Why You Should Look For A New Job If On A PIP

Being placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is not a good sign. While it’s often positioned as a step towards improving your performance, it can also be a sign that your current position might not be the best fit for you long term. Here’s why exploring new job opportunities could be a smart move if you find yourself on a PIP.

What is a PIP?

A PIP is a formal document provided by an employer indicating that an employee’s performance has not met certain standards. It usually outlines specific areas of improvement, sets measurable goals, and provides a timeline for achieving these goals. While it’s meant to help employees improve, it can also be a hint that termination may be near if objectives are not met.

Why You Should Look For A New Job

The End May Be Near

While there are a few employers that use PIPs to help employees, most employers are not so positive. Many employers use a PIP as a last step before terminating an employee. For the employer, a PIP is a documentation trail to justify a potential termination. If the employer is ever sued for wrongful termination, they will have a paper trail showing not only the employee’s performance, but also their effort to help the employee improve.

Stress

Being placed on a PIP is very stressful. If you find yourself under a lot of stress, it can affect your mental health. This makes it more difficult to perform your best and can really make the situation worse. Even if you are one of the lucky ones and ‘get out of” the PIP, you may regularly question your performance and think managers are always looking over your shoulder. Finding a new job may relieve and save you from a lot of stress.

Professional Reputation

Remaining in a role where you’re unable to meet expectations can tarnish your professional reputation, making it harder to secure future opportunities. Being placed on a PIP will go in your record. Future managers at the same company will see that you have had poor performance in the past. If you are terminated before finding a new job, you will have to explain why you were terminated. This is another reason why it may be better to secure a new job before you are terminated.

Conclusion

If you find yourself on a PIP, it may be best to start looking for a new job. Many employees on PIPs are eventually terminated and if not, their reputation has been damaged. Finding a new job can relieve and save you from a lot of stress.

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This article is intended for informational purposes only. It provides general information and is not intended and should not be construed as professional advice. The author is not your attorney, accountant, financial planner or any other professional and no professional-client relationship is created. We do not represent that the information provided is accurate or up-to-date as laws and regulations are always changing. If you have an issue that requires professional help, you should contact the appropriate professional to help you on your specific set of facts. Please read the Terms and Conditions for additional information.