Spanky
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
36 years? I'm thinking why would one want to work longer?
it's a very long time especially if it's with the same company.
36 years? I'm thinking why would one want to work longer?
I don't think it is a trap.
BUT ... in my megacorp experience, I can tell you more than 1/2 don't make it out of PIP. They either find another job or get terminated. The rest make it out of PIP but not without heavy financial penalty (no salary increase, no bonus, etc for duration and even after PIP) and the perception of having been a "bad" employee. My suggestion is that you find a new job while going along with PIP (to buy time).
If let go "just before" qualifying for a full pension, you do have some legal leverage. The "just before" is what's difficult to determine. It is in Megacorps best interest to purge non-upward moving individuals off their pension plans before they qualify for a full pension. The way pension plans are designed makes the contributions much higher for older workers than younger ones. In my experience, HR is wanting to find reasons to get rid of these people. My favorite code word from the HR folks was "blockers." They hold positions that younger, higher potential employees could take if they weren't filled by a "blocker" that will never move up.In my megacorp the PIP is at best a scarlet letter, at worst a prelude to being fired. From my experience 90% of the folks on PIP end up getting fired, and don't get any severance. The real sad cases have been folks who just miss qualifying for a full pension. I would also ask for the severance info in writing, and strongly consider taking it.
The real sad cases have been folks who just miss qualifying for a full pension.
+1
I've been a manager for a long time and a PIP is a tick in the box before someone can be fired in my mega corp. I've only had to do a few PIPs but once you're subject to a PIP it's almost impossible to find another job in the company and if you were able to do the job there wouldn't be a PIP involved. If you're fired there is no severance.
If they're offering to see if a package is available I'd jump at it if I were offered it.
I neglected to say that this person has had 36 consecutive years of good performance reviews. The latest was the first bad one, although did not get the worst rating possible. The supervisor has anger management issues which the employee has yet to divulge this information. The employee can cite numerous occasions where Code of Conduct policy has been violated.
Adding to the chorus........... There are always anecdotal exceptions, but once a PIP is given the employee is toast. PIP has merely become a defensive legal mechanism prior to terminating an employee (especially one with 36 years tenure).
I would counsel against ever writing a nasty letter of resignation...unless you are retiring.
Why burn bridges? You never know when you will meet someone or need their assistance. It solves nothing and can only harm you in the future.
One caution ....
Despite what others may lead you to believe, in employee vs management situation, employee rarely wins if at all. Something short of sexual and other harassment with witness who will back you up, it's not worth going all out against the management. Only dumb manager will make big enough mistake to shoot himself in the foot. Your best bet is to move on.
Never sign the PIP according to this article:
https://michaelochurch.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/never-sign-a-pip-heres-why/
Never sign the PIP according to this article:
https://michaelochurch.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/never-sign-a-pip-heres-why/
I haven't Googled the author, Michael Church, yet. But I think this article is spot-on.
As an aside, man oh man I sure am glad I'm out of that ugly rat race.
I live in Baltimore and my interests include machine learning, game design, computer programming, and startups.
Here’s a reasonably successful card game I developed: Ambition.
+2 this is exactly how it is done in my Megacorp. Once you're PIP'd you're done. We tell folks its to help them improve and become better more productive employees but we both know it's because they are in the bottom 10% of the rankings. Take the message and the severance and avoid the embarrassment and degradation that is sure to come.