Advice – Paranoia or something more serious?
Discussion
Just need some help with a situation that has arisen at work guys n gals.
A little background... I have been working in car sales (yes i know!) for the past 4 years and have perfomed consistently at the top of my dealership and regional sites. My sales manager and i have always had a good working relationship from when she joined the company 2.5 years ago.
Last year, June (2010) in my early 30's, i was diagnosed with advanced cancer and went through months of hell trying to find answers and a course of treatment. I went through 3-4 months of sickness and irregular time off work and as a result, my performance had dropped off but i still had good support from my her, the GM and HR. Still suffering and battling cancer to the present day, i have been at work since and although haven’t performed as good as i did previous to my illness, i have been consistent and committed and since the initial spate of time off, have hardly had any time off.
Fast forward to this July. Our Finance/Business manager had given his notice in and i put myself forward for the role as i had been his deputy finance manager for the past 2 years i felt i was ready. When i approached her about putting myself forward she had no hesitation and said that she had no objections to me filling the role...the general manager also said considering the hard work id put into the dealership i fully deserved the role..i was chuffed, excited and ready to start my new role.
I Started my new role as Business manager in July, Quarter 3 and did an excellent performance, continuing the good work of my predecessor, hitting our pens, targets & budgets and recently winning the Business Manager of the quarter award within our group...not bad in my first few months!!
On her days off and annual leave i was tasked to cover her role, look after her emails and run the dealership...which is when i found an open diary next her desk...
Since October, she had been making notes in her personal diary about me, small mistakes that i had made being new to the role and having not had any formal training on. She started noting individual things but without times or dates just incidences that had happened or things i had forgotten to do.
Mid-October, she brought me into the office for a chat. She went through some things she had picked out that i had not reconciled certain accounts, this, that and the other, i felt it was more nit picking so i held my hands up and said yes i didn’t do that correctly. We agreed i would improve on certain areas and me being me, i always try and ensure i dont make the same mistakes twice.
When she returned from her break she was normal however a week in had a little chat with me saying i needed to control the sales team more, be out on the floor. I agreed to a point but disagreed with some comments. I said to her there are some days when im not functioning 100% because of my illness however i will still make the effort, come to work, give it my all to ensure the department and business doesn’t suffer in my absence.....her reply was “well then you shouldn’t come in then?!”
A few days past and everything was relatively normal....
On the 1st Nov, our GM popped down for a site visit, she approached me and said she and the GM would like a chat with me.....hmmmm....
She started the meeting by saying that we had already discussed my shortcomings and the areas where i was maybe lacking. She then went into saying that i needed to support her more in her role and be her eyes over the dealership, the sales team and inherently be doing part of her job for her, the GM backed this but also said if i was struggling just to say so.
So now i was being told i need to do more of her job and her responsibilities both in and out of her absence as i am now management... I felt quite s
tty to be honest as my performance in F&I has been excellent and the F&I team have consistently praised how good i am in my new role. However much i understand how busy and demanding her role is that she cant do everything herself...neither can i and certainly not be blamed for things not getting done that are originally her responsibility....
Just a few days ago she started making more notes in her diary again, a line was drawn under the previous notes and title was “After meeting with A.N.Other (GM) on 1/11/11”
Theres been an additional 3 comments added, how apparently i had annoyed a customer by leaving work early?! How an insurance policy had not been set up when i could surely have not done so as the customer had come in long after id gone home and finally how i made a typo error when calculating a vehicle price!
Im not entirely sure where she is going with this. Shes been under a lot of pressure recently as she has not hit her budget and hasn’t earnt any bonuses for the past few months, and seems set to just get her basic salary until year end. In contrast both myself and the sales team have shown excellent individual performances and earnt a good amount of commission.
Im not sure whether this is more serious or just a personal attack on me. Everyone makes mistakes but as all who know me including her know, i always learn and never make them again. Am i reading too deep into this or should i be dusting off my cv? As far as my official job goes, i have excelled over and beyond my peers in the company which is why not once has my performance been brought up.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated peeps as this is really starting to add additional stress and sleepless nights at a time when i don’t really need this and have really pushed myself to prove my ability in the role.
