[Closed] About to be sacked and devastated

Are you sure its all about you !
Also 6 months is a long time to come to such conclusions

Relax and put together a log of events.
Then make sure you take some representation in with you.

Good Luck

Good luck tomorrow.

Take your time (breathe), stay calm, say as little as possible in this meeting and keep your dignity whatever. Let them talk and just listen. Then take your time (could be days) to consider next steps once the whatever dust has settled.

Try to sleep well even if it is hard. Good luck again,

All the best fella. Every cloud and all that.

Good luck fella.

Legally they can dismiss within 12 months with little come back which makes me think it could potentially be a kick up the arse. Crap rolls down hill and your manager will be under pressure so he's looking for a solution as well.

Don't get defensive tomorrow and take their feedback constructively but reiterate the point any missed targets will be offset against decreased expenditure on team salaries.

Breakdown the performance per head of your team, pro rata that with a full team.

It may give you some extra time to turn things around with your present employer while looking for the next opportunity elsewhere.

If you do get terminated tomorrow ask if there is an appeal process and state to above again and add the dimension of lack of support and oppressive behaviour. At this point you have nowt to lose.

And keep things in perspective. You have your health and family. Get those right and everything else falls into place.

Not sure what to say, but I hope it turns out well for you.

Just to update people - it is no longer 12months before you can claim for unfair dismissal, you can't your employer to an employment tribunal until 2 years as of last April.

Firstly I hope it goes well for you tomorrow and you get the result you want. But regardless of how that turns out it sounds like you should make it your new project to find yourself a better job. You spend a hell of a lot of time at work and spending that time miserable and unsure of your future is no way to spend a life.

Good luck fella.

Gutted for you I hope it's not what you think if it is be positive and start looking for new horizons anyway. Don't forget to wee in your bosses shoes before you leave, could be tricky if he/she is still wearing them.

I was told about a 'poor performance meeting' at 5pm on Friday, scheduled for tomorrow. Haven't slept/eaten since.
I always thought I'd be aloof & OK about it if it ever happened to me, but I'm devastated.
The company's terrible and my direct manager is horrendous and I really don't like it there, but I'm devastated to think I'm about to be dismissed (probation not successful).

This wouldn't by any chance be a fairly large Finance company from north of the border? I only say this because it sounds exactly like what I went through with them. They gave me all the sympathy under the sun when going through particularly hard family times, but decided to sack me on the day before my 6 month probationary period was about to end.

Now the upside - Yes I thought It was the end of everything, I had to sell my car to get money to live on, i took the first job I could get and had to work in a hellish call center job for nearly a year part time and borrow a mortgage payment from my parents (ok, stick with me) I did after that get a job in IT (what I always wanted to do) proved myself to them that I was an asset and have built myself back up to a good wage, good hours and working for a company that doesn't treat me like a sponger just looking for a wage.

It will feel like the end of the world, i won't deny that, but the old cliche of "when one door closes another opens" couldn't be truer

Good luck and let us know how you get on

Dunno if I'm too late to offer any advice but FWIW..

Look at your employee handbook and / or T&C'S. These should tell you how this kind of thing should and / or will be dealt with. If its a larger business they may well have a conduct & capability policy you could refer to. This may not change the outcome but you can ensure they play by the rules.

I would suggest that if they haven't been explicit in your reviews that you were heading for this meeting they probably haven't followed most recognised performance management procedure. As other posters have mentioned you can't claim unfair dismissal within a year but you would massively increase your chances of getting benefits if you can demonstrate you have been unfairly treated. It's worth looking at ACAS for guidance here as most Employment Tribunals use them as a guide to what's reasonable.

Dependent on what sector you work in you may be able to get a union rep to attend. Even if there's not an affiliated union at your employer your T&C'S will state if you can have a union rep as a witness. If a union rep can't attend they can still provide good advice based on experience within the sector. For example in my business we recognise USDAW (retail) and CWU (post office).

I would be really surprised if there isn't at least a three stage process to be followed in your case. No doubt there will be some things they will expect you to achieve and if you feel the targets set have been unreachable get this noted. If the counter argument is that you should be able to hit them is anyone in same role managing to do so? Any good manager should see the benefit of agreeing a sustainable improvement target so they shouldn't expect you to go from 0-100 in a week.

Finally your employer should have some kind of problem solving or grievance procedure. If you feel the issue is with your boss (lack of support?) and / or due process isn't followed inform your HR dept and your bosses boss.

As above don't know if this will change the outcome but everyone deserves to be managed fairly.

Good luck with your meeting.

