Help! Can't move to new job because boss won't sign off pmds.

leanbh · 28-12-2021 11:17PM #1

This is for my brother. He's public sector . He has had some difficulties in work that were resolved in his favour in court.

He went back to his job in 2020 but his boss won't sign off his 2020 pmds. (He's asked in writing both hr and his boss)

He's got a new Job offer in another department but he can't move without giving pmds to the new department. What can he do to force the situation?

He doesn't want to lose this new job but they've given him a deadline of January 15th.

Flinty997 · 28-12-2021 11:29PM

Was the union involved? What's their advice.

leanbh · 28-12-2021 11:46PM

He's not in the union

leanbh · 28-12-2021 11:59PM

He's desperate to get this sorted. He doesn't want to go nuclear (ie legal) as he's afraid work will make it really tough for him. Any ideas.

leanbh · 29-12-2021 12:17AM

Just to add no issues were raised about his work in 2020. Just ignoring every request from him to sign off the 2020 pmds. I'm not public service myself. Is this normal?

Mrs OBumble · 29-12-2021 12:32AM

Join the union.

leanbh · 29-12-2021 12:35AM

Yes. He's made an application before Christmas. Regarding his particular issue he is only getting automated response from his rep (which is understandable as its Christmas). Union rep won't be back till 7th January. That's why he's worried. He's not even sure if union will take on the issue as he's just joined.

29-12-2021 12:40AM

Without having any info its very hard to advise

What issue is with the pmds do you know? Was it all agreed and delivered as agreed?

What do hr or his managers manager say?

leanbh · 29-12-2021 12:49AM

No problems were raised at all with his pmds in 2020 throughout the year. End of year review was completed and signed by him and submitted to manager in Feb 2021. Then silence...?

He notified hr last month but that was ignored also.

leanbh · 29-12-2021 12:52AM

Also to add he did ask his manager if there was any specific problem with the pmds. No response. He thinks he's being punished for suing his dept.- that they won't let him leave. That sounds nuts to me?

29-12-2021 01:23AM

If he has not already done so, he needs to go straight over his supervisor's head, to his "second" supervisor and if they don't respond, to their supervisor and so on.

i.e., if he reports to a HEO, he goes to the AP. If he reports to the AP, he goes to the PO - and so on up the line.

Technically, his MANAGER would be regarded as having failed their own PMDS if they have not followed up and signed off on their reports PMDS in a timely manner.

Don't delay on this.

Flinty997 · 29-12-2021 01:29AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118384748#Comment_118384748

It not impossible. Its a good example of how PMDS can be miss-used

I don't like unions but this is why they exist.

L

29-12-2021 01:55AM

Also question - was his PMDS 2021 done?

There should have been goal setting and mid-term review and end of year reviews for 2021 are now due.

Tork · 29-12-2021 02:35AM

How many actual conversations with humans has he had about this? Emails are easy to ignore.

29-12-2021 08:50AM

Yesah hes been far too passive.

Mails are a good record but he should be on the phone to the manager above and hr setting out urgency here.

leanbh · 29-12-2021 11:32AM

Thanks for comments. He has set out that it's urgent (he hasn't mentioned new job explicitly to current work as he doesn't want them to scupper it-he has excellent references from former managers)

He rang hr and manager 4 times before Christmas but they just kept saying we will get back.

Re: 2021 pmds that's been stalled.

Is it true his manager fails his own pmds if he doesn't pass my brother's?

Where is that rule set out in public service? (Maybe he could say it to them)

Is there any way he can get a copy of his managers 2020 pmds?

leanbh · 29-12-2021 11:32AM

29-12-2021 11:49AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118384738#Comment_118384738

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118385567#Comment_118385567

Send another copy of letter by registered post to HR immediately, this is done through AnPost office (€6.00 )and HR will have to sign for for its delivery. One would want to have a very thick skin to ignore a registered letter. Important KEEP the RECEIPT. End

leanbh · 29-12-2021 04:35PM

That's a very good idea re: registered post. This new job are giving a deadline of 15th January to get pmds so that should give him time.

Is there anything he should say in registered post letter that he hasn't said already?

