Put on a PIP at work despite them being very happy with me at my annual review 3 months ago!

[DreamingOfLivingInAChateau]

Got pulled into a meeting with my line manager today who said that they were putting me on a “performance plan” because they felt like I wasn’t progressing fast enough on our more complicated systems!

now my annual review was less than 3 months ago, and they were really happy with me, felt I was coming along nicely, and then asked me what training I wanted to progress further.
I said that I wanted more complicated systems and to be trained on them!

I was told said training would begin at the beginning of June. (This is training that I have been pushing for for a year) the training still hasn’t started.

I don’t understand what happened, how in 3 months it’s gone from them being happy with me, and happy with my progress to this… they haven’t even talked to me about it at any point. I keep asking for the training to do these systems, and still haven’t had it.

now there is to be a meeting with my line manager, boss and HR next week where they will set their expectations for me.

Im terrified, my anxiety is running on overdrive and I’m scared that they are trying to push me out.

Are you clear on whether it is a formal or an I formal PIP? If it is a formal one, I.e. the start of a process that could result in you losing your job, I'd fight it on the basis that you have never had any feedback whatsoever on this before and therefore not been given any opportunity to improve through responding to steers from management. You had no idea there was an issue so how could you have improved? And you've requested training that you've not received which could have helped you so at the very least they need to wait for you to do the training and see what happens then.

Have you had feedback, and perhaps you just didn't realise it was important?

OP - I am sorry not to have more comforting words for you but IME that sounds like they may very well be trying to push you out. Can you think of any reason why? (Office politics etc?)

I would brush up CV and start looking but also try to comply with PIP

do you belong to a union?

Sorry to hear this OP. A very similar thing happened to me at the start of the year after a short illness. It was incredibly awful and I’m still recovering so I know how you feel.

Do you have evidence in writing of your training requests plus the positive review you received? Any other positive feedback you’ve received since?

If you do, collect what you have. Depending on how you’re feeling you can attend the meeting with all of this evidence to hand and contest it. Ask them if you can take someone in with you. You can also call ACAS for advice or an employment solicitor. I was advised that if I did attend the meeting I shouldn’t sign ANYTHING. If pushed say you want some to time to consider what was discussed.

I was dealing with a serious illness on top of the accusations so was not at my best and so didn’t attend the PIP meeting but got signed off. I hired a solicitor, filed a grievance which set out all the reasons I could take them to tribunal without mentioning tribunal and let them stew for a few days. My solicitor then reached out to them and suggested a payoff and positive reference might be in their best interest.

Whatever you do read up on their company policies regarding PIPs and grievances. Make sure they and you have followed them to the letter. My employer and manager had foolishly gone very far off-piste from their own policies and so this was pointed out to them in the grievance which helped them quickly decide what to do next for the best.

I have sent you a PM.