SM
A little background... I have been working in car sales (yes i know!) for the past 4 years and have perfomed consistently at the top of my dealership and regional sites. My sales manager and i have always had a good working relationship from when she joined the company 2.5 years ago.
Last year, June (2010) in my early 30's, i was diagnosed with advanced cancer and went through months of hell trying to find answers and a course of treatment. I went through 3-4 months of sickness and irregular time off work and as a result, my performance had dropped off but i still had good support from my her, the GM and HR. Still suffering and battling cancer to the present day, i have been at work since and although haven’t performed as good as i did previous to my illness, i have been consistent and committed and since the initial spate of time off, have hardly had any time off.
Fast forward to this July. Our Finance/Business manager had given his notice in and i put myself forward for the role as i had been his deputy finance manager for the past 2 years i felt i was ready. When i approached her about putting myself forward she had no hesitation and said that she had no objections to me filling the role...the general manager also said considering the hard work id put into the dealership i fully deserved the role..i was chuffed, excited and ready to start my new role.
I Started my new role as Business manager in July, Quarter 3 and did an excellent performance, continuing the good work of my predecessor, hitting our pens, targets & budgets and recently winning the Business Manager of the quarter award within our group...not bad in my first few months!!
On her days off and annual leave i was tasked to cover her role, look after her emails and run the dealership...which is when i found an open diary next her desk...
Since October, she had been making notes in her personal diary about me, small mistakes that i had made being new to the role and having not had any formal training on. She started noting individual things but without times or dates just incidences that had happened or things i had forgotten to do.
Mid-October, she brought me into the office for a chat. She went through some things she had picked out that i had not reconciled certain accounts, this, that and the other, i felt it was more nit picking so i held my hands up and said yes i didn’t do that correctly. We agreed i would improve on certain areas and me being me, i always try and ensure i dont make the same mistakes twice.
When she returned from her break she was normal however a week in had a little chat with me saying i needed to control the sales team more, be out on the floor. I agreed to a point but disagreed with some comments. I said to her there are some days when im not functioning 100% because of my illness however i will still make the effort, come to work, give it my all to ensure the department and business doesn’t suffer in my absence.....her reply was “well then you shouldn’t come in then?!”
A few days past and everything was relatively normal....
On the 1st Nov, our GM popped down for a site visit, she approached me and said she and the GM would like a chat with me.....hmmmm....
She started the meeting by saying that we had already discussed my shortcomings and the areas where i was maybe lacking. She then went into saying that i needed to support her more in her role and be her eyes over the dealership, the sales team and inherently be doing part of her job for her, the GM backed this but also said if i was struggling just to say so.
So now i was being told i need to do more of her job and her responsibilities both in and out of her absence as i am now management... I felt quite s
tty to be honest as my performance in F&I has been excellent and the F&I team have consistently praised how good i am in my new role. However much i understand how busy and demanding her role is that she cant do everything herself...neither can i and certainly not be blamed for things not getting done that are originally her responsibility....Just a few days ago she started making more notes in her diary again, a line was drawn under the previous notes and title was “After meeting with A.N.Other (GM) on 1/11/11”
Theres been an additional 3 comments added, how apparently i had annoyed a customer by leaving work early?! How an insurance policy had not been set up when i could surely have not done so as the customer had come in long after id gone home and finally how i made a typo error when calculating a vehicle price!
Im not entirely sure where she is going with this. Shes been under a lot of pressure recently as she has not hit her budget and hasn’t earnt any bonuses for the past few months, and seems set to just get her basic salary until year end. In contrast both myself and the sales team have shown excellent individual performances and earnt a good amount of commission.
Im not sure whether this is more serious or just a personal attack on me. Everyone makes mistakes but as all who know me including her know, i always learn and never make them again. Am i reading too deep into this or should i be dusting off my cv? As far as my official job goes, i have excelled over and beyond my peers in the company which is why not once has my performance been brought up.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated peeps as this is really starting to add additional stress and sleepless nights at a time when i don’t really need this and have really pushed myself to prove my ability in the role.
SM
Prepare counters to the points you know she will make - especially those which there is no way you could have been expected to deal with.
When you have gone through these ask her why it is that she has started to do this as, from your side of the table, is feels very much like she is trying to manage you out.
Explain that whilst you are more than happy to, and expect to be asked to, assist with her workload that you are not setting yourself up to falter in your actual job whilst trying to support her in hers.
