I was just given my first BE on Midyear review, after 29 years in the bank and never having anything below meet. I was given BS reason for it, stating I wasn't involved in AI - related tasks, as it was required. Noone ever assigned AI related tasks to me and my current job responsibilities do not involve it. I rejected the rating and commented in the form.
Additionally, I emailed my objections to the Managers. But it is my understanding, it is useless and I will be cut after year end. This is also an attempt to avoid severance payment. I do not have any illusions. I just want to hear your opinions about my possible strategy to go with the severance. Thank you.
20 replies (most recent on top)
Sorry, you are cooked. This process is so unfair.
@dr I was rated BE in 2 out of 3 categories. Only 1 last category (risk) was on track. The two first ones -:BE
How were you rated BE when there is no overall rating? Were you BE in every category? One or two?
@c2 --can you share this? I left but i had unvested RSU's and as I expected they were removed from my account. I did not know I could keep my unvested RSU's??? what language can you share so I can attempt contacting HR etc?
thanks!
getting a below is not the end of the world, but the rating IS pretty bogus and you should plan accordingly.. they do that to justify a similar end of year rating, and then it DOES matter.
You can survive a bogus rating, but you need a cooperative manager will to do that.. some managers were forced into doing these ratings or lose their own jobs, also via ratings. Have them do a performance plan saying you improved.. they have to do that form anyway.
Might be better doing it now.. if the first one is end of year, they can nail part of your bonus and raise.. mid year, that's not an option unless you are cannon fodder for their illegal end around to cut staff, or at least cut expensive staff.
Depending on where you work, the company has absolutely told people to do AI training, but not as directive as it could have been.
I know everyone on my team was told to get it done before year end, but that changed yesterday.
Certain areas had a hard deadline to complete three phases of AI training before year end, but the third phase of that program was suspended early on and it is currently being reworked. The first two phases might still be due by end of the year, Q3/Q4 it said, but the third phase is now slated for some time in 2027.
If you have deferred compensation (RSU) then leave before you are put on a PIP! Once on a PIP, you are no longer eligible to receive unvested RSUs going forward. You must leave in good standing in order to recieve them. I was fortunate that I actually read the agreement and put in my notice prior to the PIP process. Like you, first BE in an over 30-year stellar employment history. Shortly after I left, I logged on to my investment account and all of the RSUs had disappeared. I directed HR and legal to their own grant agreement and they reinstated all RSUs with no questions asked. Unfortunately, the PIP is their get-out-of-jail free hard. You are racing the clock. Good Luck. There are great jobs out there that will appreciate your years of experience. I found one and I'm loving my job once again. Leaving BNY was the absolute best decision.
Keep in mind that your direct manager very likely did not rate you BE. These things get changed from above and the manager is in a bad spot delivering the news. Also, mid year buckets are not the same as year end buckets. You may not end up in the lowest at year end since there are 5 rather than the 3 at mid-year. This is still horribly unfair and just plain cruel to try to make people feel less about themselves after decades of service. You’d think a firm would be proud of a good workforce but apparently not. Best wishes that this is fixed at year end.
Managers had to put 25% BE for mid years and if we didn’t our managers would change the rating BE.
@ax yes, I have the document you described. It specifically excludes "low rated performance" from Qualified termination for Severance payment. The document is dated March , 2026.
@ad What you are saying about severance is not true. Have Eliza get you the BNY Separation Plan (amended and restated effective March 1, 2026) and read the Section called “Amount of Separation Pay Benefits on page 8. Once you have done that, report back your findings to everyone here! Thanks!
I've fought a bad mid year and a bad end of year rating in the past few years and I can tell you its a complete waste of time and energy. Your manager will not have to provide any evidence to prove his rating. HR will side with your manager on everything. The only result will be a huge amount of stress on you. The review process is a complete farce, please don't take it personally. How can someone be a good performer for 29 years and then suddenly not be. People need legal challenges on forced rankings and pushing long serving staff out.
Your manager has picked you to go, but if you leave before end of year reviews he will be forced to pick some one else and that will be be a pickle for him. Also stop sharing your 29 years of knowledge. The bank think some new cheap person can take over, well they are wrong.
