I think my manager is trying to make me leave

[dimsum123]

I'm so stressed, my manager has been really critical recently. Had a review and it was completely negative. Will be meeting her just before Christmas so she can see if things have improved with certain aspects of my job that she criticised at the first meeting.

They had a temp in over the summer for 3 weeks while I was on holiday and they now keep comparing me to her and think she was much better.

I'm convinced I'm going to be fired at the next meeting or she'll be so negative again, it will be obvious they want me to go.

The only thing I don't understand is I've been there less than a year so she could just fire me immediately.

I'm looking for another job but it's very quiet this time of year.

I'm so stressed out. We can't manage without my. wage. I'm not sleeping or eating.

Main question is was her criticism valid in any way?

They had a temp in over the summer for 3 weeks while I was on holiday and they now keep comparing me to her and think she was much better

Take them up on their point that the temp was better (in a positive way). Why was she better? What was she doing that they need you to do more of? What things do you currently do/not do that needs to be improved?

We are all humans, people can and do get things wrong, especially in the modern workplace where instant results are expected, mind-reading and expertise in crystal-balls are latest must-have skills. It was wholly unhelpful of your manager to create comparisons without giving you tangible guidance on what is expected.

It does depend what grade/level you are, as to whether your success at getting the job in the first place was based on the expectation that you were already skilled to do the job or whether there are job elements you're now doing that are things you're having to pick up new, or different to how you've done them before.

To @KatherineJaneway's point, reflect on areas for improvement where you may have dropped the ball, and can now prove you know what actions you need to take to up your performance, and show humility in that discussion.

Are you stru6to do your job? Could you ask what you could work on?