I started a new job in June.
About 6 weeks in, I unexpectedly suffered a collapsed lung and was hospitalized from July 16–24. My surgeon recommended I return to work on August 3, but because my role is fully remote, I came back on July 27. I didn’t want to fall behind and hoped to build momentum going into August.
Today, my manager dropped a formal meeting on my calendar and followed it with a detailed recap email documenting my performance expectations moving forward and noting that I’d fallen short of several metrics, even after accounting for my medical leave.
I understand companies have performance expectations, and I’d never ask for a free pass but I’m struggling with the timing.
I returned to work earlier than medically recommended while still recovering from a major surgery, and within a week I was having what felt like a documented performance conversation. It wasn’t called a PIP, but it definitely gave me that impression.
I replied acknowledging the expectations and also attached my surgeon’s return-to-work letter and discharge paperwork since they had previously told me they didn’t need any formal medical documentation.
Since then, I’ve found myself questioning how I feel about this company. Not because they expect results, but because I expected a little more grace given the circumstances.
Am I reacting emotionally because this is all still fresh, or would this change how you viewed your employer? More importantly, would this be enough to make you quietly (or aggressively) start looking for another job?
I’m especially interested in hearing from managers, HR professionals, or anyone who’s been in a similar situation.