Can I refuse to go on a PIP if I don’t agree with it?

[Gamecha]

Do I have any rights? I feel like this has come out of the blue and absolutely do not feel it is justified. Can I do anything?

I think your option is to raise a grievance before the PIP is formalised. It does sound that there is post ML discrimination here, but I think you would need to be much more specific than you have been in these lists so far. Must be worth some legal advice to either save your job or save your good reference.

You must be experiencing difficulties at work to be put on a performance improvement plan. So no, you can't refuse, or you may be warned about your performance.

If there is a clear timeliness between mat leave, return and the reduction in tasks being given to you, then I would document all of this, and take it to HR as a first step.

Out of curiosity, are there any other women at your level who have taken maternity leave and returned? What was their experience like?

Why not read the thread or at least the first page/OPs posts? I have given my thoughts very early on, thanks though, I didnt need to explain what a PIP was as it was cleared up on the first page, I scanned through responses before giving my response to the OPs issue.

I would get some legal advice quickly. If things are as you have described, if sounds like there is something amiss in the way you are being treated. Do you work in the public sector? Is there an option to move to another dept? If your manager is determined to get rid of you, your days may be numbered but raising a grievance or a claim for sex discrimination may make your HR dept think twice.

It would make them think twice for long enough to investigate the grievance and then, if it wasn't upheld, it would be back to the PIP. It is very very common for employees to raise a grievance when put on a PIP and I can't think of one time where the grievance was upheld. Not saying the OP's wouldn't - or that she shouldn't do this. But without a watertight case it is so easy for it to be seen as employee resistance and working for a manager who thinks you are underperforming and who you've just raised a grievance on isn't a situation many people would like to be in.

So if you take this step OP - beware

Where I work a grievance stops the pip temporarily. Which is a tactic one of my (now resigned) team members used and I am sure many others use. Frustrates the process.

Did you decide what to do OP?