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Probation issue and signed off sick

8 replies

gotbillstopay · 13/05/2025 08:29

Just over a week ago, I had a meeting with two senior managers at my organisation. I was told that I was unlikely to pass my probation period and that I had three weeks to do what they wanted of me or they would let me go. Now this meeting came as a bit of a surprise but not a complete shock. As a week before my line manager had said they were pleased with my work and I just needed to do more of certain things and less of others - but that generally my work was of a high standard and I was doing what was expected of me. Now there is a bigger issue is that ever since I started this job just under six months ago I have been doing a job that is not my skill set. Although the tasks are quite junior things and and i am more than capable of doing them the thing is I had a long history before I started at this company of doing some very high-level work. When they took me on they had told me they were taking me on to use that high-level experience and improve the quality of the product that we currently offer. So when I started the job, the people managing me were unaware of my specialism. So I was getting given quite junior things to do. I pushed back on it and accepted that I would have to do some of these tasks. I did flounder for a bit. The organisation was going through a restructure and I didn't have a line manager for two months. When i was assigned a line manager that really helped with doing some of the junior tasks but then I got time to working on my more quality tasks. In the meantime I've got quite stressed about it and I developed a back problem which I've never had before. also, when I started we were told we only had half an hour for lunch which at 54 years old is a bit trying when you're working 8/9 hours a day at a desk. Intense work; in my previous jobs i met contacts and went to conferences. So after this meeting with the senior manager I just crashed and burned. I felt really unwell. I'd been battling diarrhoea upset tummy for over a week beforehand anyway. I went to my GP and they signed me off for a week. I'm now due back at work tomorrow and I have had one of the senior managers call me to check I'm okay. But at the end of last week I had a message from my line manager saying that my probation had been signed off by one of these senior managers and that they would see me when they came back just explaining that they were on leave this week this current week. So I'm probably going go back into work tomorrow work a few days and then they're going to tell me that my probation is either going to be extended or they're going to let me go. Do I go back into the office and trust that my line manager may have sorted things out for me? Although not as senior my line manager is someone the organisation probably can't afford to lose so they have a lot of influence over managers further up the chain. But I'm guessing my line manager got annoyed! Or do I just accept my fake - so going in for a few days and leave on a less emotional level than I feel right now?

OP posts:
CoffeeFluff · 13/05/2025 16:50

HR Director here. When you say a senior manager “signed your probation off” in your absence, what do you mean by this? That they have passed it?

isitme111 · 13/05/2025 22:21

If probation has been signed off I would take this to mean it's been passed but it sounds like you think it could mean something else OP.

Truetoself · 13/05/2025 22:34

Sounds like you have passed probation?

Changingplace · 14/05/2025 06:01

CoffeeFluff · 13/05/2025 16:50

HR Director here. When you say a senior manager “signed your probation off” in your absence, what do you mean by this? That they have passed it?

This, if your probation is sighed off I’d take that as you’ve passed it.

What makes you think it’s being extended or you might be let go OP?

gotbillstopay · 23/05/2025 17:37

Actually it wasn't signed off my line manager sent me a message saying it was!
But I've just had a meeting - I've been back at work for a week - saying they are extending my probation.

OP posts:
gotbillstopay · 23/05/2025 17:38

I don't think my company really have a clue. My job has become about throwing mud on a wall and hoping some of it sticks.
I've done the same thing at other companies and it always ends in a strategic review.

OP posts:
gotbillstopay · 23/05/2025 17:38

As in I told the companies it wouldn't work and they didn't listen.

OP posts:
Silvertulips · 23/05/2025 17:41

I have had this at work with a few new colleagues, it’s an awful way to treat people and I don’t know why they do it!

If aren’t meeting expectations then there is a training issue or a micromanager issue somewhere

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