Layoffs, PIPs and job hunting

“Got a minute? HR's joining.”

I've been put on a PIP and I don't think it's actually about performance.

What's really going on

• A performance improvement plan often isn't designed to help you improve. It's a documentation process HR and your manager use to build a defensible paper trail before a firing, usually reviewed by legal, HR and senior leadership before you ever see it.
• Signs it isn't genuine: vague goals you can't measure ("be more proactive"), an unrealistically short timeline, goalposts that move once you hit them, sudden intense scrutiny, and a PIP that shows up shortly after you complained about something (pay, discrimination, anything else) rather than after a documented pattern of issues.
• Even when the PIP isn't meant to save your job, taking it seriously and documenting everything still matters. Some people do come off a PIP successfully, and a solid paper trail protects you if it ends in a legal dispute.
• Not every PIP means you're done. Some managers use it as a genuine course correction, especially if this is the first formal conversation about the issue and the relationship is otherwise reasonable.

What to say

"Okay. I want to take this seriously, so I'd like a day to read it properly. I'll come back with questions."

Change the words so they sound like you, but keep the tone.

This one can have legal consequences. The guide gives general career guidance, not legal or HR advice. Before you sign anything or make a formal complaint, talk to a qualified professional where you live.