Urgent help needed - need to make sure that I am fired in the least bad way possible

[HannahHack]

It's a bit of a long story but I will try to keep it short.

After a fairly positive performance review in July I was dragged into a meeting in September where I was told that my performance was not up to scratch and that if I did not improve in the next three months the situation would be 'referred to HR'.

I have been made to agree to weekly meetings to review my performancy and receive "help" and been asked to form a list of issues that have arisen so they "never happen again". Tow of them go round and round in cicles until I agree with their points and then send me minutes they have written of the meeting to "agree" with in writing.

I feel that these meetings are in fact a thinly veiled attempt to produce a dossier on my "performance issues", which are of course a highly subjective subject, so that they can go to HR and say "we tried everything" and either fire me or force me to resign. For example they have a meeting after I have left.

I don't agree that I have performance issues. I don't want to out myself by saying what work I do but it could be considered creative and they are criticisng my abilyt to do this. Obviously there are good and bad ways to do a job but I feel they are subjecing me to ridiculous levels of scrutiny that others are not subjected to.

Basically I want to negotiate a positive reference, I am not too bothered by money as I am under 25 so it would be a pittance anyway. I also want to know what would happen if I refused to 'agree' with them.

I know I can bring a union rep in but would this exacerbate the situation?

Any advice gratefully received!

Thanks for all help.

Shit seriously hit the fan yesterday and boss did the meeting and told me that they are starting a capability process on Monday. I'm not really sure what to do, as I am just so miserable there at the moment and they admitted that that was causing problems for me.

However I had a job interview on Thursday and have another one on Monday, so just trying to keep my chin up and not let the whole thing get me down too much.

. Well lets hope you either get one of the new jobs or sail through your capability. Not much they can do if you do! Although I personally feel such things are really horrible and a way to get rid of people by inducing such misery in the employee that they leave anyway . Good luck

I've only ever managed one person out using capability management but I've lost count of how many have improved and become good colleagues after the same process. Three I can think of got promoted later.

It's not necessarily a bad thing and it's not an easy thing to do. Much easier to get recruitment right and use short service to get people out who don't fit out.

true. I guess it's the way it's done. I had a hideous experience with it.

Oh yes I have seen some horrors although it tends to be when people bypass or modify the process. thinking specifically of she who is known as bitch-face in my house

Goodness, perhaps we know the same person.....

Ditto Katie, have seen so many people improve. Some have really surprised me.

It's great when that happens. Makes you feel like you're doing a really good job Obviously it helps when all of your employees have a personal development plan regardless of how they are performing. I think it's a huge shame when development is seen as a punishment. Something very wrong with the culture there.

The only one who didn't make it refused to engage with the process. As her manager it was a miserable 5 months of upset and tears.