To fight this?

[sunbathetilmorningtime]

Short of it is, my manager put me on a performance plan over a year into my role, despite them never questioning my performance before then and even reducing their support BEFORE putting me on a plan. Surely if someone is struggling you don’t then reduce the support already in place?

I believe my manger did this to cover his arse as he hasn’t trained me, didn’t check my work and never let me shadow him when I’d never even worked in this industry before (they knew this when I was hired).

Now because of this plan I will not get a pay rise. He on the other hand has a promotion despite me being the only person he’s ever managed and apparently failing. We have the right to appeal, but do I have grounds

Are the reasons you're on the plan justified?

Have you struggled and asked for help or just muddled through?

Does your employer have a policy and has the process outlined in the policy been followed and documented? Normally the manager would need to set out specific areas of improvement to achieve by a specified timescale, agree any support required and monitor it accordingly then review at the agreed timescale. Has this happened? You’ve said you were put on the plan a year into your role, what’s your length of service?

The plan is extremely basic, it basically lists the elements of the role in very simple terms.

Which I’m sorry but if I wasn’t doing the very basics of my job I’d expect to have been told that before 15 months of doing it - and I’d expect to have been fired honestly.

So it doesn't give any targets?

Yes keep calm an appeal it, because either you had no appraisals/one-on-ones, or you had them and no issues were mentioned. Either way they're in the wrong.

Sounds like an absolute clown show of a company.

My targets I believe weren’t quantitative, for example I had one that was “speak in the weekly department meetings”. I don’t set the agenda, but sure I can speak when relevant BUT .. do I speak every week? How many times in one meeting is acceptable? Do I fail that part if there’s one meeting I don’t speak in?

It’s so subjective. He could have passed or failed me based on nothing but his opinion.

He never once mentioned my bad performance, despite check ins every day. He then reduced these check ins to once a week and then put me on a plan. Which again if you’re saying someone isn’t performing why would you take away the support that was very recently already there?

He’s never assisted me with the plan, just gave me the basic points of it and did a check in once a week where I’d update him on his I did. But he never commented on where he thought I was still failing and how I could fix it - which I appreciate he shouldn’t hold my hand but he didn’t even give me any guidance.

In this situation I’d be looking for another job. It does sound like a bit of a game especially if no quantifiable reasons in the plan

Yes I'd straightaway appeal it, and just ask for his notes around your check-ins. Take the line of, "Maybe there was a disconnect because my take-away from the check-ins was that everything was going fine".

He's either a really bad manager or he's being disingenuous.

See how senior management respond. Hopefully someone higher up will step in and support you. If not then just look for another job.

Is there an HR department you can discuss this with? It does sound like your manager is the one who's failing ...

It sounds to me like he's the one who should be on a plan. How can you meet targets that aren't quantified or clear?

And he should be supporting you to achieve the targets, which seem very unclear.

Can you ask for a meeting with your next in line to try and get some clarity?

Got a sponsored add from Castle today. Both inappropriate and triggering, and reeks of desperation.

ad sorry

I’d appeal because you should have been given feedback, sounds like a crap company and manager.

However appealing won’t improve your performance if it genuinely isn’t great. The improvement plan however will if you follow it and believe it’s needed. I’d also be tempted to look else where though.

A performance plan is often used to manage someone out of the business. Definitely dispute the PIP for all the reasons you’ve stated, cc HR and a senior manager. Find another job before you are pushed out.