Start dusting off the CV and finding out what else is about JIC.
When you have gone through these ask her why it is that she has started to do this as, from your side of the table, is feels very much like she is trying to manage you out.
Explain that whilst you are more than happy to, and expect to be asked to, assist with her workload that you are not setting yourself up to falter in your actual job whilst trying to support her in hers.
Start dusting off the CV and finding out what else is about JIC.
Rude-boy said:
Prepare counters to the points you know she will make - especially those which there is no way you could have been expected to deal with.
When you have gone through these ask her why it is that she has started to do this as, from your side of the table, is feels very much like she is trying to manage you out.
Explain that whilst you are more than happy to, and expect to be asked to, assist with her workload that you are not setting yourself up to falter in your actual job whilst trying to support her in hers.
Start dusting off the CV and finding out what else is about JIC.
Thanks Rude-Boy, sound advice there. I have been trying for the life of me to be impartial to this and find if there is something i have missed or have/havent done for her to do this...i cant. Unless she perhaps has a friend who "wants a job"?When you have gone through these ask her why it is that she has started to do this as, from your side of the table, is feels very much like she is trying to manage you out.
Explain that whilst you are more than happy to, and expect to be asked to, assist with her workload that you are not setting yourself up to falter in your actual job whilst trying to support her in hers.
Start dusting off the CV and finding out what else is about JIC.
I'd be taking photos/copies of here notes if you can. Then at least you can prepare against them, and have some written evidence if it turns out she out for your blood.
On the other hand, as she is not performing as well she should be (but you are), then Id say it's more than possible she's deflecting attention from her own shortcomings by nitpicking yours...
Be careful, get well, and good luck
On the other hand, as she is not performing as well she should be (but you are), then Id say it's more than possible she's deflecting attention from her own shortcomings by nitpicking yours...
Be careful, get well, and good luck
stackmonkey said:
I'd be taking photos/copies of here notes if you can. Then at least you can prepare against them, and have some written evidence if it turns out she out for your blood.
On the other hand, as she is not performing as well she should be (but you are), then Id say it's more than possible she's deflecting attention from her own shortcomings by nitpicking yours...
Be careful, get well, and good luck
I was thinking to do that but was a bit hesistant at first. Seeing as they are just notes rather than full logging of exactly what happened and without any time or dates, can they hold any justification?On the other hand, as she is not performing as well she should be (but you are), then Id say it's more than possible she's deflecting attention from her own shortcomings by nitpicking yours...
Be careful, get well, and good luck
sk7ine man said:
I was thinking to do that but was a bit hesistant at first. Seeing as they are just notes rather than full logging of exactly what happened and without any time or dates, can they hold any justification?
They can have some value. But as your manager she may well be entitled to make notes on your performance, you would need to show that she somehow 'had it in' for you.I think once you show you have seen those notes in public to your other managers then you may well have crossed a line so dont use them unwisely.
zaphod42 said:
How many people report to her?
Were others noted in her diary?
The chats in front of the md; they my have classed them as informal but they feel quite 2:1 formal performance discussions to me... Any HR representation present?
The only people that report to her are the sales guys, i have a feeling that some may have fuelled comments about me on my day off which has escalated it a bit.Were others noted in her diary?
The chats in front of the md; they my have classed them as informal but they feel quite 2:1 formal performance discussions to me... Any HR representation present?
There were just general notes about poor performance from the sales team as a whole but no one was singled out.
No HR was present and i agree did seem a bit formal but conducted in an informal way IYSWIM. I think she had the "chat" with the GM so she has some proof perhaps that shes had the "conversation".
Think i will keep copies of everything and just prepare for the worst....the thought of her diary dissapearing has crossed my mind a few times
Thanks for all your feedback chaps...its really appreciated.
Firstly - good job and good luck with the cancer.
As others have said - rehearse your answers for the claims she's putting to you, while making them seem off the cuff.
Would it be possible going over her head? Meeting her superior and calmly being very frank with him about what's happening, how you see it unfolding, that you're genuinely doing a good job, having the evidence to back that up and being honest on how it's keeping you awake. Explain you're not trying to deflect or 'get in first' but you know you're good at what you do and have enjoyed your time at the company. Probably throw in the working through cancer to explain your commitment.
stackmonkey said:
as she is not performing as well she should be (but you are), then Id say it's more than possible she's deflecting attention from her own shortcomings by nitpicking yours...
