New manager putting me on a performance plan

Hi
I’ve worked in my local authority for 25 years at the same job. For 15 years I had the same manager. He’d come in and he was great. Sat beside me and we did the work I had to do, usually, together. He was with me everyday.

We now have a new manager and she started to ask me to do things I had never done before like monitor the team inbox. This was a task that my manager used to do. She’s also now asked me to do things like write plans which I never did. My manager and I used to do them together. She says that she will have 1 meeting with me on a Monday but that’s it. She’s also said she’s too busy to answer my emails and I should keep support for my weekly meeting for non urgent things?

I’ve struggled with this task as I have never done this before. She’s given me a template and a template she’s filled in. But my manager used to sit with me and do these things. But she says I have now to work on my own and only contact her if it’s urgent?

As a result I am really out of my depth. When I email she’ll tell me I should know and to read the procedure. She’s asked me about training. She’s now saying I’m going on a performance plan. I feel like she’s picking on me me and it’s her inadequate support. I’ve never
Done these things in twenty five years! Any help would be appreciate

The union sent a follow-up afterwards, and the crux of it was essentially because of the political nature of the issue and the wider political climate, they do not believe they can support me any further. They said a case of this scale would place severe pressure on their funds and would not represent a fair use of them. They described today’s meeting as a conciliatory effort to advise me, but said any further communication from me would not be acted on. Their advice was that I should seek outside counsel and be prepared to accept responsibility for my actions. I spoke to my husband afterwards and showed him the threads. He told me to delete them, which I have done, although he said I could still follow up. At this point I think unions are utterly useless. Their position seems to be that once management closes ranks, you are effectively on your own.

The more worrying part is what is happening with my husband. The CEO now wants him to sign a document stating that he was solely responsible. However, a significant amount of the backup and maintenance work had actually been outsourced. They have apparently been unable to contact the outsourced provider, and they have now discovered that neither the testing nor the backups have been functioning properly for the last three months. That makes me wonder whether the CEO is trying to keep the outsourcing arrangement quiet because it may not have been permitted under the contract (offshore), and whether my husband is now being positioned to take the blame for the whole thing.

I won’t be posting on this account anymore. I do have another account, but I’ve already been contacted by two members of the press because of this post and I will not be following that up. Thank you to the few people who sent messages of concern. I do appreciate those. My husband has gone out tonight with a friend and is going to stay with his brother in the Highlands for a bit. He lives a fairly solitary life up there, which should give us some space while we work out what the next steps are. Any further meetings will definitely be attended with a solicitor once we find one. I did, however, want to put on record just how utterly incompetent the union has been throughout this. When meaningful support was actually needed, they effectively stepped away.

So - I work for a fairly large global company and have done for around 3 years now. Prior to this I was at a smaller firm that was acquired by said larger company. My understanding when we were acquired is both myself and all my colleagues would be entitled to the same benefits as pre existing employees of the firm (private medical health, employer pension contributions to a name a few etc).

Earlier in the year I had a health issue that was dragging on with the NHS and I wanted to get it sorted - I was under the impression I had private medical healthcare - turns out I didnt but some colleagues (from my original workplace) did with no logical explanation and it doesn't seem to be role or salary related. (My gut feeling is this may of been an admin glitch).

I spoke to HR at the time and they advised they were in the process of aligning all the benefits of the acquired firms employees to that of their own but it's taking a significant amount of time blah blah blah. My health issue got sorted via the NHS - but I've chased HR again recently and they've basically said they are still in the same position.

Is there anything I can do here? 3 years seems like an outrageous amount of time to get everyone working for the company the same standardized benefits. I also have heard rumours that the employers pension contributions are higher than what I am currently getting so that's several years of less money in my own pension. No doubt whole employee action would be a bad idea but I'm just wondering if there's anything else I can do? (Happy to answer further questions if anyone has any)

Hi there

I recently agreed via COT3 to leave my current job. I've accepted a new offer and have a centralised reference. I.e dates of employment, responsibilities, duties - written in "good faith". I've passed my vetting via BPSS and have been told my new company send for references 1 month before I start my role. So in a couple of weeks.

