Employee is put on PIP after refusing to join a 10 PM work call, tries to understand if they're getting fired: ‘Is this a genuine improvement plan?’

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jun 17, 2026 9:45 AM EDT

What came first, the Performance Improvement Plan, or the late-night work call?

Most employees know that when they get an email from HR telling them that they are being put on a performance improvement plan, PIP for short, that their days in the company are probably coming to an end. It is rare for an employee to get a PIP and actually be given an opportunity to improve before they get fired. That is just the way things go.

That being said, most employers need a reason for why they decided to put an employee on PIP, which leads some employers to set their workers up, which is what some people think happened to the employee who shared their story below.

On a random workday, this employee was contacted by their team lead late at night. The team lead wanted the employee to join a meeting at 10 PM, which was quite unusual. The employee couldn't join the meeting and explained so to the team lead, but the next thing they knew, they were contacted by HR and told they were being put on a performance improvement plan.

Now, this is where things get confusing to the employee. Was the PIP planned, and the meeting just an excuse to put them on it, or was the reason they were put on PIP because of their refusal to join a meeting after work hours? And even more importantly, are they getting fired, or do they have a solid chance to improve and keep their job?

After they posted the story on an online community, they got varied responses. Some think the employee should already be looking for another job, while others think there is a solid chance to keep the job and come out of this issue stronger. Keep scrolling to read the full story and decide your stance.

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  • Employee in the office late at night, working on his laptop, presented by a model.
    via Ahmet Kurt

    Employee in the office late at night, working on his laptop, presented by a model.

  • Put on a PIP right after refusing a 10 PM work call. Looking for advice.

    I work as a QA Engineer for a service-based company in India and am currently deployed to a client.
    via AloneWolf963
  • A few days ago, around 10 PM, my Team Lead called me and asked if I was ready to join a Teams meeting within 15 minutes.
    via AloneWolf963
  • At the time, I was out having dinner with my family. I asked whether there was any urgency or production issue that required immediate attention. I
    via AloneWolf963
  • was told only that my presence was required. Since I was with my family and no specific urgency was communicated, I asked whether the meeting could be rescheduled. My
    via AloneWolf963
  • could be rescheduled. My Team Lead disagreed, and I ultimately did not join the meeting. For context: I work a regular day shift.
    via AloneWolf963
  • I was not on-call. I was not supporting a different time zone. As a QA engineer, I have joined plenty of late-night calls in the
    via AloneWolf963
  • past, including calls after midnight when there were genuine production incidents or urgent issues. The part that surprised me was what happened next.
    via AloneWolf963
  • The following day, I received a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) from HR.
    via AloneWolf963
  • Email account opened on laptop.
    via Stephen Phillips - Hostreviews.co.uk

    Email account opened on laptop.

  • What makes this confusing is that for the last two years I received Best Achiever awards, and no serious performance concerns had been formally raised with me before this. I
    via AloneWolf963
  • also have a habit of documenting my work and contributions, especially during appraisal cycles.
    via AloneWolf963
  • I'm trying to understand whether I'm connecting unrelated events because of the timing, or whether others have seen situations like this before.
    via AloneWolf963
  • For people who have been through a PIP: What questions should I be asking my manager and HR? What should I be looking for in the PIP document?
    via AloneWolf963
  • How can I tell whether this is a genuine improvement plan or the beginning of an exit process? I'd appreciate any advice from people who have dealt with similar situations.
    via AloneWolf963
  • Hot-Comfort8839 The 10 PM call was to put you on the PIP. Missing the 10 PM call didn't cause this. They were already going to do it.
    via Hot-Comfort8839
  • Briz-TheKi er- PIP will means you will be terminated soon, start seeking new opportunities asap our
    via Briz-TheKi**er-
  • FrankenPaul They pre-planned your firing, the unsociable hours work call was a ruse so that they have a "legitimate" reason to let you go. Live and learn.
    via FrankenPaul
  • Dragon_Patty93 Welcome aboard. I'm currently on a PIP also and taking the company I'm with for a ride. It's fun.
    via AloneWolf963
  • Spektral1 Treat it as it is, a risk of termination. Do the needful at work but start your own exit process, as if that are going to do this to you they aren't worth your dedication.
    via AloneWolf963

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boss workplace-stories employee fired hr manager job meeting tales-from-the-workplace performance review workplace company
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