This is exactly what I took from it. Perhaps she feels threatened by you?As others have said - rehearse your answers for the claims she's putting to you, while making them seem off the cuff.
Would it be possible going over her head? Meeting her superior and calmly being very frank with him about what's happening, how you see it unfolding, that you're genuinely doing a good job, having the evidence to back that up and being honest on how it's keeping you awake. Explain you're not trying to deflect or 'get in first' but you know you're good at what you do and have enjoyed your time at the company. Probably throw in the working through cancer to explain your commitment.
Lawsome said:
stackmonkey said:
as she is not performing as well she should be (but you are), then Id say it's more than possible she's deflecting attention from her own shortcomings by nitpicking yours...
Plus, what's with leaving the diary where you can see it, what's that all about?
Their are 2 sides to this:-
She is either trying to develop you and grow you for the dealership/her (most likely) but isnt very good at it (going about it the wrong way, too aggressively) or she is trying to get rid of you or feels threatened. (less likely)
My boss recently did the first thing to me, I ended up losing my rag with him and getting into 'trouble'. All has gone quiet now after I had someone from HR have 'words' with him to make him aware of how I was feeling about the situation (certain key words help here, 'discrimination, persecution, putting company 'at risk', etc) Your situation sounds similar to mine but im alot further down the chain and he wanted me to take on some of his responsibility, which I refused to do.
Advice that I received that was helpful:-
Take everything as a compliment, even criticism (especially constructive critism)
Dont read too much into things, people rarely scheme and plan to get one over on someone.
Everyone is nice inside, everyone has good intentions.
Dont take things personally, work is just work.
My final thought:- dont dwell on the negative, I think she is trying to help you. If she wanted rid of you, you would have no warning, they would get you for Gross Misconduct and you would be out in a shot.
She is either trying to develop you and grow you for the dealership/her (most likely) but isnt very good at it (going about it the wrong way, too aggressively) or she is trying to get rid of you or feels threatened. (less likely)
My boss recently did the first thing to me, I ended up losing my rag with him and getting into 'trouble'. All has gone quiet now after I had someone from HR have 'words' with him to make him aware of how I was feeling about the situation (certain key words help here, 'discrimination, persecution, putting company 'at risk', etc) Your situation sounds similar to mine but im alot further down the chain and he wanted me to take on some of his responsibility, which I refused to do.
Advice that I received that was helpful:-
Take everything as a compliment, even criticism (especially constructive critism)
Dont read too much into things, people rarely scheme and plan to get one over on someone.
Everyone is nice inside, everyone has good intentions.
Dont take things personally, work is just work.
My final thought:- dont dwell on the negative, I think she is trying to help you. If she wanted rid of you, you would have no warning, they would get you for Gross Misconduct and you would be out in a shot.
sk7ine man said:
Just need some help with a situation that has arisen at work guys n gals.
A little background... I have been working in car sales (yes i know!) for the past 4 years and have perfomed consistently at the top of my dealership and regional sites. My sales manager and i have always had a good working relationship from when she joined the company 2.5 years ago.
Last year, June (2010) in my early 30's, i was diagnosed with advanced cancer and went through months of hell trying to find answers and a course of treatment. I went through 3-4 months of sickness and irregular time off work and as a result, my performance had dropped off but i still had good support from my her, the GM and HR. Still suffering and battling cancer to the present day, i have been at work since and although haven’t performed as good as i did previous to my illness, i have been consistent and committed and since the initial spate of time off, have hardly had any time off.
Fast forward to this July. Our Finance/Business manager had given his notice in and i put myself forward for the role as i had been his deputy finance manager for the past 2 years i felt i was ready. When i approached her about putting myself forward she had no hesitation and said that she had no objections to me filling the role...the general manager also said considering the hard work id put into the dealership i fully deserved the role..i was chuffed, excited and ready to start my new role.
I Started my new role as Business manager in July, Quarter 3 and did an excellent performance, continuing the good work of my predecessor, hitting our pens, targets & budgets and recently winning the Business Manager of the quarter award within our group...not bad in my first few months!!