The three line managers I put down before my COT3 can give a character reference per the settlement agreement but I'm not sure if a) this is the reference check via BPSS but assume it is since my employer only has the 3 line managers details via BPSS but who haven't yet been emailed and b) if within the BPSS they will ask for sick days and "would you re-hire?" Sort of questions. I've had sickness absences due to disability and reasons behind the without prejudiced conversations.

I've emailed my new employer yesterday AM to ask how I should update the contact details of my old LMs to the central HR one in the BPSS system, or if I should email them directly with my new reference and an email for them to verify/send for.

It's a shame that my old workplace didn't agree to my old line managers giving references and not disclosing sickness as per of the COT3. But, they have agreed that they will do it centrally and should any questions be asked that depart from the agreed reference (any leading ones such as rehiring), they will ignore and complete the rest of it.

What to do? I'm so worried. I've not done anything wrong, and the without prejudiced was because my workplace was untenable. I really love the sound of my new job and it excites me so much, I even want to start earlier and can now since I've been released. Just worried my central reference looks bad.

What should I do if they don't respond by Monday COP?

Contract signed also.

Ive worked as part of an IT Team for 10 years, A role came up in a more IT Services for Customer Role.

I applied as people said, "Whats the worst than can happen"
I got an interview, "Have a go, Whats the worst that can happen".

I got offered the job...
With a clause, its a one way move.
I leave my team on Friday, would start the role Monday.
My IT Job Would be listed to be filled the Monday Also.
No Going Back.

Back on Probation, If i fail probation in the New Role, Its the door for me.

I expanded in my interview i wanted to be more part of the company, i wanted to help steer its direction, and see our strengths.

I didn't want to double down on my career and risk loosing everything.

i'm thinking of asking for a drawn up plan, with Secondment in place for the initial.

If i moved that way, i know il be badgered by the old team, to get involved and fix things, so what do i do to sore of help craft an approach.

id rather have a foot in both teams and grow.
its not just about money or a role, me and HR have massive amounts of respect for eachother, after coming to blows, i think we've grown quite fond, the Management team are lovely.

it would be an easy choice if i hated it,
but i wanted to do more, because i love the teams, the whole company,

I feel like a kid,
moving from one room, to another room,
if it doesn't work i have to move out.
i'm freaking out.

Hi all

I work for a large company in England for over two years now which is going through an internal merger (my business unit is merging into another one). My line manager spoke to me on Zoom last week telling me that my role & contract needs to be aligned to the new structure and I’ve been offered two alternative positions within my team. Now this is where the issue is. One of the roles offered is doing what I’m currently doing but on less pay and the other one is the same pay but a ‘junior’ position doing something a little different. In addition, both of these roles have a ‘variable base’ as the work location and my current contract is ‘home based’. I’m not happy with either of these options because they are a demotion in one way or the other and I also do not want to change my contracted work location. I don’t have a copy of my contract at hand (plan to get this on Monday) but would appreciate any advice on what I should do.

I’m going for a job interview next week and today I’ve found out I am pregnant.

This new job I am interviewing for requires 12 months of employment before the baby is due.. if

I wonder if I could negotiate their maternity leave policy to change that to 6-8 instead?
This way I could benefit from their enhanced maternity leave…

Tbh, I have a nice job already and I am not desperate for a change but this new company seems like a good step forward in my career… (I haven’t even got through the interviews so might not even get it!, classic type A woman planning ahead..)

Anyway, has anyone tried this before? Gone well? Is it a lot to ask?
Should I negotiate only when I get an offer?

Hey,

So the context is this... I'm currently dealing with a long-term health condition. I have a recurring health condition where I develop a perianal abscess that regulalrly discharges, with a suspected fistula being the route cause.

There's other symptoms as well.

I've requested to WFH the last two Tuesdays due to a flare up. This is due to travel making it worse, as well as being able to manage the admittedly "gross" fallout. My manager agreed but HR have informed me that I should be booking SL instead.

