At least once every year, employers and employees at certain firms fine-tune their working skills in preparation for the employee review. Raises and bonuses sometimes result from a positive employee review, but other times the reviews might lead to demotions or termination. Sometimes, performance reviews may produce no end result other than providing the employee with feedback and areas for improvement. When you receive a review you might not agree with, it is important to take the proper steps to solve what is considered to be the problem. Because many courtroom decisions rely on employee reviews to determine if termination is legal, employees should fully understand their review and discuss any discrepancies with their employer.
It is important to keep in mind that a good review doesn’t guarantee a raise or promotion, nor does a bad review always warrant termination. The most important step is to understand your review fully in order to comprehend the level of performance your employer expects from you and how that may reflect in your performance review, and to document any discrepancies you may have.
- Always read your review carefully and objectively. A review aims to summarize areas that you are
adept at, as well as point out areas for improvement. It is important to remember that all workers are encouraged to progress and advance in the field, and the review is your employer’s form of communicating their expected improvements. - Provide thorough and logical reasoning as to why you disagree, but understand this may not change the result of the review. It is important to show how valuable an employee you are by providing evidence that attests to your successes. However, it is important to accept comments about areas where you may need improvement, because acknowledging this will prove to your employer that you are attempting to better your work ethic to support the team.
- Maintain a calm and constructive attitude. Reviews are intended to be used as constructive criticism. Your attitude about advice implies a lot about your work ethic and dedication. If you believe there are flaws within your review, you should request to speak with your employer in a professional manner, and document all attempts you make at approaching the topic. If you feel you have been wrongly assessed because of discrimination, you should avoid contacting your employer and file a complaint directly to HR.
- Sign under protest, and document your complaint with HR. If you strongly disagree with a review or feel that your report was falsified with a discriminatory intent, sign your employee review “under protest”. Declaring that you object to your performance review should bring the necessary attention to the situation in order to fix the problem. Document your complaint in a formal letter to HR, and specify any discriminatory actions or instances that affect your work environment. However, refusing to sign an acknowledgment in and of itself can be deemed insubordination and be considered grounds for termination, so do not refuse to sign it. Rather, indicate that you are signing that you have seen it but do not agree with it, or are doing so “under protest.”