On her days off and annual leave i was tasked to cover her role, look after her emails and run the dealership...which is when i found an open diary next her desk...
Since October, she had been making notes in her personal diary about me, small mistakes that i had made being new to the role and having not had any formal training on. She started noting individual things but without times or dates just incidences that had happened or things i had forgotten to do.
Mid-October, she brought me into the office for a chat. She went through some things she had picked out that i had not reconciled certain accounts, this, that and the other, i felt it was more nit picking so i held my hands up and said yes i didn’t do that correctly. We agreed i would improve on certain areas and me being me, i always try and ensure i dont make the same mistakes twice.
When she returned from her break she was normal however a week in had a little chat with me saying i needed to control the sales team more, be out on the floor. I agreed to a point but disagreed with some comments. I said to her there are some days when im not functioning 100% because of my illness however i will still make the effort, come to work, give it my all to ensure the department and business doesn’t suffer in my absence.....her reply was “well then you shouldn’t come in then?!”
A few days past and everything was relatively normal....
On the 1st Nov, our GM popped down for a site visit, she approached me and said she and the GM would like a chat with me.....hmmmm....
She started the meeting by saying that we had already discussed my shortcomings and the areas where i was maybe lacking. She then went into saying that i needed to support her more in her role and be her eyes over the dealership, the sales team and inherently be doing part of her job for her, the GM backed this but also said if i was struggling just to say so.
So now i was being told i need to do more of her job and her responsibilities both in and out of her absence as i am now management... I felt quite stty to be honest as my performance in F&I has been excellent and the F&I team have consistently praised how good i am in my new role. However much i understand how busy and demanding her role is that she cant do everything herself...neither can i and certainly not be blamed for things not getting done that are originally her responsibility....
Just a few days ago she started making more notes in her diary again, a line was drawn under the previous notes and title was “After meeting with A.N.Other (GM) on 1/11/11”
Theres been an additional 3 comments added, how apparently i had annoyed a customer by leaving work early?! How an insurance policy had not been set up when i could surely have not done so as the customer had come in long after id gone home and finally how i made a typo error when calculating a vehicle price!
Im not entirely sure where she is going with this. Shes been under a lot of pressure recently as she has not hit her budget and hasn’t earnt any bonuses for the past few months, and seems set to just get her basic salary until year end. In contrast both myself and the sales team have shown excellent individual performances and earnt a good amount of commission.
Im not sure whether this is more serious or just a personal attack on me. Everyone makes mistakes but as all who know me including her know, i always learn and never make them again. Am i reading too deep into this or should i be dusting off my cv? As far as my official job goes, i have excelled over and beyond my peers in the company which is why not once has my performance been brought up.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated peeps as this is really starting to add additional stress and sleepless nights at a time when i don’t really need this and have really pushed myself to prove my ability in the role.
SM
A little background... I have been working in car sales (yes i know!) for the past 4 years and have perfomed consistently at the top of my dealership and regional sites. My sales manager and i have always had a good working relationship from when she joined the company 2.5 years ago.
Last year, June (2010) in my early 30's, i was diagnosed with advanced cancer and went through months of hell trying to find answers and a course of treatment. I went through 3-4 months of sickness and irregular time off work and as a result, my performance had dropped off but i still had good support from my her, the GM and HR. Still suffering and battling cancer to the present day, i have been at work since and although haven’t performed as good as i did previous to my illness, i have been consistent and committed and since the initial spate of time off, have hardly had any time off.
Fast forward to this July. Our Finance/Business manager had given his notice in and i put myself forward for the role as i had been his deputy finance manager for the past 2 years i felt i was ready. When i approached her about putting myself forward she had no hesitation and said that she had no objections to me filling the role...the general manager also said considering the hard work id put into the dealership i fully deserved the role..i was chuffed, excited and ready to start my new role.
I Started my new role as Business manager in July, Quarter 3 and did an excellent performance, continuing the good work of my predecessor, hitting our pens, targets & budgets and recently winning the Business Manager of the quarter award within our group...not bad in my first few months!!
On her days off and annual leave i was tasked to cover her role, look after her emails and run the dealership...which is when i found an open diary next her desk...