(He doesn't want to give them the heads up on the new job)

29-12-2021 04:40PM

He should tell them he is waiting on a new job, imo

Ive never known a HR dept in the piblic sector would want the reputation of scuppering that for someone

I have to be honest I would advise frankness and directness here with all cards on the table and thats on the phone with the highest HR team member available followed up in writing cc'ing manager and their manager

Registered post isnt any different to an email which you have a timestamped record of in any case

TaurenDruid · 29-12-2021 04:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118385567#Comment_118385567

Every manager's first PMDS goal is completing the PMDS process for their reports. Your brother can see his manager's goals on the PMDS system. The next cycle of PMDS can't start until the previous stage has been signed off, and it's very common for managers to get reminder mails in December saying to get their and their staffs' PMDS done - a manager's manager can see who hasn't completed their PMDS tasks, and having staff who don't have a signed-off PMDS shows as incomplete for the manager.

Given the urgency, he should be phoning his manager and talking directly to him - and then immediately after the call, mailing him with the contents of the call, e.g., "Thank you for taking my call earlier today to discuss PMDS. I have noted you agreed to do X and Y by Z date. As mentioned, this is urgent, so I would appreciate that deadline being met..." No harm cc'ing the manager's manager.

No department will want to "keep" someone to punish them, and few managers would want to keep someone they don't regard as performing. I've never worked in HR but as this is civil service to civil service, are you sure HR don't already know he's moving? There has to be a reason for refusing to sign off on a PMDS - especially if, as you say, the work has been done - and this would have been communicated to your brother. It's possible you're not getting the full story.

leanbh · 29-12-2021 05:11PM

Nothing was communicated to my brother re: any problems with his work performance in 2020.

Regarding the decision about telling hr about the new job; he's not going to do that.

I don't want to go into too much detail but his last case included details where this local hr stopped a transfer.

He doesn't want this to happen again.

I really appreciate people explaining the mechanics of how pmds works. It's very helpful

Pawwed Rig · 29-12-2021 07:56PM

This thread is like a window into a weird alternate universe.

Registered letters to HR, managers not responding to employees, something called PMDS which seems to be absolutely critical to the continued existence of human kind, colleagues unwilling to speak to each other.

Fascinating

29-12-2021 08:12PM

I wouldn't see much point in sending a registered letter to HR at this stage.

An email with a delivery receipt or a read receipt would be as useful. Departments were open today and will be open tomorrow and Friday, so he should be calling them every day.

One way or the other, his HR department are going to know about the move as if this is a transfer or mobility move, he will have to be released to his new Department.

29-12-2021 08:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118387797#Comment_118387797

The Public Service has to be experienced to be believed. You can be physically assaulted by your manager and it will be swept under the carpet. I retired early on grounds of work-related stress which had dangerous cardiac consequences, and they were only too glad to get rid of me as I was a thorn in HR’s side.

billyhead · 29-12-2021 08:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118387975#Comment_118387975

I heard the opposite in that they take bullying complaints very seriously and HR strongly sides with the victim from the time a report is logged.

29-12-2021 08:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118387990#Comment_118387990

Not in my organisation, don’t want to be too specific about it but it wasn’t the Civil Service.

leanbh · 29-12-2021 09:42PM

Apologies if I didn't make it clear but this isn't a transfer/mobility move. He applied for a post that was publicly advertised on PAS.

He got offered a job from that public panel end November. He has just submitted his references. They are happy with that.

Now they want his pmds.

Hence the problem.

leanbh · 29-12-2021 09:42PM

29-12-2021 11:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118385632#Comment_118385632

It would get delivered to the post room and signed by a service officer. There should be a book they use which is signed by the addressee to prove its been delivered. Check if this is how they do it before sending

TaurenDruid · 30-12-2021 12:57AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118388895#Comment_118388895

Don't bother. There's absolutely no benefit in sending a registered letter over sending an email with a delivery/read receipt, except to show you've a few quid spare :-)

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118388392#Comment_118388392

So it's a promotion from an open and/or interdepartmental panel, then. So HR will know, as they'll have to have cleared his release - new department won't take him without clearing it with current department's HR and will check references.

Help! Can't move to new job because boss won't sign off pmds.

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