Techie put on ‘PIP’ gets manager terminated instead: 'Dude literally told me 3 weeks back great work...'

A technology professional has claimed they succeeded in getting their manager dismissed after being placed on a performance improvement plan (PIP), outlining how they challenged what they alleged was retaliatory action.

Writing anonymously on the workplace forum Blind in a post titled “I got my manager fired after he tried to PIP me. Here’s exactly how,” the individual said they were put on a PIP but, rather than “crying about it”, decided to push back. “Everyone on here just rolls over when they get PIPed. ‘Update your resume, start interviewing, take the severance.’ Nah. I chose violence,” the user wrote.

According to the post, the PIP followed the employee raising concerns about a project delay they insisted was “100%” the manager’s responsibility. Describing it as a “classic retaliation move,” the employee said they spent a fortnight compiling evidence instead of accepting the decision.

The employee also said they lodged a formal complaint with the company’s ethics team, rather than standard HR channels, alleging retaliation and submitting supporting evidence. They further contacted two former colleagues who had reportedly been placed on PIPs by the same manager, with one agreeing to provide a statement.

The matter was then escalated to a skip-level manager via what the user described as a “polite email”, setting out facts, timelines, and documentation. “Sent a very polite email to my skip level, framing it as ‘I want to make sure leadership is aware of a pattern.’ Not emotional, just facts + dates + evidence,” they wrote.

Within a month, the manager was reportedly placed on a “management coaching plan” and left the company six weeks later. The employee acknowledged that such outcomes are not always typical but argued that well-documented claims of retaliation can pose a risk to companies, prompting them to act.

“Most people don't even try because they assume the company is always going to side with your manager. That's true maybe 70% of the time. But if you have actual evidence of retaliation? That's a liability for the company, and they will cut your manager loose to protect themselves,” the post stated.

“Stop being a doormat. Companies don't have loyalty. Managers don't have loyalty. The only person looking out for you is you,” the user added.

Some users urged caution, suggesting the employee’s role might still be under threat. “You bought yourself a year, OP. Expect to be on the chopping block again, or find another team right away,” one user wrote.

“Your skip is a snake. He definitely knew about your manager's intention to PIP you and gave his blessings. But he chose an easier path to get rid of your manager instead. From his point of view, he just needs to get rid of an L6 for this perf cycle, doesn't matter if it's a sdm or sde. You need to watch your back. You are still on the bottom of the stack rank. Switch teams while you still can,” another commented.

Others, however, applauded the move, describing it as a stand against the misuse of PIPs. “You are Blind's hero now. Guys we need to do this more often and support others doing this. It's high time managers stop using PIP as a weapon,” one user wrote.

“On behalf of the rest of the workers out there who have been victimized & bullied out by silly managers. THANK YOU !” said another.

“Hats off !! Hope the manager learned a lesson about misusing authority. " If more ppl start doing this, half the managers at Amazon will be fired for all their horrible acts of throwing ppl under the bus,” another user commented.

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. LiveMint has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)