Probation extended but exceeded every objective

[daimbar]

Line manager has decided to extend my 6 month probation for 3 months.

His reasoning is 'I was given an impossible task' as every other team member left within weeks of me starting and I was 'fire fighting' to cover off their work.

Despite this I have exceeded every objective I was given.

Should I challenge this with HR? Or just keep my head down and focus on impressing him in the next 3 months.

It's been a big blow to my confidence as I thought I was doing really well.

Thanks all. The recruitment consultant I have been dealing with was on leave today so only got brief feedback from his colleague.

Will try and find out on Monday what went wrong and see if it's worth trying to convince them to give me another chance.

They seemed so keen at 1st and 2nd stage and even paid for my travel for 3rd stage (was at the head office in a different city).

I see a theme emerging!! People like me initially and then seem to go off me.

Wish I knew where I was going wrong.

Maybe they rang the git manager for an informal reference...

So add defamation to bullying et al.

It might not be what you want to hear but probations is as much about gauging 'fit' than seeing if you are up to the job. Maybe he just isn't 100% sure you are the right person to fit into the team. Or maybe he is concerned that he hasn't had the chance of evaluate your work performance properly because you have been working under extraordinary circumstances.

This is your managers decision. Not sure what you think you'll achieve by involving HR. They should defer to your manager - he is the one who had to work with you, not them.

Oh bugger.

Ah, hell. Was it the same company BastardBoss was hinting about, or another one? If another one, get your cv out there! He owes you a damned good reference!

Is she not having anything for the 5 hours between meals?
At 8 months she should still be having formula or breast milk as the main nutrition.

Sorry wrong post obvs. X

MrsNucky I only involved HR when I discovered my role advertised on Totaljobs and my manager was away on leave.

That's a shame you lots out at the final hurdle but the positive is you must be fab to have gotten to that stage.

Are you going to keep looking?

Well I only have 2 more weeks until my probation extension is up so it's unlikely I will have the time to do more interviews.

Not sure what I will do if boss turns around and says he wants to make me permanent. I would be more protected from his behaviour but also on 3 month notice period making it harder to leave.

It's all over! Boss called me into a meeting room first thing this morning, told me to pack up my desk and leave.

I asked for HR to be present and said I want it on record that this was a personal decision by him and not based on my work. I also asked for it to be noted that I had exceeded all targets and business performance was the best it had ever been.

It was the junior HR assistant who came to the meeting and he didn't say a word. The HR director who I had dealt with was at her desk but wouldn't look at me as I cleared away my stuff.

They are paying me until the end of March which at least gives me a few weeks so find something else.

Although i saw it coming I'm still in shock!

Gosh! He really didn't like you did he. At least you are being paid until the end of March. But being told to pack up your desk and leave sounds very dramatic.

Hope you are OK.

Bloody hell OP. Is there any legal help you can get? Union? What about posting here in legal?

And pursue feedback from the other job, see if he had anything to do with that too. You have Mumsnet rooting for you, there are some very knowledgeable people on here.

That is so crap. I'm so sorry. There's supposed to be things in place to stop this sort of crap treatment of employees but it does t seem to work.

Hope you're ok

Thanks all. It does seem a strange coincidence I got so far with the other company and then didn't get the job. I wonder if he had anything to do with it but I guess I will never know.

I am okay just a bit shaken up.

So sorry

I've just read the whole thread and am absolutely horrified on your behalf. What an arsehole. And what is the point of HR if not to prevent this kind of behaviour?

Totally agree you are too good for them. I hope you get a much better job soon.

Wonder if he appointed someone after those secret interviews? If so hr must be in cohorts with him. Nasty bunch!😠😠

And what a lily livered shit the HR director is if she couldn't even look you in the eye. Surely part of her role should be to explain things and smooth the way.

Thank you for all your supportive words. I am quite teary now and it really helps.

DP is horrified at the thought of us claiming benefits but now neither of us are working we are looking into that.

I have had some kind texts from my now ex colleagues. Boss and HR did it all so quickly I didn't get the chance to say goodbye.

Boss wanted me to say I had left of my own accord but I said I wasn't ashamed and would be open about the fact he had not passed my probation. He looked extremely uncomfortable about that.

That completely sucks.The HR manager is a total chicken shit. SHe should have been in that meeting and given you the guarantees you wanted personally. I hope your luck changes

Have just read this OP and I've about a week and a half ago had to resign due to an early probation meeting which was pitted majorly in the negative against me... So therefore very similar to your predicament.

All I can say from my side and from my viewpoint on your side is that these people (your boss and mine) have problems! It sounds as if you have done nothing wrong at all and he is guilty of a lot. You are lucky in a sense that you have found out all this about him and the company crappy HR department rather than further down the line! I would however try to find out if he was responsible for bad feedback to the other job as with these sorts of people I wouldn't put it past them.

Good luck for the future, I am sure you will get another job, as I will too!

Oh I'm so sorry. All I can say now is that this is NOT about you or your talent or your hard work. Don't for a second stop believing in your own worth x

Daimbar you were treated in the same way as if you had committed gross misconduct. They are flouting UK employment law doing it that way!!

I'll await confirmation from one of our employment experts on here, but I would say you have a solid case for unfair dismissal.

They did not complete the full process as laid down by ACAS Code of Practice

They did not give you the option of being accompanied by a colleague or Union Rep.

They didn't tell you in advance the grounds for your dismissal which ought to be given to you 24-48 hours in advance.

Im amazed their HR person oversaw the meeting and allowed it to go ahead - they are meant to be there to guide the company in upholding employment law.

Please please contact ACAS and talk to them about Early conciliation which is the 4 week precursor to Tribunal. It may make them come to their senses, so you are fully recompensed for unfair dismissal plus you can negotiate a "good employee" reference on company letterhead.