Have someone been managed out of big 4?

[GreenEngland]

I have the feeling I am slowly being managed out due to my age and being a mother. My team moved to a new team recently and I noticed my boss attitude changed since then, started with some negative unfair comments and now have been given the lowest performance score despite taking new clients and having lots of good feedback. I feel I have the support from some of my immediate team members; but something else is going on really high up.

I am wondering what is the process like? Will the Company put me in a PIP? I am job hunting but the market isn’t great and my age doesn’t help.

Any advice would be helpful

I work for one
and this is not my experience at all
very accommodating to mothers because SO MANY in senior positions

How old are you?
I am 44
I am a senior manager
I report to a woman. Early fifties

we are both mothers. I am a single mother in fact

Thank you. I am late 40s but only in a Manager position. I don’t think it is the culture of the whole company but this team is mainly interested in people who can make Partner. I could probably make AD, but even Director will be pushing it hard as I will be a bit old.

I don’t think this team mind mothers as long as you can put 60 plus hours per week and are willing to sacrifice your family for the benefit of the Company.

I am not sure if the low score is just a way to not give people increases or bonuses or it means the next step is PIP/managed out.

Sadly that sounds like my experience in bigger law firms too. Antiquated partnerships who feel work life balance shouldn’t exist, and you don’t matter unless you’re working 50+ hours a week.

Better environments are out there, I love where I work now and we have two 50+ candidates short listed for a current vacancy, so your age shouldn’t be a barrier to that!

Thank you. There is hope

So low scores across the team?

Late 40s? How old are your children?

It’s frustrating and unfair isn’t it? I recruit into the Big 4.. or I did. I tend not to do much now, and they bang on and on about flexible working and how accommodating they are for families. They have improved but we all know the reality.

lots of people over the last 5/10 years have had enough and I regularly find roles for people at your level who no longer want the working hours / mentality/ impersonal nature of the Big 4. Some of the small to medium/ top ten firms pay more as well as having a much better w/ L balance and more family friendly environments too. And a lot value maturity where the Big 4 sometimes don’t.

Rather than it being their decision or having to go through a painful PIP process- would you think about having a look at seeing what’s out there on the market?

I’m not in the UK so forgive my ignorance - Are the Big 4 Law or Accountancy firms ?

Thank you. I have started looking for other opportunities