So, I’ve been put on a Performance Enhancement Plan (PIP).When this happens, there’s really little to no chance to keep your job, right?
And to be honest, this job is bad on so many levels, however, I don’t want to get fired without a new job lined up, because unemployment sucks in the US.-The Who-
Hi, 40 M. I don’t have minimal credentials, I live in the US, I’ve mostly worked in Tech & Print, and I’m struggling with my career and health (PTSD/cPTSD, IBS/Digestive issues).
-The What-I’ve been put on a PIP. I have 4 weeks to meet expectations. As I stated above, I don’t like this job, but I wish I had a job lined up. I applied to a few new jobs, and haven’t even gotten 1 response back, despite asking friends with professional resume skills for help.
I need to apply to more jobs, but the summer has been busy, my mental and physical health has gotten worse over the years. I needed a relaxing summer, as last summer I went to 4 funerals including my Sister’s, and my car stopped working amid the shortage of new/used cars. To say I’m burnt out and depressed would be the understatement of the year (I think many of us are).
-The Where-I currently work at a big corporation, in a department that asks it’s employees to constantly drop what they are doing to learn something completely new. This happens sometimes as often as every 3 weeks. And on top of that, management demands that the teams/employees master the new project within weeks, tracks all of the metrics in a hyper style, and then holds meetings with you whenever you aren’t fully hitting said metrics (highly perfectionist).
This spikes my anxiety to the max and fuels my adhd, into a slew of Nihilism, like “why even fucking try, I’ll just check Instagram for a minute”. Oh and they monitor how much you work, ie time, keystrokes, etc.
-The Why-I’m sure I’m on the PIP due to the fact that I am not meeting their high expectations and I probably triggered the limit on how often Management can help their struggling employees. Which I think is 5 times. I have had help from management, but I guess they are not going to help me any longer. Typical corporate America-Tech bro shenanigans.The thing is, due to all of the trauma I’ve experienced (even before my sister passed away) and all of the burnout I’ve experienced (at previous jobs), I feel I am not the most efficient worker at all. BUT I also hate this new style of go go go go (act like a robot).
I used to work at Print shops, and as much as I didn’t like some of the disorganization and lower pay, at least I was able to do something semi-creative and my every move wasn’t being hyper tracked.
-The How-
So here’s the thing, I’m looking for advice in a few ways. Note: I am working with a great Therapist on my mental health, but it’s a slow process.
Also, my parents will try to help me out if I end up being unemployed, however I will still struggle even further with money and my self worth.
And I have some friends that work in career development so I can ask them for help, help with cover letters etc. Here’s my ask for advice:
1. Management knows I have health issues, which they decided not to write me up for being 1 minute late (which is so ridiculous to write someone up for being 1 minute late at a non-customer facing job). But they used this against me in my review, along with my performance stats.I wonder if it’s even worth bringing up that I have some issues that are impacting my cognition even outside of my physical issues, or if this would just drag things out in an ugly way. I’ve even considered signing up for FMLA or looking into some kind of assistance for those experiencing mental health issues. Again, my concern is that this drags this out in an ugly way, they try to take advantage of me, or that they just tell me to call the 3rd party HR service, which let me tell you is awful. This HR 3rd party service almost denied my Bereavement time off to go to my sisters funeral.
2. How should I handle the PIP? I do rely on my job for some decent insurance. With my insurance, my once a week therapy is only $20 per session, and I’m about to get a yearly physical, vaccinations, and some much needed Gastrointestinal testing (which I’ve been waiting years for.However I feel no drive to keep working while being on a PIP. Even if I blow the stats out of the water, If I ever dip below the targets, I’m sure they’ll put me on another PIP/fire me on the spot. Management told me I need to learn to change quicker, and I told them my strength is repetition and that was ignored and they gave me some kind of corporate wink. It’s clear this job is not a good fit. But if I slack off, will they just say “ok, goodbye” before the 4 weeks is up? The whole timing of this is really stressing me out (although I feel slight relief bc the job has no culture, a bad indoor setting and repetitive work).3. How should I use these 4 weeks until I’m most likely fired? Look for jobs, try to work hard at this job? Batton down the hatches and accept/prepare for unemployment on the horizon? Doing all of this at once will stress me to the max.
- Career Advice?
I’ve thought about getting back into Graphic design, specifically working on Logo design, that does make me feel good to be creative. However I find the design field to be a complex and competitive one.
I’ve also thought about getting certified to become a mental health peer support specialist. Basically where you help people get into therapy and organize their life a bit. I am a very empathetic person and this could be a good fit, however, I worry that perhaps it might be difficult hearing about other peoples trauma, as this position may require you to sit in on a therapy session if the client asks for that.
I’ve also become really passionate about environment and I see a lot of entry level admin jobs in this field, that pay well and some may even offer to pay for schooling. I may need to go back to school at 40, but I do not want to take on a lot of debt.
I guess my internal battle is one of, what do I pursue, especially at my age, while my mental health often holds me back.
I’m sorry this is so long.Feeling lost. Any constructive guidance is welcomed.
Thank you ️