PIPs and Beyond
Disciplinary actions at work are uncomfortable. The worst one is the dreaded Performance Improvement Plan aka the “PIP” aka “I’m going to get fired any minute. Some companies call them a warning. Some of them call them a memo. Whatever they’re called, you know that if your manager closes the door or puts a meeting on your calendar and includes HR that it’s probably bad.
What does this have to do with therapy? While therapists can’t use reframing or any therapeutic tool to change the relationship you have with your boss or your company, we can help you consider what brought you to this place with your current supervisor and weigh your options.
Most of the time, a PIP doesn’t need to be the end of the road unless you want it to be. If you love your job and enjoy the team you’re on, but had a minor setback due to health reasons or didn’t get along with someone who ultimately left, it might make sense to just fly under the radar for a few months, have a few awkward meetings and wait for it to go away. People get written up all the time for silly things. It’s annoying, but it doesn’t need to be game over.
When is a PIP a Dealbreaker?
Your boss is punishing you because you’ve refused to take on additional responsibilities without a new title or additional pay. This is someone manipulating you into working a new job that you could easily be booted out of at any time and not receive any sort of credit for. Learning opportunities are fabulous and there should be something you can put on your resume to show for taking them on. I once had someone threaten to fire me because I didn’t want to add taking project management courses to my 45 hour workweek plus 20 hours of weekly commuting. I already had a masters degree. I was happy with it and project management was more of an MBA thing. They backed down on that eventually, but I started looking for a new job immediately.
Someone is retaliating against you for being a whistleblower. It happens. Whether it plays out as a demotion, people shunning you or a PIP or threats that could lead to a PIP, you shouldn’t be punished for calling out bad behavior.
You hate the job and you hate the company. This is one situation where haters on LinkedIn would likely pile on and say, “Well, you deserve a PIP.” No. Sometimes a job is a bad fit and the company misrepresented it during the interview process or they made dramatic changes after you were hired. If you aren’t happy and you get wind that they aren’t happy either, plan your exit strategy ASAP.
When You Choose to Stay
Review everything on the PIP carefully and get everything broken down into specific and measurable goals, preferably with timelines. Ask about support resources to help you with whatever is on the PIP. Can you work with an EAP counselor? Does your EAP offer workplace skills courses? Does the training department offer anything that might help you be more effective in your role?
Document every meeting you have regarding your performance and what you are doing to improve your performance.
If you receive a document with anything you disagree with, mark it up. It won’t change anything about how it’s filed with HR, but if anyone audits the records later, your objections will be noted.
Follow up after the PIP regarding any raises that were deferred due to disciplinary action, seniority, etc. People rarely ask about any of this and it can have long term implications for your salary and retirement package.
Maintain a clear line of communication with your manager and if they refuse to do that, make that known to HR and to their manager. Your direct supervisor is responsible for your success and responsible for delegating work to you effectively and developing you. If they are looking for an excuse to just renege on all of that, other people need to know.
Remember that everything is temporary. Maybe this job is a good fit today. It might not be a good fit tomorrow, and that’s okay. I also recommend limiting the people you gather opinions from to a small group that you trust. If you ask ten different people, you will probably get ten different answers and most won’t be helpful. Keeping or leaving a job is a personal decision and nobody else will understand what’s at stake better than you.
Good luck out there and I wish everyone a PIP-free Friday.