Can't give you any better advice than you have been given, but take care of yourself and remember it isn't your fault! More often organisations fail employees than employees fail organisations...

Good luck!

this is why I'm tempted not to have children.....I have terminal bad luck that has given me a degree of fatalism.....if I ever get accused of gross misconduct, let a deadly zombie virus out of a CAT 4 lab by accident or my field of work becomes redundant and I become long term unemployed then I will just go and join the Legion. At least before I'm 30.

Firstly, this is easy to say but don't take it too personally.
Secondly, use silence. It is a very powerful tactic that most people can't handle. If this is the first they have raised it then they are taking the formal route so you have to consider that you are in a performance management process, even if they haven't told you. Very amatuer. Take someone you trust with you. There role is to impartially document what is said, actions etc. they should not participate other than asking questions if you want them to - I would. Your role is to listen to the issue they have [s]made up to support their baseless process[/s] with your performance and seek to find an agreed set of metrics and a process to measure them. If they are asking the impossible then only you can agree to that, if not then you are in the wrong job anyway so you might as well let the process run.
There are always better opportunities.

No 3.
http://www.lzwlaw.co.uk/documents/employment_law_ppp.htm

Sorry to hear that Mog, another way of looking at this situation is that maybe the whole company isn't doing well and they need to let someone go - you just happen to be the newest employee? if that's the case then whatever reason they give you is difficult to contest. Chin up and I hope it is not as bad as you are expecting. I have similar experience (but from a redundancy angle) and something always comes up. Good luck!

Legally they can dismiss within 12 months with little come back which makes me think it could potentially be a kick up the arse. Crap rolls down hill and your manager will be under pressure so he's looking for a solution as well.

As above. Silence is a good tactic - but also don't commit to any agreement at the meeting if you can. You do have the right to think things through.

I have been in a similar situation in the past, and it's horrible at the time, but in my case it was definitely for the best, and I accepted a far better job with far better people before my notice period was up.

Don't be afraid, stay positive and get looking for another job. It sounds like you've had a slight blip, and frankly every one is allowed one. Your years with the previous employer count for a lot, so make sure you go back to the old (departed) management and hit them up for references if they can't rehire you.

Best of luck.

Good luck Mog!

Are you happy that you have done as well as you could under the circumstances? You don't want to work for a company that doesn't recognize that.... easy to say, I know.

Accept it and move on..... focus on what's next.

Good luck Mog. Hope you get on ok.

Thanks again everyone - you've given me a bit of needed perspective on it.
My line manager is best friends with the MD so there's little comeback against them. Like it or lump it, that's the way it is there - a little draconian.
Off to face the music now.
Looks like I'll keep quiet and digest what's said later on today.
Thanks again.

Good luck mate.

Head up and look to the future whatever the outcome this morning.

Can you honestly imagine a scenario where you stay and keep working there, in that job you hate?

Tonight you'll feel like a whole new man and I bet you come out of the office with a spring in your step. I did when I was made redundant and now I run a successful landscape maintenance firm!

Best of luck chap!

As a couple of above posters have said... Would you REALLY want to work there ?

I'd try and drag myself through today, get out the other side with a job and start looking ASAP... it's only matter of time before they axe you... get a new job and get in there first.

Good luck fella.

It sounds like you were placed in a impossible situation and an element of your face doesn't fit. It happens. I've been in places where I could do no wrong and vice versa. Both me and mrshora were in good (or what we thought) stable jobs when suddenly we were both asked to leave on the spot. It really affected mrshora's confidence but she stung them with a massive payout. I hated my job, every evening cringed thinking I'd have to get up and at weekends I never enjoyed ...well my weekend. My MD was a confirmed manhater. Apparently she only took me on as she thought I was gay at the interview 😆 I was the companies best performer yet nothing I did was ever good enough.

OP- the only words I can say is it will get better. 7yrs in your previous job?

You are obviously conscientious etc and cheesy as it sounds you [b][u]WILL[/u][/b] find a likeminded-business again. If you want to talk off forum I'm more than happy to but when you are in the mailstrom you really do wind yourself tight and your view on reality becomes deeper/darker and skewered.

If you don't get sack, it sounds like you should be leaving anyway.

Get CV done and onto internet boards ASAP.

I was the companies best performer yet nothing I did was ever good enough.

This hasn't got anything to do with inappropriate use of the glorious member, has it?

