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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Manager put me on performance management plan and I’m leaving

60 replies

Pinksparkles84 · 24/06/2024 21:22

I’ve worked with my company for 1 and a half years now. I initially did one type of job under a head of department (team A) and was headhunted by the manager of a team which is a sub division under the original team (team AB). I have studied for many years to get to where I am and am qualified in my area of law which I was doing under team A. The work on the new team is quite niche but a lot of the job is administrative. My appraisal was positive and I was given good feedback about my files.

I decided to tell my head of department that working in the team AB isn’t for me and I’d like to go back to team A). My job in team A was filled a few months back and it was assumed that I’d be working for team AB but doing a small amount of work for team A. Most of the work in team A was delegated elsewhere so that I could focus on team ABs workload. I didn’t really have a say in the matter as I was asked when someone left team AB. The manager and a few of the team work fully remotely and training has been primarily by the managers assistant emailing what is required. I have feedback to the managers assistant that I learn better being shown how to do things rather than read a long email that doesn’t make sense. I suggested we have regular zoom meetings and screen share. This has only happened once and was a good way of learning. The managers assistant continues to send long emails about what needs to be done. bearing in mind I’ve not done their type of work before.

when I started on team AB I was given 36 cases to deal with and then started getting an influx of about 100 emails a day. In addition I was regularly going out for meetings/networking etc so that reduced my time in the office. I wanted a bit of time to look at the details of the file and make notes on what needed doing. Due to having to get on with it I didn’t have time. Managers assistant is quite highly strung and sends daily emails to say that documents haven’t been saved correctly on the system. They are fully paperless in the team and I was trying to adjust my mindset as I previously had paper files.

anyways, I called a meeting with HR and head of department and felt a bit bad that manager of team AB was out of the loop. I wanted to discuss going back to team A and doing the work I was comfortable (and qualified) to do. At the meeting, the HR lady gave me a performance improvement plan and issues were raised that I’d never heard about before under team AB. Issues such as punctuality (I drop my DS to school on a Friday and usually come in at 9:30 and work half an hour later to make up for it - this was agreed with the manager of team A sometime ago). I also work earlier than my start time several times a week to deal with the workload.

manager of team A also criticised my attention to detail (I filled in a form which had an incorrect bank account number on because there were many bank accounts and I included the details of the one I thought it was). This was the first time I did this form.

I told the HR deptartment today that I got a new job and handed my notice in. Manager of team AB is now saying that I would have probably resolved the issues brought to her attention in the PIP but that it was too late anyways as I was now leaving. AIBU to go with the new job.

OP posts:
leakysqueaky · 29/06/2024 07:16

Technically PIPs are not meant to be used as a means of 'managing a person out' but in reality, that's often how they are used. At the very least, it's a warning shot.

Time for a fresh start!

imfae · 29/06/2024 11:39

I get that some of the responses you have received have been blunt .
I think you are overthinking things . You weren't happy in your job . You weren't happy with how your employers had dealt with things .

In employment situations you are dealing with people who have their own personalities and quirks . Most people also do not like to be criticised and will not react positively .

Put it all behind you , you are in the enviable position of being able to move on and have been offered and accepted a new position . A lot of people for various reasons ( financial / practical / child care etc ) end up having to remain in a job which they don't like .

Do not waste any more of your time and energy thinking about your current / old job other than what you need to do day to day .
Look on this as a new start and try and take any learned experiences from your existing job forward to your new job .
Good luck Flowers

Bcdfghjk · 29/06/2024 18:54

Workoutinthepark · 29/06/2024 06:38

The point is, she was managed poorly, and mgmt handled it by belittling her with a performance mgmt plan. OP well done on getting another job and handing your notice in! Sounds like a demotivating place to work. Sounds like they regret the performance mgmt plan as a knee jerk response, too.

You're a bit behind...

Pinksparkles84 · 01/07/2024 14:10

Thanks For the comments. I’ve been told that I’m seeing an external HR person next week as the hr manager is on holiday, to help resolve the issues I’ve been having. Manager of Team AB has ignored my request to talk to her this week. Maybe having a third party might help. It all seems quite official. I would like to move on in a positive way but maybe I am just clutching at straws and trying to fight my corner before I leave the firm.

OP posts:
Staringatthewalljustmeagain · 01/07/2024 15:03

Plmnki · 24/06/2024 21:59

FGS I trudged through all that waffle and get to the end to find you have a new job anyway! If that’s your comms style it’s no wonder there’s been issues in the job. Jeeze.

Am I right in thinking the OP works in law? If so, that’s why the waffle. Lawyers can’t write succinctly. 😂

Pinksparkles84 · 01/07/2024 15:19

Staringatthewalljustmeagain · 01/07/2024 15:03

Am I right in thinking the OP works in law? If so, that’s why the waffle. Lawyers can’t write succinctly. 😂

😂 point taken and tbf I can’t argue with that. We are known for waffling on!

OP posts:
G123456789 · 01/07/2024 15:39

I think you are best of leaving as to be honest they sound a poor company to work for. You don't put have a meeting with hr to put someone on work improvement measures without them knowing it's on the cards. Nor do you ignore requests for different communication styles or refuse meetings with staff even if they are leaving.

Feelinadequate23 · 01/07/2024 15:42

OP, a PIP is 100% a way to move you out of the business. Well done for getting ahead of the game and getting a new job before you could be pushed. Definitely the right decision to move on. Do not look back!!

AzureBlue99 · 01/07/2024 15:48

Seriously. You have a new job offer. Look forward to that. You are wasting too much time trying to right a wrong. Focus your energy on the future, not the past.

Pinksparkles84 · 08/07/2024 15:46

Just an update but I had my exit interview today and told the HR person that I hadn’t received any feedback on Manager ABs issues that she had. The HR person was pretty rude and said why would I want to know her examples & my response to was that how am I able to move on and improve if I have no idea what they’re talking about. I don’t get this air of secrecy.

Apparently manager of Team AB kept a folder and thought she was providing constructive criticism asking me to do something but I said that’s not really raising an issue asking someone to do something. Manager of Team AB put down another criticism that I wouldn’t drive 60 miles when l said I couldn’t see a client as I have my DS to pick up after school and the client was fine about speaking to me on zoom.

As another person said they are paid by my work so they will always back them as they’re paying their wages! At least I can move on now. So done with them. At least now I can move on from this experience and my advice to anyone is don’t take colleagues on face value. Thanks all for the feedback.

OP posts:
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