Your principles need to be better. You had your time to assess the person and put them on performance management. Some people arent cut out for certain jobs, bu

Your principles need to be better. You had your time to assess the person and put them on performance management. Some people arent cut out for certain jobs, but the person did their time and showed up and worked and earned their vest. Going above and beyond wasnt part of the agreement. Taking time off and not informing the team is weird - do they not need to request it off? And plain wrong work in the past wasnt picked up on until now... both of these things sound like management issues. Even if they are relatively senior. Its totally reasonable to want someone who you think is better going forward, but to be as callous as to play politics on something you have used as a motivator is manipulative, contemptible, and a further sign of weak leadership.