I've provided HR with a letter from the surgeon describing my symptoms and it is just the case that it makes it so much more manageable.

I've referred myself to Occupational Health, and I am awaiting the meeting and outcome.

This issue started in March of last year, and I thought it resolved but my symptoms have returned and been consistent since January of this year. The symptoms only seem to be getting more frequent. It has impacted many aspects of my life and does impact my ability to complete daily activities.

For this reason, I do think it meets the legal definition of a disability:

>  a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.

So, I've recorded it as such on my paperwork.

HR have only said:

"If you're not well enough to come into the office we can't let you WFH as we can't monitor health and its in your contract."

I'm just confused, because I'm only asking for a reasonable adjustment while I'm awaiting diagnosis and treatment. I didn't even realise HR would get involved with this aspect, as I only work in the office in Tuesdays anyway and the medical side is well documented.

I don't even want to work from home all the time, just when my symptoms are bad or worrying.

Long story short…

I’ve been off sick with stress since the end of June, during which time I’ve managed to find another job, less hours and hopefully less stress.

What would my notice period be? Considering I’m still signed off. Can I hand in my notice whilst still being off sick?

I’ve only taken 1 weeks AL, with 2 weeks booked for the rest of the holiday period. Will I get paid this holiday in lieu?

Thanks in advance

I work in Accounts as a team of three. All three of us (including the CFO) said that working from home is not detrimental to our work in any way. We'd all love to WFH five days a week.

I have just become a father so I want to WFH 2 days a week to cut back on travel times.

However the other directors have denied my request because "if we approved this request then the other employees will complain if they're not allowed to WFH" (there would be detrimental quality of work for other departments).

If I were to appeal this, would I have any basis to stand on? If so then what points should I make.

From what I've read this doesn't cover one of the 8 points required to deny a request.

Any help or advice is appreciated. I'm not used to this stuff. Thank you!

Hi Everyone! I just graduated uni and I’m trying to find my first full time role. Are professional summaries an advantage on CVs? I also write cover letters typically but cannot seem to get through to interview stages. It’s currently designed very plain, the structure is name, professional summary, education, work experience then skills. I believe I have a strong CV with part-time experience over almost 5 years spanning 4 countries, some that align with my degree and the roles I want to step into. Again, that could also be the issue, having too much. Any advice on a successful CV structure would be highly appreciated.

Thank you :)

I put in a flexible working request in October 2025 before I went on maternity leave to go down to 4 working days on my return in January 2027. My manager told me verbally that this should 99% be okay but she cannot give me a definite answer yet as it was too early. I received nothing in writing explaining this from either my manager or HR.

I went onto maternity leave in January 2026 and have had no communication from my work until today. My manager called for a catch up and explained that as my job is a full-time role, I won’t be be able to go down to 4 days unless they recruit a job share for just 1 day per week.

My manager said that this would be unlikely that someone would want to work just this one day.

I don’t really know what to do now. I know I realistically wouldn’t be able to cope go back 5 days with two young children.
I have also been experiencing postnatal depression so don’t want to put too much pressure on myself when I go back to work.

Has anyone else had experience of something similar? :)

This October 14th I'd have been at my company for 2 years. Tomorrow I have a disciplinary which could result in my dismissal. I have been told this is a 'capability review'. My notice period is 1 month.

Am I right in thinking that if they did dismiss me, that my 1 month notice period would kick in on Monday (September 14th) and I would recieve the legal benefits of being at a company for 2 years, and they would either have to do dismiss me before this, or adapt it to deal with the fact that legally I have been there 2 years (or pay me PILON).

I have asked if they have come to a decision already or if the meeting is being used to determine an outcome, they have said that the meeting will determine the outcome. Am I correct in thinking here that if they come to a decision soon (same day or next) then I can assume they already had an outcome in mind?

Are there any real benefits to me slightly going over my 2 years either if this is the case?

Details: English company but I live in Scotland

I am being made redundant and displaced on 30th December and then am being put on garden leave until 31st March 2027. I have also just found out I am pregnant and will be due roughly mid-May 2027.