Document every interaction you have with your managers going forward whether it’s positive or negative.
Also try and rack your brain and document as much prior interaction as you can positive
Anything positive feedback wise from colleagues, save it and document that
I know two people that did this, fought their ratings and got them changed… That was about a year and a half ago though. Sounds like things are way worse at that dump now.
And yes, I was so scarred by my time with that place that I still check this for him from time to time
I am sorry to say it, but, you are finished at BNY. You are going to be fired by or before end of year. The reasons they gave are black dung of lies. The real reason? you cost too much. And there is also no guarantee you will get severance or a full year of it anyway
Advice:
Get an employment lawyer pronto. Tell him/ her everything and tell them of any awards and promotions you got over 29 years
If you are over 59.5, you had better get a good personal wealth management firm and get your Voya 401k rolled out of here and into a good wealth managed traditional IRA ASAP. Do not leave your money with the loser known as VOYA
Use all your vacation, personal and employee time. Also use your sick time.
Think about getting a mental health Dr or coach to deal with the stress and hardship BNY has unfairly caused you. Make sure your attorney gets this information too. It helps your case for added damages!
With 29 years, you are entitled to your pension. If you choose to retire before getting fired, talk to your attorney about your chances of winning a settlement first.
Think about health care and if you can join another plan, your spouse or COBRA
Continue to show up and do the silly RTO. Be nice as pie, don’t bad mouth and be quiet. Do not give these sons of bit….s any reason to fire you for cause. They would love that.
When you get the PIP stuff, do the bare minimum and keep telling your manager to explain everything in writing. Pester your manager every day with it. Report him/her to HR if they dont follow up :)
Good luck… and remember you are nearly free from Alcatraz! You are a winner and a success !
This happened to you because you’ve been a success.
Same here- despite doing work of multiple people. Trying to find something else and networking, and protect mental health.
Email your boss/whoever did the review, and ask them to provide proof in writing, of where/whever you've ever been allegedly requested or required to incorporate AI in with your tasks at work. Request that they provide this to you via email by a certain date.
They might have mentioned it verbally in a meeting, but without proof, the burden is on them to show that they gave you fair warning and a reasonable and clear directive regarding this, the expectations associated with it, and metrics which they were expecting you to utilize/attain with it.
It's so basically a slam dunk. They didn't request it to begin with, and even if they did, they won't be able to prove that they provided you with measurable objectives to reach...while at the same time, basing your review on how well/how much/how often/how specifically you used AI in your work! Ridiculous.
Be sure to make your request of them (and all communication with them) in writing, and follow up on it if they haven't gotten back to you in a timely manner. LOL
If they ask anything of you verbally, follow up with an email confirming their request, so they can't pretend in the future that it was something different or whatever. Basically at this stage of the game, you're building a case to sue them, so get all your ducks in a row, document everything in writing, and keep a spreadsheet (saved on your own personal device, not a work one) tracking all communication and progress with this matter.
As someone else suggested, a good employment lawyer can help with this, hopefully you can get one who will take your case without any money upfront, you'll only have to pay them if you win the case. You got this!
Good luck with everything!
You are 100 percent on the list to be let go. Severance —-if you get it—-is only one week per year of service, not two. No one survives a PIP. You are better off out of here but let THEM let you go (unemployment/chance at severance). Very best of luck to you. You are better off.
Don't waste time with an employment lawyer. This is all at will. You're getting sc--wed and you know it. Your manager does too. Try and find other employment. Before I left BNY last year I had to do the same thing that your manager is doing to you. It's not right, but lots of companies in financial services operate this way. GTFO. It probably wouldn't hurt to have an honest conversation with your boss to see if it's possible to be put on a list, but you're ok the PIP n go plan at the moment. I'm sorry this is happening to you. Save the effort to finding a new job.
Operation sabotage- anything you can mess up, do it. Call off a lot; take all your PTO.
Talk to an employment lawyer in your state.
Dont take others advice on here as what is considered legal varies by country and state.
It’s awful what they are doing to long tenured employees. Im so sorry but also kind of envious if Im being honest. You will do fine- like everyone else who leaves this place either willingly or not.