To recap my experience (on the employer end of disciplinary/non-performance stuff) I'd agree with the following from above

1, Don't go in for the first meeting, all guns blazing threatening all kinds of stuff. Go in with argument prepared (as it seems you already have) for what are likely to be their points.
2, If you dispute what they say or need time to respond to it, ensure you ask for a follow-up meeting so you have time to counteract their points before they get to the "bugger off" meeting (assuming you're right about where it's going)
3, Make sure to make notes, or ensure someone from HR is minuting the meeting and you have the right to see the minutes before they're "official" and correct mistakes.
4, Be careful about just resigning as it affects all sorts of things in terms of benefits etc.

Ultimately, as people have said, if they want you gone, they can just get you out. It's not much of a salve to the nerves but when I was made redundant, the fact that it was a foregone conclusion stopped me stressing about keeping the job, just made me focus on getting the best exit possible.

It may be that this is a genuine attempt to get you and them back on the right path. That said, from what you've posted in this thread, I'd start looking for a new job anyway even if you get through this.

Good luck!

best of luck for a good outcome today (whatever "good" might be for you)

This hasn't got anything to do with inappropriate use of the glorious member, has it?

Best wishes. Mog.

Which part of the country are you in? I can offer a slow wheezing crap mtb ride in the Chilterns to cheer you up if that is local / helpful?

Finger's crossed it's just a first review not an actual dismissal meeting, then as others have said get straight into CV writing and get out of there on your terms.

Do you get any sick pay while on probabtion? if you're sick fed up of them as an employer and if they've treated you like crud are you sure you're feeling okay? perhaps you're feeling a little stressed or depressed or some other non physical ailment that you might suffer from to get a salary whilst you look around for a new job. 😉
it isn't morally right of course but then a lot of things aren't.

Good luck Mog

Yep, good luck Mog

Although, by the sounds of it I'm not entirely sure what outcome constitutes good luck. Sounds tough spot to be in.

All the best for today.

Dont know the inns and outs of employment law but if you've raised issues of unrealistic targets and performance etc can you not try for Constructive Dismissal? I'd imagine they'd want to avoid this. As I say i dont know the inns and outs but I am sure a specialist in this area could advise.

santacruzsi - by his own admission he hasn't hit targets (ignoring the team being low on staff etc). Given this and 6 months employee, so CD is off the table. Constructive dismissal is more about forcing someone out on the sly by changing their role, sidelining them, putting too much pressure on them etc not sacking them.

So what happened?

I was thinking the same then thought that maybe if he's getting shit for under performing at work maybe logging on to STW straight after his meeting wouldnt be the best plan?

if you've raised issues of unrealistic targets and performance etc can you not try for Constructive Dismissal?

Went through a similar experience to yours in my early 20s - it really hurt at the time, but it ultimately set me on a completely different career path, and looking back on things from the perspective of my 50th birthday, I'm pretty satisfied with the way things have turned out for me: working from home, lots of quality time with family and friends, setting my own priorities and focusing on the things I think are important in life.

Whatever happens today, it's really worth thinking about what you want your life to be all about, then starting to plan for how you get from where you are now, to where you'd like to be. It can be a long road which involves some pretty radical changes in outlook, but it's absolutely worth it. Crucial to get your spouse's support as well - I don't think I'd have achieved much if my wife hadn't backed me 100%.

Good luck!

Hmmmmm not sure what the "targets" are - is this a revenue based thing or a project timeline type scenario?

I quite regularly have to have little sit downs with guys that work for me who might not quite be hitting sales targets. The first thing I ALWAYS look to do is put together a performance management plan. It's not about being soft, cuddly and "there there". That simply delays the inevitable - the way to do it is to identify a set of actions that are required, match those to resource to allow them to happen, and a defined timeline for them to happen in. Turning this round the other way for you gives the following:

- Targets have not been met. You have raised this concern several times on record.
- Action to either address resource issue or put together a secondary plan or review targets has not been taken by your bosses.
- The situation CAN be resolved with commitment from both parties.

Here's what to ask for:

- Establish performance management plan with reviewed targets and a timeline to achieve them. Both parties to agree to these
- Agree resource plan (whether staff or budget) to allow this to happen.
- If resource cannot be made available, review target again.

And repeat these 3 steps in a loop until a mutually agreeable solution is found.

Obviously this is all hypothetical as I don't know the nature of the business or the targets in question, but my experience working in a multinational tells me that any decent sized organisation will have a process in place where they go to a performance management plan ahead of firing, so as to minimise the risk of constructive dismissal cases.

Good luck.

I was facing the sack for gross miss-conduct about 4 years ago [justification]expenses fiddling like everyone else in the company[justification/] and was somehow saved at the last straw but my colleague got dismissed. In that time we both looked around and a job came up which we both went for. They offered me the position but I declined as I still had my job. He accepted and is still there to this day on twice the money I get....they never asked for references.

Good luck.