Unfair appraisal - would you challenge it?

[fatface001]

Looking for some advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

There are some changes happening within my workplace and the possibility of redundancies. At the same time, I’ve recently received a performance appraisal that I feel is very unfair and doesn’t reflect the work I’ve done or the circumstances I’ve been working under.
I’m really unhappy with the assessment and feel it’s unjustified. I’m also concerned about the timing, as I can’t help wondering whether the appraisal could influence decisions further down the line.
I’m not sure whether to formally challenge it or whether doing so could make an already difficult working situation worse.
I have two questions:

1. Would you challenge a performance appraisal that you fundamentally disagree with, even if it risks upsetting your manager?
2. If you’ve challenged an appraisal, what was the fallout? Did it affect your relationship with your manager, future opportunities or any performance-related bonus?

I’m particularly interested in whether anyone has challenged an appraisal when redundancies were also on the horizon, and whether it made any difference to the eventual outcome. I’d really appreciate hearing people’s experiences and advice. Thanks

I would put in writing with specific examples areas where you feel it’s inaccurate. Did you have SMART objectives and demonstrate how you’d achieved them with examples. Were you specific in your feedback and what do you feel
is unfair?

If there are significant demonstrable factual inaccuracies in your appraisal then I would put that in writing (eg if your appraisal says that you were late to work when you had in fact attended a medical appointment that was taken in accordance with your employer's policy on such matters). If the appraisal involves a judgment call by someone (eg the value of your personal contribution to a project involving lots of people), that's a much harder thing to challenge.

Yes, be wary of being performance managed out the door. You might be in a no win situation.

I had this. My manager was new to management, and his appraisal was based on him disliking the way I did things because it was different to his. He had spent the previous year micromanaging me, and telling me to change every single thing I did, after it was completed rather than while it was in progress.
I pushed back, got my union involved, eventually had a meeting with HR where they told me I was imagining things and it was a perfectly acceptable appraisal. I went along with that because it meant I could challenge any negative outcomes related to it as my union rep was with me and witnessed it.
After that my manager spent the next 10 years blocking any chances of promotion, undermined me at every turn and told everyone behind my back that I was basically incompetent.
Eventually I moved teams because it didn't get better.
I would say definitely get your union involved if you have one.