Employee placed on PIP after refusing to work on weekends and paid leaves: 'This is so messed up'

A recent social media post about workplace toxicity has sparked widespread anger and discussion. The post, shared by an employee on Reddit, went viral after they revealed their ordeal of being placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) just five months after joining a new company. The reason? The employee refused to work on weekends and during their leave.

(Also read: ‘Send pictures, GPS location’: Employee faces shocking demands from boss during family crisis)

A demanding work culture

The employee, who goes by the handle 'iamsadsometimes1', described a work environment where the organisation followed a six-day work week. The employee's manager allegedly expected them to work even on Sundays to meet tight deadlines. The post reads:

"First things first, my organisation only has a Sunday off. On top of that, my manager has expectations that we spend 5-6 hours on Sundays as well to meet the very rigid deadlines that have been set for us."

The employee also shared the struggles they faced when requesting time off. "I had recently requested for 4 days leave which got approved after a lot of debate," they explained. However, despite approval, the manager allegedly told the employee to complete their targets during the leave. When the employee informed the manager that working during the leave was impossible due to travel commitments, the manager was reportedly unfazed, saying, “I’d like to see that.”

(Also read: Ralph Lauren CEO says sometimes employees need to be ‘hit by a 2×4 across the forehead’)

Upon returning from their leave, the employee found their manager to be cold and distant. Later that day, HR contacted the employee to inform them that their performance had been deemed subpar, and they had been placed on a PIP. The post continues, "This is just so messed up; I can't understand how this could even be legal. Do organisations have such power that they can do whatever they want?"

Check out the post here:

Public outrage

The post, shared yesterday, quickly garnered support and attention, receiving many upvotes. Many users were quick to express their outrage, with some offering advice. One user suggested, “Document everything—how your performance is measured, what your last rating was, and try leaving as soon as possible. This is a stupid reason for a PIP.” Another advised, “Ask HR to drop an email, looping in your manager, mentioning the exact KRA/parameters that qualify for PIP.”