voluntary redundancy can i retract

missmp_2

It was metioned at work some time before christmas that they might be making redundancies at the pcf, this was briefed to us by a capacity owner.
During Christmas I started to feel like I couldnt cope, things had got on top of me as I had work and personal problems that I was struggling to deal with, I couldnt sleep at night and then started to withdraw and avoid people.
In january when it was time to go back to work, I was feeling so low and nervous I went to see my doctor and explained to her how I was feeling, she consequently signed me off work with anxiety.
A few weeks into January I heard from a friend at work that thirty people were going to be made redundant from my position and I immediately thought that I was going to be one who was made redundant as I am one of the newer employees there. NO CONSULTATION OR PROPER INFORMATION FROM WORK
My anxiety got even worse and the doctor asked me to keep trying with the anti depressants as she was sure they would work, i was feeling they werent working but she put it down to the added pressure of my job situation.
I was told by a friend at work that we could either volunteer for redundancy or wait until they called us to the office and then get on a bus to the training centre, this was to much for me to bare and it got to the point that i couldnt think of anything else. I was worried about my future, how i would cope financially and emotionally as i had never been in a redundancy situation beofre.
My boss and HR rep came to visit me at home THIS IS A STANDARD PROCEDURE FOR ABSENT EMPLOYEES AFTER A CERTAIN TIME ABSENT, I explained to them that I was feeling very low and couldnt bare the thought of facing people at work and didnt want them askin me what was the matter with me, and that i also felt very guilty that i was letting everyone down whilst we were facing redundancies and explained to them that i didnt know what to do, because the timing was bad.
I was told by hr that i would be kept informed of any changes or progress during the redundancy process and that i shouldnt listen to gossip off the shop floor. NO INFORMATION OR CONSULTATION TO ADVISE ME THEY WERE TRYING TO SAVE JOBS
The day before the deadline to hand in my voluntary redundancy form I still had not heard any news from hr or my boss or anybody at the company, so felt i had little option but to volunteer myself, rather than keep making myself more and more anxious about being made redundant and sent out of work.
I faxed my voluntary redundancy acceptance form at approx 6pm on the thursday so my company recieved it on the friday.
I then found out from someone at work that there had been a second sorb to try and get work brought back into us from a sub contractor on the thursday BEFORE I faxed my acceptance form. The result of this meeting was told to people on the tuesday, BUT I HAD NO CONSULTATION that this meeting was even happening. I was aso told that employees had been given the option of putting their names down for job share, I HAD NO CONSULTATION on this either. Which I think was UNFAIR TREATMENT
I feel my company just forgot about me whilst I was off work suffering with anxiety and left me without ANY CONSULTATION whatsoever.
From the information I had recieved it was either volunteer or get forced out, the amount of stress this caused me is over whelming and it was on my mind every minute of the day. Had I of been consulted and informed that there were possibilities of saving our jobs, I definately would not of volunteered to go and I probably would not of got as anxious and stressed.
When I learnt that the jobs had been saved in the meeting BEFORE I accepted voluntary redundancy, I immediately wanted to retract my acceptance but have been told that I cant as it is a legal binding document.
Could anybody please help me ?
I have found out today also that my boss had my sick notes out on his office where anybody can see them, until a colleague of mine saw them and asked him to put them away, my sick note clearly states that i need counselling and i did not want just anybody from work knowing my personal business.

Zazen999

How did you get hold of the Voluntary Redundancy form?

missmp_2

Zazen999 wrote: »

How did you get hold of the Voluntary Redundancy form?

through the post and faxed it back to them

Rustvaar

Having been in a similar situation this January (and receiving no assistance from my employer) I can sympathise with you - If you've returned a voluntary redundancy form and you've not been kept informed then I think you're alright to retract - I would probably say get on the phone and speak with the management if possible because a letter might just take too long. It obviously takes time for the news to filter through but they'll no doubt assume that you know (they can be stupid like that).

I think it's quite ... unprofessional that your boss would leave such sensitive information just laying around for anyone to have a nosey at (which some people would gladly do, just for the gossip they can get a hold of) although I don't know if there's anything you can really do about it.

I will say best of luck to you though, I was suffering 'work related stress' because I was dropped into a role that I was not briefed on - I was assured I'd be trained to answer inbound calls but my main role would remain data-entry and account opening. WRONG! I was put on a horrid shift pattern with a group of equally depressed people and it really ground me down to the point where I was afraid to go to sleep at night and crying when I woke up in the morning because life felt so pointless.

It's a hard thing to deal with but you can manage to get through it - I did and it's two months on and I still feel a little down at times but life is much better now I've broke free from a job that tore me up.

Edit: And all this at age twenty-one! You'd think I'd experience this kind of nonsense after a few years of hard work!!

SomeBozo

Can you clarify why you were off sick from work?

Did the sick note from the GP explain that you were off due to stress at work? This could explain the lack of contact from work.

Did you try to contact work when you were off to check on the progress of things?

Bozo

Zazen999

missmp wrote: »

through the post and faxed it back to them

Did they send it on it's own, or with some letter?

Did you request it or did they send it to you personally

+ what Some Bozo said...

kiddy_guy

I would suggest you contact your employer, explain to them, and request to withdraw your request.

If not, then you would have a decent case for some form of constructive/unfair something or other?