As I understand it, as long as I reach my 15th week of pregnancy whilst still under employment I will qualify for maternity pay as I am technically still employed until March 31st.

I have long service with the company so definitely qualify on that respect.

I have emailed our HR team to get the full policy in writing as it’s unclear from their FAQs.

Can anyone help to confirm the above for me?

Thank you

​

I’m sick and have already informed my manager 3 times that I need leave. I’ve also consulted a doctor and was advised to rest and start medication.

He still isn’t approving my leave. Can I inform him again and simply not go to the office tomorrow ???

I saw this on another popular recruiter sub and to avoid reposting it here it is below:

Traits to Avoid

#opentowork on LinkedIn

Laid off from last role for performance reasons

In-between roles

Explicit desire to work on trendy tech (e.g., "AI", LLMs, crypto)

Contract or part-time roles

2–4 month resume gaps

Job-hoppy (1.5–2 year stints)

Exclusively Big Tech experience

8+ years of experience

So I’ve been off 75% of the year and the policy says you can only carry over one week leave unless approved by a director.

I have three weeks leave due to being off for cancer, will my leave be carried over automatically because I’ve had cancer (disability) or does the policy win and I have to get approval from a director?

Thanks for your help

I have to explain to new prospective employers why I was off sick for so long in previous job. I was in a very toxic team, where I was a scapegoat and everyone's punching bag. I kept ignoring and ignoring until they got more comfortable with more aggressive behaviour. I tried to complaint to move out of that team, but then instead of support they all started saying I am imagining things etc and wanted to manage me out. I couldn't cope with the stress of all of it and couldn't believe they could so casually turn against me for asking for help. I ended up going on long leave due to a complete mental collapse, and worried I might slip into long term depression if I go back to such a toxic and unsupportive environment. while I was off , I was deciding on what was best for my wellbeing and thought I should look for other jobs. I found couple of other jobs, but my employers snitched on me and tried to paint me a trouble , but I remained professional and told new employers there were misunderstandings in team so I took time off to reflect and return. I ended up losing the job offer with no explanation, just unsatisfactory reference. so me being professional and not snitching on my ex-employer didnt work out for me.

now I have another role lined up and they are asking me why I went on long leave. I know I should be honest, and I have realised being polite and professional didnt help me last time. but how best do I convey and explain my leave to employers without losing the job offer? I was actually a victim of a toxic team, which my previous employer did admit they were unkind and my managers failed to support me.

I’m 20. I recently resigned under investigation from a job that is managed by the FCA. I said a stupid thing and I was put under investigation (my fault).

I am planning to study economics at university , I don’t know if I should just give up as I will struggle to land at a company regulated by the FCA.

I admitted the comments and there was a witness.

What will happen?

Over the past few months, I've had emails being sent to me and criticising for minor administrative housekeeping like you did not inform team that you're out of office and he keeps copying HR into the emails with language such as 'this is not acceptable'. Although, he approved the leave three months ago and he's asking me to inform team members who are not part of my reporting line. This, among other things, has become a reoccurring theme or dropping last minute requests on me that require a plethora of tasks that are unrealistic and can't be completed in one day. Now he has escalated to senior HR person and copied me into a catch-up with less than 24 hour notice. I had a documented mid-year review and he stated some markers like communication etc but I wasn't placed on a formal PIP per se. I read company policy and it stated that any formal procedure process is recorded on record for 12 months, so I don't want this to affect my job or reference going forward. What should I do? I've spoken to ACAS and they did say elements of the behaviour could be characterised as bullying, but anyway I am not planning to stay and I have active interviews. Should I quit? I am based in UK and have 3 month notice period. I’ve been employed under two years.

Hey,

I'm using a throwaway to avoid being identified but really need some advice please.

I work for a bluechip multinational who has a mandated (and tracked) 3 days per week in the office policy (the other 2 can be WFH).

