end of probation at work

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sarahlouise25
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Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:55 pm

end of probation at work

Post by sarahlouise25 »

Hi,

I am basically at the end of my 13 week probation and will be having an appraisal sometime this week...I am really worried about this.. although I am capable of doing the job... on my 4 week review.. my manager said that my attitude with other staff was not good...the way in which I come across...what id call blunt..as my manager said to me its not what you say its how I say it.... The thing is I really don't know I am doing it sometimes...and I am trying really hard to think before I speak..and my manager hasn't said anything to me since my 4 week review at the end of may...but I am still worried that this will come up...or the fact I get flustered sometimes..which my manager has also mentioned to me. really don't want to lose this job over something stupid.
AlleyCat
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Re: end of probation at work

Post by AlleyCat »

I am really sorry you are experiencing this at work. Being criticised for doing something that is directly related to having dyspraxia seems to be all too common in the workplace- as you have said, you don't necessarily know when you are being 'too blunt' so how can you put it right? Although some might be quick to say that someone who is 'too blunt' must have asperger syndrome, it is also a symptom of dyspraxia, but the reasons for doing it are IMO very different. Whereas someone with asperger syndrome might not be able to see why someone might think something is too blunt, even if that person thinks about it afterwards or someone else tries to explain it, when someone with dyspraxia does this it is most likely because of issues with processing. Basically, under the pressure of having to come out with a response, someone with dyspraxia might say something which could have been said better in a different way, but because of problems processing information quickly and efficiently he/she instead says something which might come across as abrupt. In situations like this, if we had more time to think of what to say we would probably not make that mistake.

Having said all this though, you are of course very vulnerable because you are in a probationary period and don't have the right to be kept on (although if they previously knew you had dyspraxia and were firing you because of issues caused by it, the employer would be guilty of discriminating on the grounds of a disability). I really do think that some managers enjoy picking on 'newbies' in general, but of course people with dyspraxia are at a particular disadvantage in that there are more likely to be obvious things to pick on than there might be with someone who didn't have it. The difference between newbies and established staff is that established staff seem to get away with things that newbies don't.
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