What is Performance Agreement/Management?
Basically it is when you and your manager or team leader tells you the work objectives and the explained outcomes.
It is also a great time to let your manager or team leader know your goals and aspirations and set goals together.
When does Performance Agreement occur?
Performance Agreement (PA) talks happen 3 times a year. They are beginning of year (May-June), mid-year (September-October) and end of year (January-April).
Although this article is focused on end of year, the information in this article can be applied to beginning of year (just around the corner) and mid-year also!
What happens during the PA meeting?
You would sit down with your manager or team leader and discuss your results over the past year (in mid-year you talk about the past few months, while beginning of year you discuss work objectives and goals).
Only in your year-end meeting would you get a rating of your performance. The scale is as follows from worst to best:
Level 1
Did not meet
Level 2
Suceeded –
Level 3
Succeeded
Level 4
Succeeded +
Level 5
Surpassed
The goal should always be to get Succeeded or Succeeded+. If you find yourself with Succeeded- or Did not meet or if you disagree with the rating, advise your manager or team leader your disagreement and include your own comments on the PA.
DO NOT feel obligated to sign immediately. Only sign the PA once you have reviewed everything and put your comments down. Signing it does not mean you agree with the rating or what was said, it only means that you had a discussion with your manager or TL.
How can my Local Union help me during my PA meeting?
You can always ask your manager or team leader if your union rep can be allowed to attend. Although union reps do not have the right to attend PA meetings, you can always meet with your union rep after the meeting to discuss the meeting while it is still fresh.
If there is a discussion on being put on an Action Plan or Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), contact your Local Union Rep ASAP. Do not feel obligated to sign that PIP immediately. The union rep can determine if a DTA (Duty-to-Accommodate) is required for your situation or even alter the terms of the PIP to be more manageable.
If your manager or team leader is requesting for you to sign the PA without meeting with you, send them an email saying you will only sign the PA once you had that discussion with them so that you can share your own thoughts and feedback and that it is your right for your voice to be heard.
“HELP! I WAS THROWN A CURVEBALL ABOUT MY PA RATING/CONTENT!”
If you felt that you weren’t given a fair PA like having 4 TLs in a single fiscal year, or being throw into multiple different programs/roles, YOU CAN GRIEVE! Your union rep can help you write the grievance and present it to management to change the rating/content and to give you additional tools that you may need to succeed in your current role.