are not thriving in the role. Agree a reference wording and even signed copy of it, just to prove you did work there.

Take the money and thank your lucky stars.