Work threatening a PIP, secretly pregnant

[OldMaidenTypeofShoes]

Bit of a long one but very disappointed with my current work situation and need some advice...

I returned to work full time after 7 months maternity leave last year and the company I work for had grown rapidly during that time, number of employees had more than doubled, office moved so my commute is now long, huge turnover increase and I had a new boss.

The entire business is incredibly stretched with all these changes and I regularly work evenings and weekends unpaid to keep on top of my work load.

I was asked to set objectives and deadlines for myself a few months ago some of which I haven't met due to bigger issues in the business which have taken priority eg. Supporting a launch into a completely different industry, widespread system issues which have held things up etc.

There are lots of things I've been very successful in achieving however which haven't been recognised, think several new system implementations, totally clean external audit, etc.

I had a 1:1 last week where I was told if I don't make significant improvements in my role I will be put on a Performance Improvement Plan.

It was all a bit wooly though as in most of the criticisms were that I'm reactive rather than proactive and I "need to be in the front foot" and come up with a road map to help my team be more efficient. All a bit robotic, I haven't made any "mistakes" I'm just not changing things as quickly as they would like and I've not been offered support to help me achieve these objectives.

My boss is well aware of the additional hours I put in and how much I care about my job.

I'm shocked and disappointed that this is even being considered as to me PIPs are for staff who they're trying to manage out the business - I work incredibly hard, have never had a day off sick even in pregnancy, get on very well with my team and genuinely feel like I've made a difference to the business as it grew. I'm maybe not as ambitious as I was before I had a family but still very dedicated to the role.

Im also 9 weeks pregnant but not ready to tell anyone yet.

So interested to hear everyone's thoughts - are PIPs for staff they're trying to manage out?

It's made me want to look for another job as I don't want the hours/stress/commute anymore especially not after having another baby but don't want to lose maternity benefits - what would you do in this situation?

Yes, in my experience they are used to manage people out. Sorry. And it doesn't mean you've done anything wrong but may mean it's the easiest way in their eyes for them to get rid of you. 😡

when are you helping to tell them about the pregnancy? I might be tempted to do it sooner rather than later.

The moment the office moved to a location that didn't suit me and I was being expected to work several hours unpaid would have been the time I started looking for a new job tbh

I'd start looking and get out asap

are PIPs for staff they're trying to manage out?

It depends on the company and the manager.

It doesnt matter how many hours you're working if youre not meeting your objectives having been given the appropriate clarity, training, support, and tools to do the job.

Have you sat down with your manager and talked through the objectives versus what you have actually achieved? Get them to spell out in specific and measurable terms what it looks like to meet (and exceed) expectations and where you are right now. Which of things youre doing now can you discard, delegate or dilute to create capacity? Are the expectations reasonable? How are others in the same or similar roles going about it? What training do you need? What support?

Yes if I were you I would tell my manager/HR about the pregnancy. There is no need for anyone else to know but youre not protected from pregnancy-related discrimination until you tell them.

PIPs aren’t always a way to manage people out, in our org around 65% of PIPs are passed. We genuinely want to support people to improve.

If we need to exit we don’t mess around with PIPs we would offer a settlement.

It doesn’t sound like a great job OP, but equally it doesn’t sound like a great time for you to be job hunting. I would probably try to get to maternity leave, have the baby and then reconsider / look for a new role when your maternity leave is coming to an end. Given the amount of change in your business you might find that it could change for the better.

If you feel that you will buy yourself more protection and support by telling them you are pregnant, I would do that. I would also follow up your 1-2-1 asking for clear goals for how you can demonstrate your performance. Your manager should be able to clearly articulate what you need to do but aren’t doing.

Best of luck

HR Director here. Yes, it does sound like managing out. It may not be about you, but as you say the business is changing and they want more but aren’t being properly explicit about what “more” is.

If I were you, I’d tell them you are pregnant. Whilst legally they could proceed with a PIP, I would personally hesitate to take a pregnant person through one, knowing the stress implications. Yeah it might not be fair, but that’s my view.

