May 22, 2026 at 5:20 am

A Boss Overloaded an Employee After a Coworker Quit—Then Placed Him on a PIP for Falling Behind

by Heide Lazaro

man and woman working at a desk

Shutterstock

Workplace issues can escalate quickly when management problems go unchecked.

In this story, a man reported his boss to HR but soon found himself under intense pressure.

After a colleague quit, all the extra workload was suddenly placed on him.

To make things worse, he was put on a PIP with an unrealistic deadline.

Do you think this was fair? Let’s take a closer look!

Workload Dumped On Me Then Labeled A PIP

I have a boss who I have gone to HR about a couple of times.

The first time, I went for lack of communication on projects.

This led to widespread failure across the team.

I was blamed for it.

This man was told to find a new job.

The second time was about my year-end evaluation.

She verbally contradicted her signed evaluation of me.

The written evaluation said I met expectations. Verbally, she said I was not meeting expectations.

She also told me to find a new job in that meeting as I would not be here in a year.

His colleague gave his two weeks’ notice.

A colleague and I were starting back on her project in a month.

It is currently in an off-season period. My colleague and I were both doing other projects during this time.

My colleague put in his two weeks because of how she treats us.

He also had a recent incident with her.

Now, his colleague’s workload was dumped onto him.

My colleague and I were just trained on a new project. We were doing it in the meantime.

Once he put in his two weeks, his entire workload was dumped on my desk.

It was labeled as a PIP. I was given 11 days to finish work.

He feels like he could no longer continue.

I am still being trained on this work.

I am not very familiar with it.

I feel like I am on a death march.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a man who refused to keep giving his coworker rides to work because he left a mess in his car.

Let’s check out the comments of other people on Reddit to this story.

Short and straightforward.

Screenshot 2026 04 07 at 8.41.24 AM A Boss Overloaded an Employee After a Coworker Quit—Then Placed Him on a PIP for Falling Behind

This person gives some sound advice.

Screenshot 2026 04 07 at 8.42.28 AM A Boss Overloaded an Employee After a Coworker Quit—Then Placed Him on a PIP for Falling Behind

Here’s another suggestion from this person.

Screenshot 2026 04 07 at 8.45.24 AM A Boss Overloaded an Employee After a Coworker Quit—Then Placed Him on a PIP for Falling Behind

Finally, here’s a concerned remark.

Screenshot 2026 04 07 at 8.47.52 AM e1775522987147 A Boss Overloaded an Employee After a Coworker Quit—Then Placed Him on a PIP for Falling Behind

When the workload doubles overnight, it’s not a promotion… it’s a warning sign.

Heide Lazaro is a veteran human-interest writer and digital culture expert with over a decade of experience in editorial strategy. Specializing in lifestyle, social dynamics, and the internet's most compelling stories, Heide has authored and published more than 10 books online. Beyond her daily reporting, she is a dedicated motivational speaker who helps audiences connect through the power of storytelling. When she isn't sifting through the web's wildest real-life drama, Heide is an avid runner, painter, and novel-enthusiast fueled by a truly excellent cup of coffee.