Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) Representation
A performance improvement plan is sometimes a real chance to course-correct — but just as often it’s a managed exit, set in motion before you ever saw it. Thurgood helps you read which one you’re on, negotiate a clean way out while you still have leverage, or file a claim if the PIP is really retaliation or discrimination — no law firm required.
Get a free evaluationSigns your PIP is a managed exit, not a real chance
Some PIPs are sincere. Many aren’t. These patterns suggest the decision to push you out was made before the plan ever landed:
The goals are vague or moving
“Improve communication,” “show more ownership” — targets you can’t objectively meet, or that keep shifting under you.
The timeline is impossible
You’re given a window too short to realistically hit the goals you’ve been set.
It appeared out of nowhere
No prior coaching or warnings, and your earlier reviews were perfectly fine.
It landed right after you spoke up
The PIP followed a complaint, a leave or accommodation request, a disclosure, or a safety report.
Your treatment already changed
You’ve been cut out of meetings, reassigned, or frozen out — signs the decision is already made.
Everyone “on a PIP” here leaves
At your company the PIP is a known offboarding step, not a genuine turnaround tool.
Not sure if what happened counts?
A free evaluation tells you where you stand — no cost, no obligation.
We negotiate your exit — on your terms
The moment you’re put on a PIP is often when you have the most leverage. A negotiated departure is frequently cheaper for an employer than a contested PIP or a claim — so this is the time to use it.
Read whether it’s real or a setup
We weigh the plan, the timing, and the pattern to tell you what you’re actually facing.
Build your leverage quietly
We identify the documentation and timeline that strengthen your position before any conversation.
Negotiate severance and a clean exit
You don’t sit across from HR. We pursue severance, a neutral reference, and an agreed departure for you.
Protect what you sign
We make sure a separation agreement doesn’t quietly waive rights you’d want to keep.
If the PIP is really illegal, we file and represent you
When a PIP is a cover for discrimination or retaliation, negotiation isn’t your only card — and a credible claim is often what gives a negotiated exit its weight. If it comes to filing, we handle it end to end.
Prepare your filing
We convert your story and evidence into formal charge documents written to the agency’s standards.
Represent your interests with the agency
We become your point of contact, handling communications and deadlines throughout.
Prepare you for the investigator interview
We get you ready for the agency investigator’s questions so you can tell your account with confidence.
Prepare you for fact-finding conferences
We ready you for the conference where both sides present their version of events.
Prepare you for administrative law hearings
If your case reaches a hearing before an administrative law judge, we prepare you for that too.
Filing with the right agency
Because a workplace claim can be unlawful for many different reasons, there’s no single agency for every case. Part of what we do is match your claim to the agency that actually has jurisdiction — federal or state — and to the deadline that comes with it.
EEOC — discrimination & retaliation
Race, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, and equal-pay claims. Employers with 15+ · generally 180–300 days.
OSHA Whistleblower Protection Program
Reporting safety, nuclear or energy, food, transportation, consumer-finance, or securities-fraud concerns — more than 20 statutes. Some deadlines as short as 30 days.
DOL Wage & Hour Division (WHD)
FMLA leave retaliation and minimum-wage, overtime, and child-labor (FLSA) claims. Up to 2–3 years.
NLRB — union & concerted activity
Organizing, or raising group concerns about pay or working conditions (protected concerted activity).
State labor & civil-rights agencies
Most states run their own fair-employment or labor agency enforcing state law — often reaching smaller employers and allowing longer deadlines. A claim can frequently be filed with the state as well as, or instead of, the federal agency.
Special-industry civil-rights offices
Some sectors route through an agency’s Office for Civil Rights — for example the U.S. Department of Education (OCR) for school staff, or HHS (OCR) for healthcare and HIPAA matters.
How an agency charge unfolds
Whichever agency has jurisdiction, the path a federal charge follows looks broadly the same — only the deadline changes with the claim.
- 01
A charge is filed
A formal charge goes to the agency with jurisdiction, within a deadline that depends on the claim — anywhere from 30 days to 300.
- 02
Your employer is notified
The agency notifies your employer of the charge and invites a written response.
- 03
Investigation or mediation
The agency may investigate the claim or offer voluntary mediation to resolve it early.
- 04
A determination is issued
The agency issues findings. Where it finds cause, it may pursue a settlement or conciliation.
- 05
Your rights are preserved
If the matter isn’t resolved, you’re issued a notice that keeps your right to take the claim further intact.
Filing with your state agency
Most states have their own fair-employment and labor agencies — with their own laws and deadlines, often more protective than federal. Thurgood is authorized to represent state-level claims in the states below; everywhere else, we represent your claim federally. Your evaluation pins down exactly what applies where you work.
- 01
Dual filing preserves both
A charge can usually be cross-filed, so your state and federal rights are protected at the same time.
- 02
Often broader coverage
State laws frequently reach smaller employers and more situations than federal law — and can give you far longer to file.
- 03
Investigation & resolution
The state agency investigates and may hold hearings or facilitate a settlement.
- 04
We pin down your state’s rule
Your evaluation identifies the agency and deadline that apply where you actually work.
Two roads to an award
You don’t have to sue in civil court to be made whole. The administrative agency process can deliver the same kinds of awards — back pay, reinstatement, damages — through a different, more accessible path.
Both can result in a real award. The agency route is built to be reached without a law firm — which is exactly where Thurgood represents you.
Frequently asked
Not always, but a meaningful share of PIPs end in separation regardless of performance. Treat it as a serious signal and prepare accordingly — quietly, and early.
Watch for the tells: vague or shifting goals, an impossibly short timeline, a plan that appeared with no prior warning, or one that landed right after you complained, took leave, or asked for an accommodation. Several of those together usually mean an exit-oriented PIP.
Often, yes — and the PIP stage can be a strong time to do it, because the employer has signaled it wants you gone but hasn’t acted yet. An authorized non-attorney advocate can handle that conversation for you.
Signing usually just acknowledges receipt, but don’t sign anything that admits wrongdoing or waives rights without understanding it first. Keep a copy, and document your own response in writing.
Then it may be more than a performance issue. A PIP used to push out someone who engaged in protected activity — a complaint, a leave request, a disclosure — can support a claim with the EEOC, OSHA, the Department of Labor, or a state agency. Document the timeline and have it reviewed.
No. Most civil employment firms ask for a large retainer up front or take 30–40% of any settlement. Because the administrative agency process is less complex than litigating in civil court, Thurgood works on a smaller retainer and a lower contingency fee — so more of any recovery stays with you. The evaluation itself is free.
No. Thurgood can negotiate with your employer on your behalf and, if needed, represent a claim before the EEOC, OSHA, the Department of Labor, or a state agency — no attorney required.
Be careful — resigning can weaken both your leverage and your options. Talk it through before you do anything; a negotiated exit usually beats a sudden quit.
It depends. A negotiated exit can include severance, a neutral reference, and continued benefits; a successful claim can include back pay and other remedies. Outcomes depend on the facts, and no one can promise a result.
Facing harassment, retaliation,
or wrongful termination?
Answer a few questions to get feedback on your claim & schedule a free consultation with an experienced employee advocate.
Get a Free Evaluation