Published on 12, July, 2020
Having tough time of a tough time. Had meeting with Employer and my medical team, my employer asked to speak with my medical team. Which I agreed to in the spirit of being open and with the expectation that the discussion would be about my requested changes, with some discussion about my performance. Really angry with everything, I feel meeting was ambushed to set the scene to kick me out of the company. I feel my medical team would provide some support, but I feel they have made things worse. I have told my doctor that I am trapped at work, in that my skills are out dated so I am not marketable, so my best cause of action is to stick at work and gain the skills and experience I need to continue with my career with a different employer. My doctor in the meeting said well we aren't getting any where with frustrations and problems at work, and he can't progress anything with my mental health until that is sorted out. He also keeps asking me "are you working full time now", I have been working full time for years. Part of my reasonable changes was to work at home a couple of days a week, because I find the office environment difficult, they already think I am wasting time at home. Just hate this sick twisted world In the meeting I am given two options, either leave the company or undertake a months trial where I will be intensively and closely monitored which will be very stressful. There were several references to having the option to leave the company at any time. They wanted to be involved with my medical team because they want an indication as to whether I am fit to undertake this trial. Even if the trial is successful, I am told that the changes I have requested do not fit with their company plans anymore. They cited communication problems, but I don't know where they are getting these from, I don't have communcation issues with my peers. I do with this nightmare manager, but I am doing my hardest to not let that get in the way of my work, and suppressing a lot of anger that they are adding to the situation
random said:my skills are out dated so I am not marketable, so my best cause of action is to stick at work and gain the skills and experience I need to continue with my career with a different employer
How would this work?
If your employer has you working on outdated stuff all the time, how do you foresee sticking at your current job as the best route to obtaining up-to-date skills?
Because they are moving over to very modern technologies as of now, with sub-contracters already on board to kick-start project and transfer skills. Was meant to start January, but is in pipeline within next few months
Contractors will just make a mess and then leave. It is unlikely they will transfer skills, because it is not in their interest to do so.
If you are on a performance review plan (or something that sounds similar), here is what happens next:
You will be given something to do, and a timescale to do it in. Somehow, they will extract from you an agreement that the timescale is reasonable.
Your progress will then be monitored closely, perhaps with a daily meeting with your manager, where you review the progress made over the last 24 hours. Your manager will keep written records of everything he/she says and your responses.
If you successfully deliver what has been agreed, they will continue to monitor you closely for a period of time. It will be a bit like probation.
If you fail to deliver the agreed work in the agreed time they will terminate your employment, and you will be escorted off the site.
A performance review plan is actually "gathering evidence to fire you", under the guise of, "supporting your return to the required level of performance".
It may be worthwhile making the following observation to HR (it won't save you, but could sow some seeds of doubt):
"If my performance is unacceptable, either I was like this before you hired me, in which case your recruitment process failed and the hiring manager is at fault, or alternatively I was performing acceptably when I joined the company, but working here has made me this way..."