Hi r/antiwork! I love what you guys do here – I've been a lurker here for quite some time.
I was just wondering about your opinions on this.
(Disclaimer: I understand that you guys don't have legal/employment lawyer experience or whatever, just looking for opinions and perhaps suggestions on how I could handle this.)
So, to start from the beginning: I started in a new workplace back in June. This was after being treated kinda shit-illy at my last workplace (I was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD earlier this year, and my old workplace basically told me to just cope, lmao).
I started on a MUCH lower salary than my last job (£45k down to £35k) – I took this because I wanted to leave my old workplace quickly, wanted to slightly switch industries (science marketing to medical writing), and I was told by HR before I started here that progression is usually pretty quick. I'm not suffering on this lower salary (far from it lol), but I would LIKE to have more money, who wouldn't?
My probation was meant to be 3 months. This is outlined in my contract – therefore, it was meant to end this week.
However, yesterday, I got a call from my line manager and HR, telling me that my probation is going to be extended for another 2 months.
When I asked why (my mid-probation evaluation was glowing, minor improvements to be made, but that's typical for this kind of thing), I was told by both line management and HR that this isn't to do with my performance, but due to the following:
– I took 1 week off around a month into my start date (I had this holiday booked months in advance).
– My line manager was away for 2 weeks, almost straight after my week off.
– My new line manager (current one is moving departments) is now off for 2 weeks.
Basically, their reasoning is that I haven't had enough one-to-one time with line management to pass my probation, and the work I have been given is “too difficult” for a junior writer (even though it stated in my mid-probation evaluation that I did a great job at those tasks).
So in summary, I am having my probation extended for reasons that have nothing to do with my performance. This means I am at risk if the company goes bust, and I don't have access to further workplace benefits (e.g. private healthcare) for another 2 months.
What would you guys do in this situation? Would you make a formal complaint? Something else?
TL;DR – my probation is being extended for 2 months, been told it's the company's fault and not mine, now can't claim workplace benefits I am entitled to. What do?