AIBU to think this is crazy? Please can someone in HR help me…

[Panickkk]

I work for a large company. My new line manager out of the blue put me on an informal performance management process. He said he wanted to assess my work closely. In this time I was given three hours worth of work over a four week period, I was cut out of projects and meetings. At the end of that process he said he was reporting me to HR because I hadn’t improved.

I raised a grievance with HR about this but also about his treatment of me generally (many unpleasant, sexist and rude comments).

HR have said they can’t stop the formal performance process going ahead and that my grievance will be dealt with alongside that. I feel too uncomfortable now to even engage with this man and feel if I do I will be exposed to further worse treatment. I don’t know what to do. I can’t afford a lawyer.

Do you have legal cover on your home insurance?

@AnnaMagnani no unfortunately, I have checked that

Standard advice would be to go off sick until your grievance is resolved, but I don’t know what your sick pay situation is and whether that’s affordable.

Are you a member of a union?

@HermioneWeasley i didn’t think they would look into the grievance if I went off sick?

I feel so upset and anxious that I don’t know how I can carry on like this anyway, I feel like I should just leave

If you are in a large company I'd expect they would have some sort of Employee Assistance Programme benefit. These usually provide initial legal advice by telephone, confidentially, to employees- check your benefits list for that, if your home insurance doesn't do it.

@Panickkk you being sick should have no bearing on them investigating the grievance, especially as the cause of your sickness is workplace stress which can be resolved by hearing your grievance.

ehat do you want thr outcome to be? Mediation with your manager? Moving to a different team?

Are you not a trade union member? They should be able to help.

Pursue the grievance. How long have you worked there?

Have you been there more than 2 years ?

I feel so sick and stressed. @Watermill ive been there for 11 years. I feel genuinely concerned about going into any process with someone who has done this. I don’t trust him at all. I feel like I have no choice but to leave

Would it be worth asking to see if any local Solicitors offer a free 30 min appointment for advice, or maybe contacting your nearest University who may have 3rd year students offering pro-bono advice ( I know Leicester Uni do this and they have visiting Barristers or Solicitors to help).
It sounds a horrible situation and I hope you can get some legal advice to help you deal with it all

I would take legal advice in relation to that they are trying to force you out.

They can do this but it has to be done properly- but I am not an employment lawyer.

This sounds like constructive dismissal. Maybe mention that to HR and perhaps you can negotiate a settlement agreement so it doesn't go to a tribunal. The situation sounds horrible.

Then that would possibly be constructive dismissal.

Contact ACAS. Don't leave. Get copies of the relevant policies. Make notes of everything, what's happened so far etc. Gather your own evidence to refute his allegations.

If you don't have a union could you speak with someone like ACAS?

Are you in a Union. Unions are invaluable for this type of issue and can provide legal help

It's normal to keep both processes running, otherwise anyone who was put on a PIP would be able to immediately raise a grievance and effectively checkmate the PIP (I'm not saying that would be the case here, just that that's why one doesn't stop the other). Actually if the performance process continues and you're able to evidence that you were only given 3 hours work over 4 weeks and no clear targets for progression, additional training, supportive performance management or other good management support it's more likely to harm your manager's case and support yours.

Acas is free to contact and is the best option if you're not a union member, you should get their advice before making any decisions. And as a previous poster mentioned, if you have access to an EAP use it. It'll be confidential and they're not allowed to 'report back' to your manager or HR department.

The other thing to do is check your company's bullying and harassment policy to see if it also covers victimisation - that's the bit of the policy that should protect you from any unfavourable treatment as a result of having raised a grievance and it'll be important for you to know what the policy covers with regard to this.

It doesn’t.

op you should start looking for another job. If employees are put on performance plans it is common for them to raise grievances. Usually HR dismiss the grievance and continue with the pip. If you are then dismissed after a pip, you would be unlikely to get compensation. No one can say if the performance concerns are genuine or not but these things are subjective

How much money can you scrape together- would need to be a specialist employment solicitor.

A family member went through something similar recently, contacted an employment solicitor who basically had a much improved settlement sorted within 2 days.

How did he document the “informal” pip? Were you given clear outlines of what needed to improve and how that was to be measured?

Document absolutely everything.

You need to check if your company has an Employee Assistance helpline, more than likely they will

This is at least your third post on the same topic, but the details are very slightly different and you're ignoring the advice from last time. You've had clear advice and chosen not to follow it, so I hope nobody else wastes time on you.

@hopeishere he didn’t do anything at all. hr have even said that he hasn’t documented anything so far ‘but he will in this formal process’

Get in touch with ACAS. I am sure they can help you.