I wouldn’t look for a new job if you’ve got a decent enhanced maternity package with this company, you only have 6-7 months until you’re back on mat leave!

Finally, if they really really wanted you out then they may offer a significant pay-off by way of a Settlement Agreement which you could negotiate upwards.

Agree with telling them. But also think if they are going to institute a PIP, they have to be clear about the issues instead of the kind of management speak wankery you mentioned here. You cant do a PIP without being specific.

They’re trying to get rid of you. I doubt it’s personal.

the reason it’s been “woolly” is so they can say you haven’t achieved targets and sack you. Tbh, at least you’re hip to what’s going on and can play your hand as best you can. I’d also tell them you’re pregnant. On email.

@OldMaidenTypeofShoes OP this happened to me. I wasn’t pregnant again at the time but you should absolutely make it clear to them that you are so that you have that protection .. ie they knew and they should provide reasonable adjustments etc. Do not be pushed around by them. Do they have a good mat leave policy? I would stay for that if so. But ultimately I left and walked away with a settlement after some negotiation. How long have you been working there?

@Otheronehasthecheese they do have a good mat leave policy, it would definitely be worth staying for that. I've been there for 3 years.

The only thing I'm concerned about is staying for another 6 months with this looming over me and the additional stress it will cause. It won't be nice working somewhere I don't feel good enough tbh.

Thanks for everyone's honest replies - @CoffeeFluff this is the plan I was thinking of just didn't know if it was realistic!

@OldMaidenTypeofShoes if it was me I would tell them you’re pregnant, then, if there’s a good sick pay policy I would go off sick and explain you are under huge stress about the pip as you don’t understand or agree with it, then take several weeks off. when you return you will be discussing when to go off for mat leave etc and like @CoffeeFluff said, I think it would be risky for them to put you on a pip when pregnant, it’s very difficult to carry out in usual circumstances let alone when an employee is pregnant. I also agree with approaching for settlement, I would leave it to after your mat leave though to get the most out of them. I am so fed up of hearing of women being treated like shit after a return from mat leave. Do not stress, protect yourself and use them to your financial advantage.

I think it really depends on the employer. Some definitely do just use a PIP to manage out, others do genuinely use them to provide structured training & support to help get people to where they need to be.

In my experience it’s usually quite easy to spot which camp your employer is sitting in because those using them to help you improve often have nice, clear targets, training, mentoring, support in place to help you reach them, regular meetings to assess, discussions with you etc. A PIP when used properly should be a really clear ladder, step by step, with support along the way.

I would tell them to get some employment protection even if you say you don't want the business outside of HR and your line management to know yet.

If they want to side line you anyway you might find that takes some pressure off when they know you are pregnant and know you will be disappearing in a few months. That's not a nice thing to hear but it is what happened to me when I returned from mat leave 1. If it becomes untenable you can start your mat leave as early as possible to at least get your maternity pay and accrued holiday while you are off.

Make sure you know your legal rights and download the maternity pay policy. My former employer wanted to know my due date so they could make me redundant before stat pay kicked in.

If you feel like there is going to be any discrimination, make notes as things happen and email them to yourself using a personal email account.

Hopefully it won't come to anything but it's best to protect yourself if you can. You can't stop them managing you out of they have decided to..

This is what unions are for. Why do you work extra hours for free? When you do that it is a race to the bottom. You aren't doing yourself or your colleagues any favours by letting them expect people to work for free. Stop doing the extras and do only what's on your list. Ask for an assistant and tell them the job is too much for one person. Tell them you are pregnant.

Try to reframe those 6 months: it’s all just going to be a game where you can be smug and biding your time. You’re basically either getting a settlement or a free ride for a few months when they’re too scared to sack you.

I’ve been there, albeit not pregnant. It’s not nice, but just remember it’s all a negotiation game. They know what you’re about and you know what’s what. You just wait it out and get paid for the pleasure.

@MauriceTheMussel you're right, I just need to play the game to win the best prize!

