Area manager, manager, performance reviews and me

LegacyUser

Hi all, need some advice please on an issue I have right now that's cropped up in work.

Bit of background, I work in retail, largish high street company. I've worked there since I was in school so around 6 years or so I guess, I've been assistant manager now for a few years. Never put a foot wrong apart from the odd very minor thing when I was young, always given 110% despite the incredibily poor pay, ever increasing work load and stress, and ever decreasing gratitude or even acknowledgment of putting in your all and then some. But that's just how it is these days and you get on with it.

Following a bit of a change in the company we have a new (but old) area manager. The previous one stepped up, and we got this one who was our area manager before a good few years ago. I got along really well with the previous area manager, I was always able to get quite alot out of him and he had promised me proper development, progression and all that to get me to where I wanted and needed to be.
Now the other area manager is back and she seriously has it in for me, she has a real dislike for me and I honestly do not know why. I know it, my manager knows it, but neither of us can figure out the actual reason behind it. The woman barely speaks to me when in store, she generally wont even say hello to me unless I make a point of saying hello to her first. She's always picking up on absolutely anything she can about me, and all of it complete and utter cr*p if I'm honest.

Anyways, it was performance review time of year again recently. My manager and I have a great relationship, she is incredibily appreciative of all the extra effort I put in and work that I do, she knows I do more than some other managers can be bothered doing themselves. I do it for me, for her, and for our shop, I get nothing really out of it in the end apart from her thanks but that's just me, I just wouldn't feel right not giving my all. We are entirely open and honest with each other, she knows full well I'm scunnered going nowhere, she can't do anything about it but she understands it.

So in my performance review I was open and honest as usual. My views on my development? There has been none. I was promised proper development by the previous AM, it never came about. I went out and took on a management course to try and develop myself and keep myself going. My views on my progression? There has been none. I cannot progress any further within my role now, I do everything there is for me to do, plus more. There are zero opportunities for me to progress elsewhere in the company and it has been that way for a long time, I simply don't now how I can progress further right now. My views on my current performance? As always I put in all that I can, I sit an do stuff at home in my own time, I come in days off/stay late to set up window displays and mall features. I do anything and everything I can not only to try and make a difference but for my own little sense of pride I have in the extra stuff I do.
My manager agrees with me on everything I put in it, it's all true, and struggled to come up with any sort of objective for me from it for me to work towards.

Now that was grand, but then the AM came in one day and decided to read mine. She has now ordered my manager to give me a PIP for being too negative in it.

Firstly, I was under the impression that a performance review was an opportunity for you to discuss openly, honestly and confidentially with your manager your job, your role, your progression, your views etc etc. So that's how I treated it, I am not happy, it's a struggle to find motivation sometimes, but my own high standards I have in my work means I do in the end when there's nothing else to motivate me. My manager knows this, we both now how each other work and we just work with it, there's no point lying to her when we both know it.

Can she seriously force my manager to give me a PIP for quite literally just being honest?? In my performance review?? None of the "negatives" in it affect my work or my performance, I don't allow it to. A PERFORMANCE improvement plan should be used when an area of an employees performance requires improvement, the clue is in the name... my performance doesn't require improvement, she wants her give me it purely because I came across too negative on a bit of paper in my review.

My manager entirely disagrees with giving me it, she doesn't want to, but she is being forced to, hence why I know all about this already before she does anything. Truth be told PIPs are generally only really used in my company to get someone out the door, that's clearly what the AM wants with me for some reason, but she's not going to get it. She can't find a reason to get me on a full disciplinary so she is continually telling my manager to give me PIPs for the tiniest things. I've had enough of it.

What sort of action can I take with this? My manager is on my side and is fully encouraging me to stand against it. If I complain against the PIP, which will be given to me by my manager, staff handbook procedure says I should go the next person up which would be the AM who told her to give me it...and that obviously wont work. If I go outside the procedure that will just give her something against me. I don't know what to do.

Sorry for the long post, I'm wound up about this, the woman has a pick on me and has done for a long time now, I'm fed up with it and this is just ridiculous this time in my opinion. Any advice appreciated guys

Eoin

Bumping this for you - sorry for delay in approving it.

LegacyUser

Hey i'm in retail myself as a manager.You don't have to go to the next in line as she is the problem your complaining about.So I'm pretty sure your next port of call is HR.
Just regarding your review it did sound pretty negative.You backed

Mrs OBumble

Umm, why exactly are you still working for this company? (other than the recession of course).

Is your CV well polished, and being given discreetly to appropriate other companies?

Are you considering if you really want to work in retail all your life, or would prefer to try other area?

TBH, this sort of thing happens all the time. I've left jobs 'cos I got a new boss who didn't like me. Sure it's not fair, etc etc. But life isn't fair.

