What. The. HELL, Jilli???? That's crazy!

YEAH. WTF, Jilli?!?!

My technical writing isn't at the level my boss wants. I'm not doing enough work, and the team is carrying me, even tho' in June the plan was to load-balance my work better because it was determined that having me juggle SIX projects was maybe a bad call. But there's also not enough UX writing work to justify me spending more time with that team.

Like I said, I don't trust my manager. For a lot of reasons, which I'm not going to elaborate on in a semi-public space.

However, I will say that I have now learned for sure that I would rather be an editor than a technical/programmer writer.

Still waiting on the CU. It's going up the chain and so far it looks hopeful.

Jilli, I am sorry that you have a manager you do not trust. That just makes every bad thing even worse.

Lots of ~ma, Steph!!

Jilli, WTF. Updating the resume sounds prudent.

Reviewing health insurance. Kill me now.

Ugh, Jilli.

Reviewing health insurance. Kill me now.

Ugh. That reminds me, I still need to go over the new health insurance requirements here.

Oh, this GISHWHES thing sounded like something that Buffistas might have fun with: One of the items is to create the cover of a romance novel, showing Misha Collins and the Queen of England in a torrid embrace. We've got the graphic, and it's beautifully disturbing, but we need a title. Any suggestions? I suppose it needs an author name as well, and whatever other text might be on a book cover.

I would not only update my resume, but start sending it out. If you manager wants to keep you, there would usually be a less formal process. A "performance improvement plan" is almost always just a formality on the step to a firing. There are exception. but I suspect your best chance of keeping your job is documenting that your supervisor is full of shit and going over his or her head. If you can't do that, then your best bet is moving and stop speed to find a new job, while taking whatever action you can delay being let go. Quite honestly at this point, getting a new job should be top priority, and compliance with the plan - well you want to make the effort, but not at the expense of time you need to find a new job. If you were in a tiny work environment the advice might be different, but in anything from a large small business or better, "performance improvement plans" and such are just a CYA step on the way to firing an employee.

A quick Google reveals that at least one HR expert agrees with me [link]

Does not mean that I'm right. Still my guess is: assume the manager you don't trust is an enemy. Challenge the PIP if you think you have a chance of winning. Otherwise use the PIP to stall for time while you find another job. Even if you challenge, unless you are damn confident of winning, get the resume out there. One good point to use against your self-image demons: PIPs are not used to force bad employees out. PIPs are used by managers who want to get rid of an employee everyone knows damn well is doing a good job. The PIP tells you this is not about job performance, but about politics or personal prejudice.

X-posting from facebook - does this sound like a decent health insurance option?

Right now the top option is BCBS Blue Saver. Deductible is $2800, premium about $215, 100% preventive coverage, Rx coverage with no separate deductible, etc. 80%/20% after deductible in network, 60%/40% for out of network.