They moved office location with no discussion? How far is the move?
have you spoken to acas?

objectives need to reflect the work you are doing so update your objectives to match your workload

they pretty much cannot fire you whilst pregnant but absolutely do not work over and above your hours, play the game to get to mat leave

Then when you return let them manage you out, quiet before they do and find a new role

Agree with @CoffeeFluff on approach. If you have been feeling unwell with morning sickness etc during pregnancy to date I would also expressly flag that to them - will give them extra pause for thought on taking this further at this point it looks like (partly) punishing someone for pregnancy related illness.

More generally though, if you are reasonably senior then some of the feedback may not be surprising. Sure you may not have actively made mistakes but if their expectation is a leader that drives and you are a leader who merely reacts, you won’t be meeting that. At senior levels “but I do extra hours” is not the benchmark, proper ownership and getting stuff done regardless is. I genuinely say all of this not to be unsupportive at all, but because it is common to see and just assuming the management are unclear and meanies doesn’t help you longer term when these expectations are not unique.

Part of dealing with that can be really clear communication of both proactive and reactive issues that exist, getting buy in on the actual priorities. So you are clear you see that proactively it would be ideal for your team to do x, y, z etc but you think current priority is a, b, c but if you got another analyst you could do y and half of z etc etc. if the CEO wants x but you can’t have more resourcing then you can do it by dialling back on c. Also think about how you are clearly demonstrating success, moving the dial, making things better, don’t just assume your results speak for yourselves.

Yes they are trying to manage you out. Luckily for you you are pregnant and so it will be harder for them to get rid of you now! I would definitely be looking for a new job, but in the meantime it might be worth thinking strategically of letting them know about your pregnancy now. Putting you on a PIP just after maternity leave and just around the same time you announce your pregnancy and moving you out of the business at around 6 months pregnant leaves them open to liability which they will want to minimise. As such you might have a bit of leverage to get a good leaving package.

This was basically what I was thinking - tell them you’re pregnant sooner rather than later.

Hang on til you’re on mat leave again and look for another job whilst you’re on it.

It’s not necessarily that you’re not good enough. It could simply be that you don’t fit as well in what they’ve morphed to and what they’re looking for from the role you’re in isn’t the one you think it is / want to do.

Tell them you’re pregnant. Even if it’s just your manager and you ask for confidentiality at this stage with colleagues (noting they can inform HR).

It’ll almost certainly out the brakes on the PIP or at least reframe it.

Get some specific, slam dunk achievable objectives. Make sure theyre SMART and you know can meet them.

Cut back the excessive hours and include that in the PIP discussions, as the targets should be achievable in normal hours.

Look after yourself, take the pay and the mat pay and rethink it after you come back. It’ll probably be totally different again.

Tbh PIPs are a pain for management because in order to put you on one the manager has to set SMART targets, lay out what you need to do to show progress and achievement and what support they'll give to help you achieve what they dont. If you get it written right they'll struggle to argue you haven't met what they want.

Do you have a union you could consult?

I bet your objectives were tactical not strategic. I bet they are task focussed not improvement focussed. And that’s why you’re being seen as needing to improve.

and I’m appalled by the “play the game” advice here.

Tell them you’re pregnant immediately. It will change a lot. As an HR senior manager I would be reluctant to dismiss a pregnant employee through PIP as there are too many potential legal problems.
Don’t stay for another 6 months though.
Start maternity 11 weeks before your due date and book all holiday entitlement for this financial year and take it before your maternity. If you are genuinely finding it too stressful then consider being signed off sick too before the holiday
Enjoy your maternity leave and then either don’t go back or, if you in a company where you have to return for a period of time to gain enhanced maternity pay then go back for that period only

I was threatened with a PIP. I wasn't pregnant but I have MS although, frankly, I have only had 3 days sick leave in the last five years.

The similarity to your situation is that the criticism leveled at me was also woolly, the objectives he claimed were not achieved were completely opaque (and had never been mentioned before) and some of the points he raised were ad hominem and therefore had no place in a professional conversation.

I took out a grievance. Took it all the way. Kept my job and got promoted less than a year later. Objectives must be reasonable, achievable and clear. Do not just accept something you feel is unfair.