Despite receiving the largest performance bonus on my team, my manager advocating for me to get a promotion and getting a “meeting expectations” TA two weeks prior, this Monday, my manager has done a complete 180 and “changed her mind”, giving me a negative TA and putting me on a PIP. At this point, I would love to just get laid off. Is there anything I can do?
16 replies (most recent on top)
To be honest. I highly doubt that your manager would not have told you the areas of improvement. Are you sure you were listening to her?
It's easy to blame your manager but Cisco gives you a lot of chances to improve your performance.
I would recommend to listen to feedback and show curiousty and improvement. No one has time to really go after petty things
For the manager - layoff means no replacement req. PIP means replacement req.
If you get on a PIP they still have to pay you to leave. PIP is just a delayed LR and frankly if you get put on a PIP the performance expectations will be purposefully out of reach so they can have metrics to fire you. Such a scam.
Don’t let it go. Have all the documents ready and raise a HR case on the bias towards you. Previous performance rating and take feedback emails from your colleagues. Many cases have been won previously on mgmt team cornering employees by manager.
My manager told me directly that I got the highest bonus on our team, who knows how accurate that is, but that is what I have been told.
Who would I ask to be placed on the LR list? I am early in my career, and any advice or support would be appreciated!
Putting you on a PIP reduces Cisco’s LR cost. More and more employees will be managed out instead of a generous LR package. You have only a few options.
- Go on stress leave. That will protect you from harassment when you return. You’ll have about a year to look for a new job outside of Cisco.
In the meantime
- Document everything. They are documenting everything you do.
- If you are in any protected class (I.e. age) leverage that
- Consider an attorney.
Proving harassment is difficult and you need to demonstrate it’s persistent. Keep your notes….AND NOT ON YOUR WORK COMPUTER. They can mysteriously disappear.
Younger people share their compensation with eachother. It’s a way to take power back from the company, to detect getting sc--wed. This is very common.
They don't want to pay you a LR package. PIP is considering they will fire you.
- So how did you know you got the largest bonus? Your team must be really close. 2. Maybe you gave it away here. "and “changed her mind”, " Just leaving it here.
This is exactly what happened at United Healthcare last year. They gave thousands sh---y reviews (only a very small percentage actually deserved it). 100% superstar IC's got "3 - meets expectations" most others got "2 - You su-k. Do better.". They then used that sh---y review as grounds for a huge layoff sweep a few weeks / month later.
PIP has a lower payout than being on LR. Just one month and you’re gone. It’s a brutal tool bad managers use to level up their game of power and inhumane.
It’s not even worth trying to make it right as you waste time and affect mental health. If you have documented way on manager, go speak to HR.
What kind of weird group do you work in that you know everybody's bonus? Fake.
That doesn't pass the sniff test. How would you know anything about who got what bonus? Also, as noted there had to have been previous documentation to support a PIP.
Ask to be placed on the LR list, would probably end up looking better. No one wants a PIP around their neck.
PIP has a pretty high documentation bar before HR will accept it. It’s time to look for another job.
Honestly man a PIP 90% of the time basically means you’re getting let go. Don’t know why they wouldn’t just let you go with the rest of the layoffs but frankly just phone it in while you look for another job. Sorry that happened to you