So, we're past PIP season. I was curious if anyone outright didn't sign the document given for the PIP/PIL option. Essentially, has anyone ignored their performance assessment choice and made the company fire them "the ol' fashioned way"?
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I was (barely) RE when Pip’d. That is a common practice at EM. I didn’t sign any of the papers - just the intent to retire. My supervisor was confused. Then my MLRP/PIP contact person skyped several times to remind me I was turning away “free” money. The truth is - if you have to sign to get it, it is not free. And my ethics were not interested in anything perceived as hush money.
@2bom, I'm not going to call outright BS because I do believe a lawyer would advise against signing anything of this sort. However, I also think a good lawyer would tell you that this paperwork is practically meaningless and likely wouldn't hold water in court in any case. Embrace the system and use it to your advantage when possible.
FWIW, the process has really wrecked morale across the globe. Although I worked long enough to see plenty of examples where people deserved to be let go (prior term called MLRP), yet they hung around for years because weak managers wouldn't be bothered to do the deed.
For me it is not worth the signing away of rights to sue. If you develop cancer due to chemical exposure at exxon and want to sue. You could be signing away more than you think. I have been exposed to lots of bad chemicals in my time at exxon. I am at risk of developing several blood cancers that are being monitored right now. My lawyer has advised against signing anything at this point.
None of these seem to address the question at hand - if you're not NRE (in other words, younger than 50 years old), does it make sense to sign the documents at all?
I know a guy that was retirement eligible that was PIPd. He was asked to sign a 14 page document to take the PIL and retire. His lawyer advised against signing that document because it gave EM complete right to stop all retirement benefits at any time without need for explanation. Basically EM could have stopped his retirement benefits within minutes of handing over the paperwork. The PIPd guy turned on his regular retirement document instead of the PIL document. Apparently his Supervisor was outraged. Apparently the 3 month PIL payment is not worth the rights signed away in the PIL document.
@thk+1w9XSAl2, "...seriously wrong..." is an understatement.
The PIP docs state that the company will not contest any unemployment claim. In fact, they give you a supplementary letter to use towards filing an unemployment claim. The doc also says that you can't make any disparaging comments about the company. But, really, that only matters when you're collecting the money. When the well runs dry, you can talk sh!t.
Number one read the pip documents. I know there are some conditions to accepting the 3 months pil. I would get a lawyer to look them over and get thier opinion. Contact the employment commission and see what would barr you from qualifying for unemployment. Get prepared and have a plan. Remember pip season comes every year.
Signing the PIP/PIL doesn't preclude you from getting/collecting unemployment post-severance. The question here is, if you're being PIPed for "behavioral" reasons, can you sc--w them over by not signing the document? How much time do you buy yourself (if you're < 50 years old)? Can they fire you on the spot if you don't sign? Bottom line is, if you're between 40 and 50 years old, you have 3-4 weeks to sign, then get 3 months of pay (if you do the PIL), then can collect up to 6 months of unemployment afterwards. So, essentially, you can get 4 months of pay plus the pittance (relatively speaking to your salary) of unemployment for a good amount of time thereafter. Is it worth saying "no" to the document given all the money you can get from signing?
If you are retirement eligible don t sign. With the pip you will get 3 months pay. /if they fire you you can get unemployment for 6 months. They wont fire you immediately it takes a while paperwork and trail to cover their a-s. Thewy want you off the books by November though so expect to be fired by then. So get fired for whatever reason they make up and immediately start collecting unemployment. If not RE then collect unemployment and start looking for work. Don't go down easy make them pay and suffer. I have seen so many underserving employees piped. Workers that were targeted because they said something or offended the powers. Other workers played with their phones or slept all day were untouched. Get a lawyer just to pi-s them off. I paid 300.00 dollars to have one send a letter on my behalf. Things changed after the letter. I claimed age discrimination because I was being watched while other young ones were not. HR chimed in to protect the company but I had some documentation on file at least. HR wanted to sweep it under the rug but I protested.
If you know you deserved the PIP then go ahead and sign it. If like for me, it was just a mechanism to get me to leave, why the he-l would anyone sign a document, essentially agreeing with everything contained within. They tried it with me, I refused to sign. They knew that I was on to them and eventually gave. Talk to an employment lawyer. They will advise you to never sign a PIP. Also, don't even accept the PIP document as accepting the document already displays a form of acceptance. Again. Suggested by my lawyer. What I can't believe is that you actually have to have an employment lawyer to try to do a good job for this company. There is something seriously wrong with this organization.