34 weeks pregnant and sudden performance management!

[Strotty]

Hi all

Can anyone help me with this one?

I started a job this year, then found out I was unexpectedly pregnant - looks like I got preggers just the week before starting!!

Then new boss starts, just 5 weeks ago. Suddenly from being secure, and having a very positive appraisal by my direct boss in August this year, I'm a step away from being disciplined. HELP! I go on maternity leave at start December. Been told I've got 12 days (8 working days) to prove I can perform, or otherwise they'll start disciplinary. Never been disciplined, never been performance managed and just don't know what to expect.

Seriously stressed out.

Can anyone advise?

Pay for some advice from an employment law specialist solicitor. You've got to play this a certain way if they are using it as a smokescreen to get you out because you're pregnant.

so in the space of 3 months you are now underperforming

ring ACAS

your company is absolutely barking to be trying this while you are pregnant

have they given you specifics about which areas you are now underperforming?
usually in performanace management they have to support you in performing at the required level.
we would only issue a warning at this short time scale if the employee's performanace was directly costing the business money

usually we would have a meeting discuss if there are any outside factors influencing current work performance and offer support if there is, formulate a performance improvement plan which is reviewed minimum of fortnightly. After 4 weeks if insufficient improvements had been made then we would issue a verbal warning, review the performance improvement plan, and then it carries on on a 4 week cycle. We had to give at least 24 hrs written notice prior to these meetings

do you think you are underperforming? if so ask for support (you are still relatively new) if not then make a list of all your achievements, targets achieved etc so when they tell you you are underperforming you have some amunition

Get some advice, quickly.

This happened to my friend, who had been in the same job for 9 years. She gets pregnant and suddenly, she is being performance managed. She was put through absolute hell, it dragged on for months and when she left for maternity leave she was still under the performance management as her manager wouldn't sign it off.

Do you have documentary evidence of the good appraisal? I agree you need professional advice now about this. Unbelievable how any people undergo this sort of thing. [amgry]

Just a thought, worth checking your home insurance policy to see if it covers you for employment-related legal expenses. Quite a number do, and often people don't realise. If you are insured, contact the insurer who will put you in touch with one of their panel solicitors to advise you.

If not, agree you need to call ACAS initially and then think about getting legal representation.