Since October, she had been making notes in her personal diary about me, small mistakes that i had made being new to the role and having not had any formal training on. She started noting individual things but without times or dates just incidences that had happened or things i had forgotten to do.
Mid-October, she brought me into the office for a chat. She went through some things she had picked out that i had not reconciled certain accounts, this, that and the other, i felt it was more nit picking so i held my hands up and said yes i didn’t do that correctly. We agreed i would improve on certain areas and me being me, i always try and ensure i dont make the same mistakes twice.
When she returned from her break she was normal however a week in had a little chat with me saying i needed to control the sales team more, be out on the floor. I agreed to a point but disagreed with some comments. I said to her there are some days when im not functioning 100% because of my illness however i will still make the effort, come to work, give it my all to ensure the department and business doesn’t suffer in my absence.....her reply was “well then you shouldn’t come in then?!”
A few days past and everything was relatively normal....
On the 1st Nov, our GM popped down for a site visit, she approached me and said she and the GM would like a chat with me.....hmmmm....
She started the meeting by saying that we had already discussed my shortcomings and the areas where i was maybe lacking. She then went into saying that i needed to support her more in her role and be her eyes over the dealership, the sales team and inherently be doing part of her job for her, the GM backed this but also said if i was struggling just to say so.
So now i was being told i need to do more of her job and her responsibilities both in and out of her absence as i am now management... I felt quite s
tty to be honest as my performance in F&I has been excellent and the F&I team have consistently praised how good i am in my new role. However much i understand how busy and demanding her role is that she cant do everything herself...neither can i and certainly not be blamed for things not getting done that are originally her responsibility....Just a few days ago she started making more notes in her diary again, a line was drawn under the previous notes and title was “After meeting with A.N.Other (GM) on 1/11/11”
Theres been an additional 3 comments added, how apparently i had annoyed a customer by leaving work early?! How an insurance policy had not been set up when i could surely have not done so as the customer had come in long after id gone home and finally how i made a typo error when calculating a vehicle price!
Im not entirely sure where she is going with this. Shes been under a lot of pressure recently as she has not hit her budget and hasn’t earnt any bonuses for the past few months, and seems set to just get her basic salary until year end. In contrast both myself and the sales team have shown excellent individual performances and earnt a good amount of commission.
Im not sure whether this is more serious or just a personal attack on me. Everyone makes mistakes but as all who know me including her know, i always learn and never make them again. Am i reading too deep into this or should i be dusting off my cv? As far as my official job goes, i have excelled over and beyond my peers in the company which is why not once has my performance been brought up.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated peeps as this is really starting to add additional stress and sleepless nights at a time when i don’t really need this and have really pushed myself to prove my ability in the role.
SM
singlecoil said:
Working for people of the female persuasion can be a bit tricky. Seems to me they vary more than blokes, they can be the best people to work for, and they can be the worst. Perhaps she imagines that her perfomance is being seen as less than perfect, and is preparing to deflect that on to you.
Plus, what's with leaving the diary where you can see it, what's that all about?
This pretty much somes up my career so far. I would never intentionally deflect heat away from myself but it does seem like what she is doing. I had it happen to me but luckily someone had warned me of the same thing happening to my predecessor so I was on guard for it and counteracted her observations with my own. I had to play it this way as her boss also happened to be one of her best pals so it was pretty much impossible for me to go over my bosses head with my concerns.Plus, what's with leaving the diary where you can see it, what's that all about?
It was a s
tty thing to do but the only way I was going to come out of it without probably ending up in trouble (I have a very short fuse and, whilst it used to be acceptable in my previous industry it really isn't here) as I think I would have exploded if I was cornered into an "informal" performance review like the OP.One idea for everyone - thoughts on the below as a non-confrontational approach?
Given you have had a serious illness, and that the employer should be seen to make reasonable adaptations and be suitably flexible....
...might it worth requesting a formal chat with manager and HR - to confirm your performance since return to work, to highlight any ongoing adaptations needed (eg, Gp/hospital, etc) and press them for feedback on your performance since your return.
My theory is, with HR present, and the manager, as your have been performing well, it will be a documented session that will remove her ability to keep referring back to issues that have past by and act as a formal "checkpoint" for your return to work.
With you requesting it rather than them, if it headed towards tribunal (worst case) at any stage I think it would count in your favour, and it's low risk - it will just force her hand.