So I take the view that you can stick around and be miserable, and possibly end up winning a grievance case if you can find the will power to stick it out. OR you can find another job and make the world a happier place for both you and the boss, overnight.

280special

JustMary wrote: »

Is your CV well polished, and being given discreetly to appropriate other companies?

And if his prospective new employers use's the unofficial "old boys/girls" network to check up on him with his current employers his AM will have even more ammo ! I would only do something like that if you are prepared to leave the company or can be fairly sure that the company, rather than your AM, wouldnt want to lose you. But given your description of the situation it sounds the almost identical to the situation I was in up to about 3 years ago , a dedicated hard worker, very loyal to a company that is not so loyal to it's staff, at either senior or area mangement level.

Your best bet would be to make a formal complaint to your HR section, maybe also contacting your former AM to see if he can throw any light on why your career has taken a major nosedive..would he be prepared to speak on your behalf?

Otherwise, dare I mention the U word? are you a member of a union? are they relatively strong ? If so, first report/complain through your HR section but also let the Union know of your problems.

LegacyUser

Cheers for the bump! Was wondering where my post went

Firstly, yes some aspects of my review may have been quite negative, but it would've been impossible for it not to have unless I flat out lied in it. Development, none, can't lie about that. Progression, none, can't lie about that. For pretty much every negative there was on it I offered a positive - I developed myself through doing a course, I looked for every way I could progress myself, found none, but still am looking.

Contacting the previous AM would be risky, it's complicated but it would absolutely definately get back to her, I would be seen as going over her head, and she's only got herself some wood for the fire.

I do not know why I am still working there, I guess I've a rather stupid sense of loyalty sometimes and it has held me back leaving in the past. Believe me I am looking to get out of there now but as we all know getting a job right now ain't easy for anybody. I honestly don't know if retail is the future for me, especially retail management. I have been looking and trying to get myself in to other areas but it isnt easy!

Right now all I know is the future for me is not with this company. I will never have the opportunity to work under her as a manager, she has made that clear, which is why I'm really not concerned with how fighting this could effect any sort of work relationship between us. As soon as I can get out, I'm out. But not because of her, it's long overdue really, I just refuse to let her have her way easily with this when it is completly uncalled for and wrong in my opinion.

I am not in a union, although I'm beginning to think that might be a good idea!

bbam

annoyed anon wrote: »

Firstly, I was under the impression that a performance review was an opportunity for you to discuss openly, honestly and confidentially with your manager your job, your role, your progression, your views etc etc. So that's how I treated it,(

that's the theory BUT... those most successful in the PM system will explain that it is an opportunity for you to improve your profile to the management directly above you in order to achieve a higher position and/or a pay increase. Being completely free to speak your mind is for at home, at work from a PM perspective you would be best served to keep to a company line

annoyed anon wrote: »

Can she seriously force my manager to give me a PIP for quite literally just being honest?? In my performance review?? None of the "negatives" in it affect my work or my performance, I don't allow it to. A PERFORMANCE improvement plan should be used when an area of an employees performance requires improvement, the clue is in the name... my performance doesn't require improvement, she wants her give me it purely because I came across too negative on a bit of paper in my review.(

Yes she probably can force it as she is the senior manager, it's been put to me a few times..."it's them or you"... it always ends up them
And I'd imagine someone very negative would be a problem in retail..

I've seen an employee placed on a PIP for BO/personal hygene issues :eek:


If your direct manager is being genuine they should fight some sort of fight on your behalf... beware however that your manager may be playing to keep both sides happy, agreeing with both the AM and yourself..

If your not happy with the outcome I would advice you follow whatever appeals process there is to the end...

gline

did you write the performance review in anger at all?

they are supposed to be a way of honestly voicing how you are getting on etc, but at the end of the day it is a workplace.... management dont always want to hear honesty.

you said "None of the "negatives" in it affect my work or my performance", but higher management might not see it this way, it might seem to them that anyone that is that negative is resentful and may be looking to leave if anything better cmes along elsewhere. Im not saying thats what they did think, just from an outsider looking in... the performance review was worded pretty harshly.

LegacyUser

Hi guys, it's all grand now. My manager discussed it with HR, gave them the full background to everything, read them the entire performance review, and they are in complete agreeance with myself and my manager that she is not right in telling her to give me it, everything I put in there was justified and understandable given the background/history. You have a right to your own views and you cannot and should not be punished in any way for what you put down there. If the AM wishes to push it further, they are on mine and my managers side for refusing to give me it.

Mods, thread can be locked now I guess as it's no longer an issue. Cheers for all replies folks.

InReality

I'd be very interested to hear what your AR manager does next. TBH I'm a bit surprised HR are on your side.