How to Handle an Unfair Assessment or Performance Review

If your supervisor has given you an unfair review, what should you do? And where can you go for help when you believe that your boss has been unfair in his/her assessment of your performance at work?


This is a tough situation, no two ways about it. The only way out is through. In the most professional manner you can, you need to tell someone what you see going on. Start with your boss. For example, suppose you feel like your boss is using a minor mistake you made 11 months ago to give you a below average rating. Lets also assume that you have not repeated the mistake. This is where your e-mail documentation can come in very handy. Ask your boss for other examples of the behavior. Be open to what he or she has to say. If your boss is unable to provide other examples, ask him or her why they think this one instance merits a below average rating for the entire year. It’s only human to make mistakes, the important thing is to learn from them. If your boss is still unwilling to make any changes in his/her assessment, you should consider talking to an HR manager to get their opinion. A lot will depend on the circumstances of your situation. The important thing is to remain professional at all times. Do not get into a heated argument or take it so personally that you think the rating is a reflection of your own self-worth. Do talk to a friend. Do not talk to a co-worker, even if that person is a friend. Any action that creates drama at work is a bad thing. In the end, the decision will come back to your supervisor to either change the rating, or add more documentation to support the rating he or she gave you. If you still are unhappy with the rating, talk to your HR manager again. You should be allowed to complete a rebuttal, which would be attached to your evaluation. This will not change anything, but will provide documentation to support your point of view.


Another issue your manager won’t want to discuss with you is the way that employers use performance evaluations as the basis for an employee’s annual performance rating. This rating is then one of the critical elements used to determine your raise for a given time period (usually each year).



The act of tying performance to money creates a financial incentive for the employer to avoid awarding high praise to its employees. Even though employers want to have the most productive and creative employees possible, in most cases they simply can’t afford to give the highest raise possible to every one who deserves it. As a result, many employers ask their managers to rank all of their employees. Once the employees are ranked, percentage guidelines are used to distribute ratings. For example, one company I worked for used a three-tiered rating system. The top 15 percent were rated “Outstanding,” the next 75 percent were rated “Proficient,” and the remaining 10 percent were rated “Requires Improvement.” The outstanding group received a 10 percent raise, the proficient group received a 5 percent raise and the last group didn’t get a raise. In systems like this, you are actually competing with your co-workers for your rewards. It also means that no matter how productive you are, or how hard you work, not everyone can get the top rating and therefore, the biggest raise.


One other point your boss won’t want to tell you is the difference in the increase between an “average” performer and a “top” performer. This largely depends on the organization and your current salary. Refer to the topic on “Your Compensation” to learn more about this. If you are below the midpoint on your salary scale, the difference in the increase between an average and a top performer might be as little as 2 to 3 percent.