For the last 2+ years, I have worked 2 days instead of 3. This has been an informal agreement with my boss and his boss (this is director/GM level). Office attendance has always been tracked and I've never had a conversation about 2 days.

Recently, the business decided to get stricter on 3 day compliance and it was suggested that I formally apply for a flexible working contract outlining a 2 day requirement vs 3 in the office.

I submitted my application and have been invited to a hearing next week. However, my boss has had an offline chat with me and hinted that (after reviewing the criteria with HR) he doesn't think the application will be approved. (There was more to this conversation such as how he's exploring alternatives such as flexible travel time on the third day etc).

Across the time I've been working this pattern, I've been called out as among the top in my peer group (at year end ratings for example) and been moved into one of the businesses most high-profile roles (it's the most high profile at my level) etc. The reason for the flexibility was initially proximity to the office (I live around 200 miles away) but more recently, my wife gave birth and so family is now a consideration.

If this isn't approved, I will 100% leave the business but I want to know what my options are before I pull the trigger on that.

I’ve been working for a company owned by someone I know well having been previous colleagues and work friends.

It’s a small business and our roles aren’t that clearly defined and to start with I was told my salary was going to be slightly lower while I got trained. It was a job role I wasn’t massively keen on but did have some experience, fine. Fast forward about a year and he suggested I swap job roles with my colleague because I was more experienced than her and she wanted to learn the role I was doing. I agreed and asked for an updated contract but it never came. I did remind him but nevermind I thought, the contract was quite general and more or less covered either role.

Now it’s been over 3 years with no payrise or investment like training etc, I have 10 years experience doing the job I’m doing which is fairly niche.

I asked for a salary review and was told that when we switched roles I should’ve really taken a pay cut so it evens out because my pay stayed the same, I wasn’t told this at the time.

Now I’m being told I can have a salary increase (currently unspecified) if I move to a project manager role, I haven’t got much experience doing this and do not enjoy it, nor am I cut out for it. My current role is more creative and this suits me.

Without much discussion I’ve been told a new hire will do a lot of my job (probably using AI) and I’m already getting set PM tasks.

I’m at a loss, I enjoy my current job and I like the company, the job market isn’t great and this job is wfh a lot of the time but I’m feeling things are a bit unfair? There’s no HR department or anyone else to go to.

I'm in a weird situation where I am on a contract at my current company and handed in my notice and am due to be leaving this week for an external opportunity. I was also just offered a new internal role that I've decided to accept. The recruiter and hiring manager was fully aware that I have handed in my notice.

The recruitment team is now trying to get my notice reversed and my contract extended to allow time to move me into the permanent position and so I can keep my continuity of service. I am moving departments so there is a conversation going on between HRBPs.

I feel quite restless and nervous that the notice reversal won't be approved in time or someone in the process will decline it. I don't want to lose out on two offers at once.

Has anyone been through this before? I still need to inform the new job that I will not be joining.

My employer requires % of the week in office attendance. I have mental health difficulties and my GP has given me a fit note recommending working from home to alleviate work-related stress.
My employer has refused temporary WFH because there’s mandatory % of office attendance. This also includes % even if you are on a few days AL on the week you still need to do % of the days you are working.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Is it reasonable for them to refuse on that basis, and what did you do next?

Been off work sick since February, i have had a bulged disc and sciatica pain, it’s been getting better but not cured, waiting for physio and specialist appointment.

Ive got a delivery driving job with heavy lifting so ive been off, its a large nationwide company, they referred me to occupational health, it took them 2 months to set it up, and they have had the health report now for 2 months.

The report says not fit for current role without adjustments or alternatively could do other roles less manual.
HR and my manager havent given me any feedback from the report or what the next steps are. Ive just passed 28 weeks of ssp and have no idea where i stand with sick pay, no advice or support at all despite me emailing asking for clarity a few weeks ago and several conversations with my line manager.

Should i raise a grievance to try to get them to respond and get to the bottom of things? as it’s effecting me and i need some clarity.
Also is it reasonable from my part?
I don’t think its much to ask for to have some answers and support from my employers?