UK based in my mid-30s. I worked at a relatively small company in their head office for two years that held a contract with a large UK company (over 500 stores). I made a few friends, but ultimately was breaking my back and not getting appreciated so I left.
I started a new job last February. First 4 months were fine, but then my boss started micromanaging us. The work flow became stressful. I felt like I was breaking my back all over again. Sometimes I'd leave work and walk to the bus stop in mild tears because I didn't know how to cope. I'd go to sleep at night and sometimes wake up in a cold sweat because I've had a nightmare about work.
Flash forward to this January where it was announced the majority of the team would be made redundant. My boss already knew this was going to happen so they left the same week it came to light. The whole they'd been secretly working in their notice period. The last thing they did before they left was grade us on our work to determine who would stay. I scored a 2/4 which meant I was due to go. Enough people took voluntary redundancy which saved me from having to leave.
My husband said if I feel like my back is breaking then to scale back. So I've tried taking this advice, but it has backfired and today I've had a yearly review. I'm convinced now that they are using a PIP as their next move to try to eliminate me. Nobody else is going on PIP. These were some of the things mentioned to me:
- Everyone had called out sick so I ate lunch at my desk instead of taking a lunch break. My ex-boss's boss saw the fact that I ate at my desk inappropriate. Didn't care that I didn't take a real lunch break.
- I have been studying really hard to take my British citizenship test in a couple of months. This means I read the study book on the bus to work. I was rummaging through my laptop bag for my work phone and left it out on my desk along with a protein bar, earbuds, and a charger. I got up to go somewhere with my work phone and thought nothing of this. My ex boss's boss took this to mean I had been reading and listening to music at my desk.
- Got called a robot for using automation tasks and told it makes the team look bad. Reflects badly on us for some reason.
- I felt like the workload was too much. When I scaled back, he noticed. He saw this as me being lazy. Even before when I felt my back breaking – nobody saw me as someone going above and beyond. I was seen as someone not applying myself enough. This hurt me and made me feel offended.
- Accused of not working on complex tasks or challenging myself. Accused of taking the easy work and coasting. I don't look at projects as easy, medium, or hard. I do projects as they come in. I just do them without complaint. I don't care if it's easy, hard, long winded, etc. The work isn't going to do itself.
- If I am stuck then I ask for help ALWAYS, but again that reflects badly on me and goes back to how they view me working on complex tasks.
- I have worked in the field 11 years, but told I underperform as if I'm junior. Why even break my back? I'll never win.
- Wrote goals for myself that they considered useless.
- Told the team we could apply for a management position as a way of career progression. I have 6 years management experience from a startup so I applied. They straight up denied me an interview saying I didn't have the right experience and hired someone who had never been a manager anywhere.
At the end of my review I was then advised I'd be on a PIP going forward. I feel like this is their next move to try to get rid of me.
I've had 5 interviews so far and unfortunately 4 of them have said the job has been placed on hold. The other one said too many people with similar backgrounds.
I feel so stuck and lost. I don't really know what to do. I have a mortgage. I can't just quit willy nilly. It's obvious we don't see the same things. I've told two people from my previous job about this and they were shocked. They feel lost without me. Called me the glue of my previous team and the only one who did the work. Think my current work is lying.
I wasn't sure if I could argue about my review or just bite my tongue. What do you guys think?