SINGAPORE: A local Reddit user who was unsatisfied with the performance rating they received asked for advice since they were considering escalating the matter to higher-ups in their company.
In a post on r/askSingapore on Wednesday (March 26), u/Cute_Meringue1331 wrote that their boss had given them a C- rating for their work for all of 2024, which surprised the post author, as the boss only came on board last August. The post author was also told they must improve to meet expectations.
They want to dispute the rating because they already received a C for the previous year and have since taken on more work. However, they acknowledged that the boss might say that since they already have more experience, more is expected from them.
A dispute or appeal, however, would make room for a review and give the post author a chance to clarify mitigating factors.
The post author is concerned because the C- rating means they’re in the bottom 5 per cent of the company. The boss’ immediate superior raised no objection to the rating, and the post author guessed that they were “just happy that someone gets a C- at the start so they don’t have a hard time trying to curve someone down to C-.”
Ratings are conducted in their company this way: the boss chooses a rating from a dropdown list based on whether he thinks the staff has performed above, below, or at expectation for six categories. Employees who receive “below” ratings for most categories get a C- rating.
The post author added that if they don’t dispute the rating, they may receive the same next year.
While commenters on the post were sympathetic, some warned that their boss might retaliate if they make an appeal.
One Reddit user wrote, “It’s just another day in civil service,” referring to the post author’s work in a government organisation.
When they wrote that their boss appears to show dislike towards them, other commenters wrote that this can be an important factor at work, and asked the post author to consider switching jobs.
“With a boss like this, you should start finding a new job.” wrote one, while another agreed, saying they should prepare to start searching for another job even while they prepare to dispute the rating.
One Redditor who had been in a similar situation offered this advice: “Speaking from a past experience of someone who got 2 C-s in a row, thanks to a crappy director, ‘Leave before he gives you another C-. The writing is on the wall.’”
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