Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So, my employer gave me an informal performance warning and I signed it since it was the first one but I am not signing the final one which will come around August 1st. They expect employees to be suckers that will just do anything the company but my supervisor will be shocked when I refuse to sign the final papers. I did not want to affect our relationship though because she is a good person but I am sure she will do anything for this ****ed up company anyways. Unfortunately, this is the only way I know how to deal with this issue.
Most performance reviews have a space for the employee to put comments. Write that you disagree with the review, and are signing only to acknowledge receipt.
Even if you don't sign to acknowledge receipt it will still be a binding document as your supervisor can then have a third party attest to the fact of your refusal. Been there done that. Also don't bank on (pun intended) your supervisor being "shocked" at your refusal to sign as that's not an uncommon scenario. Have fun.
I remember one time when I got "written up" by my supervisor and didn't agree with some of what he said........but signed the paper anyway. This is one time in my life when I really knew that I was using my brain b/c I also knew that if I didn't sign it, somehow/someway I'd be a out of a job in a matter of time. I don't generally just say "ok" to get along with people, but this time I had to and I kept my job. And, at the same time, I learned some things about myself also (things that I really needed to "open my eyes and ears") about!!!!
I guess, if I refuse to sign it could be considered insubordination for unemployment purposes, so I have to play smart with these ****ers. I think I will sign and write a paragraph stating that I do not agree with the contents of the performance review like you have suggested. Thanks!
I used to work for a company that had us do our own performance reviews and evaluate ourselves. Then the supervisor went over it with us and would say whether they agreed or not with our self-evaluation. Here's the kicker. We had to rate certain things 1-5, 5 being the best. BUT, we were told that we were not allowed to give ourselves 5 for anything, because no one is perfect at anything and there is always room for improvement at everything. I just thought this was incredibly stupid. That to me was the same as giving a test and saying, "no one can get an A"...you can get all the answers right, but you still can't get an A.
If you admit fault they don't have to pay your employment compensation when they fire you. They may be able to fire you anyways, but signing that form makes it a slam dunk for them.
My friend/coworker from my company was put on a performance improvement track a few months ago and was made to sign the same BS. He was told by the HR rep that "he would not like the consequences" if he did not sign it. He signed all of their BS forms and was fired anyway a month later. It's time for you to start job hunting.
Refusing to sign your review is a meaningless thing to do.
Unless there is a statement that says something like "My signature indicates acceptance of the review as is" the signature only attests that you received the review.
If you disagree with the review - you should say so in written, carefully written comments. If you need time to compose your response, ask for additional time. Write your comments then return to your boss with your signature. If the disagreement is significant you should escalate to HR unless you plan to quit soon.
I think the key question though is why is your review going to be bad? Did you do what is expected of you? Are they asking too much of you? Or are you just a bitter anti-company kind of person?
zz4guy is wrong. Signing does not admit fault, it simply means that you acknowledge receipt. Having an employee sign is more of a protection for the employee, and a check against the manager. What it does is force the manager to actually go over the review with you, rather than just generate paperwork and dump it in your file to be used against you later.
I view warnings as a step in the process of getting an employee to improve. YMMV.
However, if I had an employee receive a warning and then refuse to sign, I would instantly issue another warning for insubordination. That would not look good in the employee file, and would certainly be the start of a case to fire for just cause.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
