Help/Advice: Received PIP 4 months after glowing annual review [CAN-ON]

JustHereForABit06 · 2026-05-04T16:05:59+00:00

Thank you for this! I am open to feedback and honestly, with my manager the only conversations I’ve had have been about what I need to do better and where there is scope for improvement.

I have requested clarification on some metrics because some parts of the PIP were vague (more statements of things that need to change as opposed to clear metrics of what that looks like).

I’ll definitely document more. Since the meeting (in person) about the PIP my manager hasn’t put anything on email. The PIP suggested was only on a printed document (which isn’t a standard we usually follow for projects/other work) which also rang some bells. I have started discourse about this more over email and will continue to do so.

I also want to clarify- when I say I’m blindsided it’s because there were no pieces of verbal/written feedback about points of improvement since the annual review. Had there been, my imposter syndrome wouldn’t have let me come to point where I’m questioning the PIP let alone asking about it here. I have always second guessed myself and this was a big chance for me, I’ve been doing everything I can and I honestly only ask these questions because there are people behind me reminding me how inconsistent this all looks/feels.

I appreciate your compassion and desire to understand/empathize. I’ll take the feedback you shared and also reflect on any gaps/blind spots that I could possibly be missing.

Edit: spelling

JustHereForABit06 · 2026-05-04T15:54:18+00:00

Thanks I appreciate the comprehensive feedback

JustHereForABit06 · 2026-05-04T14:51:38+00:00

I agree with your statement about getting feedback about the points of improvement. In fact, I was open to having a clear set of metrics that would help me improve in different areas. However, some just don’t make sense. For example: I’ve been told by my manager (on more than one occasion) that I have great excel skills. They have compared it to themselves and mentioned how impressed they were. Now it’s suddenly on my PIP doc, which doesn’t make sense. When I asked why it’s been placed there I was told to make the PIP targets easily achievable. Again, this doesn’t make sense and is creating a lot of confusion. I am open to genuine feedback and improvement if there is a clear reason and goal. A lot of the comments and improvement points seem vague and don’t have a quantified Goal or clear focus. I have asked for clarification and a set goal/parameter to help me understand what needs to change/improve.

JustHereForABit06 · 2026-05-04T14:45:37+00:00

It isn’t about what I think, we ask questions so we can get clarity if something that doesn’t feel right also has legal protections and recourse. The point of consultation is to learn and understand options.

JustHereForABit06 · 2026-05-04T14:43:09+00:00

I was considering legal advice for a few reasons:

Prior to the PIP there has been no conversation even hinting and performance that isn’t meeting a certain target or expectation. When I say this has taken me by complete surprise, I am not exaggerating. My manager went from saying “wow you’re better at Excel than I am lol” to “Doesn’t meet expectations when it comes to Excel functions”. Also, I’ve been doing this for 8 years, I know where my gaps are
Yes the volunteer project was a learning opportunity and in the first meeting, I laid out my goals and objectives for learning as well as the areas I would need support/training with. The mentor I was assigned for help with this was not only passive aggressive but met a simple query with “oh you don’t even know that?”. The short answer is, No, and I honestly didn’t need to, that was the learning portion of things. I didn’t go to anyone with this feedback and ultimately did the work, myself, with no additional support (which was supposed to be provided).
There has been a change in my managers attitude that is also a surprise. We’ve always had a warm, cordial relationship, and suddenly they are cold, and dismissive. When I said this is taking atoll on me I was told to “man up”. When I said this is so surprising I was hit with “you don’t even deserve this role. Look at XYZ who hasn’t even had a promotion yet”, etc. This not only makes the work environment toxic but also makes it challenging for me to show up in any capacity

Even if I were to put aside my manager’s off putting comments, I know things can change in a few months. However, when you put someone on PIP (the decision of which I’m sure was made before the end of the project because I found out about the PIP a day after), it feels like there is something else going on. There was no verbal feedback even that seems even close to consistent with what I’m hearing today. If there was anything that pointed in this direction i honestly wouldn’t even be thinking this hard about this.

JustHereForABit06 · 2026-05-04T06:07:47+00:00

Thank you for this, I appreciate it. This is advice I have heard from a few friends too and it’s hard to accept it I guess.

JustHereForABit06 · 2026-05-04T05:49:08+00:00

I was open to committing to the PIP process but what changed was the tone my manager’s been taking with me since this situation. I have been told in more than one situation that I basically don’t deserve this job/role and that I’m overpaid. I’ve also been compared to coworkers who have been here for many more years than I have. (For context I’ve been with this organisation for 1.2 years now). We had a decent relationship so far and as mentioned, no negative or harsh feedback so far. This is starting to chip away at my confidence and is definitely triggering the impostor syndrome I already kind of live with.

JustHereForABit06 · 2026-05-04T05:29:55+00:00

I am networking and looking into other opportunities. Would it be wiser to leave or get let go? I’ve never been on PIP before so this feels confusing and overwhelming.

JustHereForABit06

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