SINGAPORE: Do loyalty and years of dedication still count for much these days? In a recent online post, a female employee shared that she was unexpectedly placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) without any concrete reason.
The 27-year-old said she had been in her role for four years, during which no major issues or performance concerns were raised. However, she noted that things seemed to change after new management came in, including a shift in how her work was evaluated. This eventually resulted in her being placed on a PIP.
“It feels odd that the PIP is implemented now because I have not committed any major errors,” she said, adding that the only explanation offered was that she was a “poor communicator.”
The woman admitted she now has doubts about whether she will make it through this period, as she has heard that PIPs are often little more than a formality before a company terminates an employee.
“I heard they are usually just paper trails before the company can legally fire you, and that PIPs should be known as ‘Paid Interview Period’ because there’s no more hope.”
Wondering if this is something she can actually come back from, or if the writing is already on the wall, she asked others, “Has anyone survived a PIP? What was your experience if you were put on one? Does the employee have any right to reject a PIP? Can we file a complaint with MOM if we feel like the company has done this unfairly? Thank you in advance for your advice!”
“PIP just means they want to get rid of you.”
Commenters were blunt in their responses, saying her intuition was correct and that PIP outcomes rarely end well for employees these days.
One explained, “Unfortunately, PIP means you and the company are not in sync. It’s very rare for someone to survive a PIP because if they wanted to keep you, they wouldn’t have put you in a PIP. Anyway, even if you did survive a PIP, what about the next year? Your boss already knows you weren’t up to par. It’s going to be hard for you to have a new slate.”
Another shared, “If there are actual metrics you can meet (e.g., missed deadlines), it’s possible. Vague criticism like ‘poor communication’ without clear-cut criteria on how to pass is just creating a paper trail and is almost impossible to beat.”
A third remarked, “PIP just means they want to get rid of you.”
Others, however, offered the woman some hope. They shared personal experiences or workplace stories where either they or their colleagues had gone through a PIP and managed to come out the other side successfully.
One said, “When I took over a team, one of my team members was put on PIP by the previous manager. I worked with her to improve and hit the KPIs agreed on in the PIP. She passed and eventually got promoted. On average, I’ve seen about a 50% passing rate.”
Another wrote, “I did survive a PIP. Yes, it’s during mass layoffs. And surprisingly, it gives me a shift in my mindset in terms of work-life balance. I also decided to pursue and completed my part-time master’s at NUS. While promotions did get delayed after the PIPs, I was able to get promoted after 2 years and am proud to say I am thriving now. Surprisingly, all ends well.”
A few users, meanwhile, advised her to brace for the worst and start applying for roles elsewhere.
One told her, “PIPs are meant to show MOM that getting rid of you was done ‘with due consideration.’ If you’re on a PIP, just take the L and plan your exit. It means your boss doesn’t think you should stay ‘for reasons,’ and no, you can’t reject a PIP—probably the only way to do that is to leave.”
Another added, “You should start finding a new job; there are 1,001 reasons to terminate you. Yeah, it sucks, but there are a lot of loopholes the company can use. Not all countries have strong regulations to protect workers. Good luck.”
In other news, a woman took to Reddit to vent that she feels genuinely “triggered” whenever her mother-in-law insists on dropping by their home.
On Monday (Apr 13), she posted on the r/asksg forum, sharing that throughout the eight years of her marriage, her mother-in-law has been one of her biggest sources of stress, largely because she insists on being involved in almost everything.
Read more: Woman says she feels ‘triggered’ whenever mother-in-law insists on visiting her home
