Anonymous wrote:OP here. This is what happened:
In the fall I got a positive year end review, then gave birth days later.
In the winter, while out on mat leave, my formal review was posted and it was negative, which usually results in a PIP. No explanation given. At this point I mentally prepared to leave.
I come back and was informed I’ll be put on a coaching plan, which is the precursor to a PIP. Then they told me nevermind. Meanwhile they’ve given me a totally BS scope, which I can see is their way to eventually fire me, most likely during the year end review process.
I would like more time to devote to my next opportunity — I’m doing very little, but enough that it’s a time suck to commute and sit on calls, etc.
I *know* they are ready to be rid of me. And I them.
I know Google recently sent an email saying essentially, if you’re not committed that’s fine, you can leave and here is the package you will get. Like voluntary layoffs essentially.
There is more to it than this, like weird stuff on my team and being treated terribly during my maternity leave, which makes me think they are keeping me here because they’re worried I’d sue or something. I have no idea, but there must be some reason I’m still here.
I know this sounds incredibly ballsy but I’m basically in a social experiment of how impossible it is to get fired from corporate America. Im beyond ready to cut the cord, but if there’s any chance I could get a severance package, I want one.
I think if I simply stay, I would get a PIP by late fall and be ousted with a package by winter. But I’d prefer to have that happen now so I can focus on my next venture guilt free.
Do you hear yourself? You are doing bare minimum and getting paid a full salary and expect to get a severance for doing the bare minimum so you can leave.
As someone who had to deal with people
Who needed to go it’s such a nightmare. HR makes us document everything for 6-9 + months before someone is allowed on a PIP. Even then we have to send them to trainings etc for months before documentation so it ends up being a year or more before the PIP starts!
Also just an FYI people do back door references so even if for some reason you can get them to give you a good or neutral reference doesn’t stop Jane on your team who meets someone at a conference and say you did nothing for months at a time.
Spend the time to look and apply for a new role.
Your company has now documented you doing bare minimum now for months so I don’t see a lawsuit anymore. The time to do it was when you came back if
you did great work.
Something similar is happening at my spouses company and everyone who is good is leaving because they are sick of the company keeping a couple employees on who do bare minimum. You’re bare minimum means someone else is doing your work which means more hours for them.