Signs your boss wants to PIP you

Recognizing the Warning Signs

Your work has been normal, but suddenly your boss's behavior changes. Here are the key red flags that indicate they may be building a case for a PIP:

• Increased criticism: They start critiquing your work excessively, focusing only on negatives while ignoring positives.
• Constant messaging: Your boss messages you all the time with "dumb questions" that seem designed to create a paper trail.
• Conflicting requirements: They give you impossible choices where no matter what you do, you're wrong.
• One-on-one manipulation: They use 1-1 meetings to build evidence of poor performance, highlighting negatives while ignoring that others on the team do the same things.

Don't Make Excuses

You might try to rationalize their behavior: "Maybe my boss is stressed" or "They're just trying to help me grow." The reality is that if your boss has already decided to PIP you, they're just looking for justification. They will lie to you and pretend it's for your development, when their real goal is to push you out.

Why Acting Early is Critical

Take action BEFORE any formal PIP is issued. A formal PIP severely damages your credibility and makes it much harder to:

• Transfer to another team
• Raise legitimate complaints

Defend Yourself: Action Steps

Here's what you can do to protect yourself and maximize your options:

• Document everything: Read every message your boss sent and create a narrative about what changed suddenly. Look for violations of company policy, discrimination, or dissatisfaction with employees taking medical leave - all of this can be used against them.
• Gang up: Ask your teammates if they have experienced similar treatment. Have them help you gather evidence and support your case.
• Ethics hotline: You can report your manager to your company's ethics hotline anonymously. This is better than going through HR. HR's goal is to find a the shortest path to a resolution, which 99% of the time means firing you.
• Build your evidence: Collect proof of your good performance, positive feedback, and achievements. Ask your tech lead and team members for feedback. Use them to challenge what your boss is saying.
• Start internal transfer process: Begin looking for other teams or roles within the company immediately.
• Buy time: Avoid 1-1 meetings with your boss. Use excuses like scheduling conflicts, taking vacation on meeting day, anything to prevent them from building evidence against you. THEY CAN'T BUILD EVIDENCE IF YOU AREN'T THERE.
• Act early: The earlier you start these steps, the more leverage and options you have.