To be honest, any HR dept worth their salt should have done a consultative return to work conversation anyway with follow ups, but then I've only ever found 1 useful HR dept in 20 years of work...
Thoughts?
Given you have had a serious illness, and that the employer should be seen to make reasonable adaptations and be suitably flexible....
...might it worth requesting a formal chat with manager and HR - to confirm your performance since return to work, to highlight any ongoing adaptations needed (eg, Gp/hospital, etc) and press them for feedback on your performance since your return.
My theory is, with HR present, and the manager, as your have been performing well, it will be a documented session that will remove her ability to keep referring back to issues that have past by and act as a formal "checkpoint" for your return to work.
With you requesting it rather than them, if it headed towards tribunal (worst case) at any stage I think it would count in your favour, and it's low risk - it will just force her hand.
To be honest, any HR dept worth their salt should have done a consultative return to work conversation anyway with follow ups, but then I've only ever found 1 useful HR dept in 20 years of work...
Thoughts?
Some very interesting points there guys. I like the idea of a formal chat with HR however it may seem that i have sussed out what she is doing?
I would like to believe that she is trying to bring out the best in me, so maybe i am missing the point some what but its still quite concerning.
Oh and for what its worth, my HR dept leaves a lot to be desired....
I would like to believe that she is trying to bring out the best in me, so maybe i am missing the point some what but its still quite concerning.
Oh and for what its worth, my HR dept leaves a lot to be desired....
Odie said:
Their are 2 sides to this:-
She is either trying to develop you and grow you for the dealership/her (most likely) but isnt very good at it (going about it the wrong way, too aggressively) or she is trying to get rid of you or feels threatened. (less likely)
My boss recently did the first thing to me, I ended up losing my rag with him and getting into 'trouble'. All has gone quiet now after I had someone from HR have 'words' with him to make him aware of how I was feeling about the situation (certain key words help here, 'discrimination, persecution, putting company 'at risk', etc) Your situation sounds similar to mine but im alot further down the chain and he wanted me to take on some of his responsibility, which I refused to do.
Advice that I received that was helpful:-
Take everything as a compliment, even criticism (especially constructive critism)
Dont read too much into things, people rarely scheme and plan to get one over on someone.
Everyone is nice inside, everyone has good intentions.
Dont take things personally, work is just work.
My final thought:- dont dwell on the negative, I think she is trying to help you. If she wanted rid of you, you would have no warning, they would get you for Gross Misconduct and you would be out in a shot.
After 2 abortive attempts to reply to this, I'll try again.She is either trying to develop you and grow you for the dealership/her (most likely) but isnt very good at it (going about it the wrong way, too aggressively) or she is trying to get rid of you or feels threatened. (less likely)
My boss recently did the first thing to me, I ended up losing my rag with him and getting into 'trouble'. All has gone quiet now after I had someone from HR have 'words' with him to make him aware of how I was feeling about the situation (certain key words help here, 'discrimination, persecution, putting company 'at risk', etc) Your situation sounds similar to mine but im alot further down the chain and he wanted me to take on some of his responsibility, which I refused to do.
Advice that I received that was helpful:-
Take everything as a compliment, even criticism (especially constructive critism)
Dont read too much into things, people rarely scheme and plan to get one over on someone.
Everyone is nice inside, everyone has good intentions.
Dont take things personally, work is just work.
My final thought:- dont dwell on the negative, I think she is trying to help you. If she wanted rid of you, you would have no warning, they would get you for Gross Misconduct and you would be out in a shot.
The above poster read this pretty much the same way that I did. That she is trying to develop you into something more for thecompany/dealership. In the Business Manager role for me I would certainly expect you to cover my role (to a certain extent) if I was not available, as I would also expect you to be another set of eyes and ears on the shop floor.
The fact she is only making notes rather than diarising any mistakes in detail would lead me to believe that she is not doing this with any remit regarding disciplinary actions.
The last paragraph of Odies post is also bang on. With previous performace, length of service and your past medical situation (well done and good luck with this by the way), you are very difficult to dismiss through "standard" channels, whereas unfortunately your role makes it easy for a Gross Misconduct offence.
"What do you mean, you didn't get Mr Smith to sign his Demands and Needs form?....BYE!"
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