help with resigning whilst on sick leave for stress

MyRubyRed

Nexuss, I totally disagree with your last two posts. Some companies provide basic referencences only to include time employed and number of absences. On the second post re linas , constructive criticism is good, sarcasm and nastiness is not.

Zazen999

nexuss wrote: »

You can be assured your current employer will say in a reference that you went sick as you could not handle pressure at work.I think the reference will be even worse if you suddenly resign.

This is patently untrue. Otherwise nobody with unprofessional bullying bosses would ever leave their jobs.

Also, the OP is not 'suddenly resigning' they are just resigning. Giving notice. It just so happens that they are off sick for most if not all of that time.

I'd say it would be the other way round.....the OP could if they wanted to, submit a grievance and then come to a compromise about leaving the company...but they aren't that nasty and self-obsessed to do so.

If a company has someone who is off work with stress, they are not going to want it to turn into long term sickness, as that is bad for everyone. So, the person finding a new job and resigning is better all round for everyone.

This is why being nice in the letter rather than nasty shows that they are leaving peacefully and with no issues.

If the employer gave a bad reference inferring that they went off sick because they could not handle the pressure, the OP could start proceedings regarding an incorrect reference, as this has not been proved. If the case is true that the manager has been sacked twice for harassing colleagues, then it makes it worse for the company. Hopefully the main boss will see that and give the plain, no-nonsense reference that the OP requires.

nexuss

MyRubyRed wrote: »

Some companies provide basic referencences only to include time employed and number of absences.

The first thing most companies ask previous employers of a person is why did they leave as they need to check things if they were lying or not.A lot will telephone a referee from a previous employer to speed up the process.
Also they will ask what their sickness record was like.

andygb

nexuss wrote: »

You can be assured your current employer will say in a reference that you went sick as you could not handle pressure at work.I think the reference will be even worse if you suddenly resign.

Is an employer allowed to say something like that in a reference? I am not doubting that they can give a pretty nondescript reference, but I think that would jeopardise someone working in the future.

Bunnie1982

I was also under the impression that an employer could give a bad reference, provided that the information given is factual. Am I right in thinking they could also refuse to give you a reference?

In my opinion refusal to give a reference at all speaks volumes.

OP have you kept a diary of the events that happened in the workplace that have had the resultant effect of stress? Have you raised the issues with your employer?

Again I could be wrong with this comment, I'm sure someone here would be able to confirm either way, but I'm sure your employer has a duty of care under the Health and Safety act with regards to stress, so if you proactively raised the issues with them, measures could be taken by both yourself and your employer to minimise stress.

andygb

Autumn,
How long have you been working, because although I would be sympathetic if you were being bullied at work, I have seen instances where young members of staff do not like doing "menial" tasks. If you have a manager, then they would be in that position because of their experience, the fact that they have been through the learning curve, and done the very things which they are asking you to do. Going back to younger members of staff, many consider some tasks below their ability, they want to progress far quicker than is possible, in short, they want to be a manager without serving their time.
You have to look at yourself, and ask yourself honestly - do you really like the job? Are you only doing it for the money? What is your position in the office, and do the set tasks take up all of your time, or if you have a contract, is there a little bit which says "Other duties as required"? How long have you worked for this employer, and has it always been like this?
Very often at work, you will have to do other things, and fit your own work around it, the trick is to recognise when someone is deliberately trying to overwork you, or if there is a personality clash.
Good luck anyway.
Andy.

Zazen999

andygb wrote: »

Autumn,
How long have you been working, because although I would be sympathetic if you were being bullied at work, I have seen instances where young members of staff do not like doing "menial" tasks. If you have a manager, then they would be in that position because of their experience, the fact that they have been through the learning curve, and done the very things which they are asking you to do. Going back to younger members of staff, many consider some tasks below their ability, they want to progress far quicker than is possible, in short, they want to be a manager without serving their time.
You have to look at yourself, and ask yourself honestly - do you really like the job? Are you only doing it for the money? What is your position in the office, and do the set tasks take up all of your time, or if you have a contract, is there a little bit which says "Other duties as required"? How long have you worked for this employer, and has it always been like this?
Very often at work, you will have to do other things, and fit your own work around it, the trick is to recognise when someone is deliberately trying to overwork you, or if there is a personality clash.
Good luck anyway.
Andy.

She already has another job, and I think this response is a tad patronising.

I can't see why people always bounce onto the side of bad management, blaming the employee for not being able to handle it. Perhaps they are or are aspiring to be bad managers themselves?

andygb

Zazen999 wrote: »

She already has another job, and I think this response is a tad patronising.

I can't see why people always bounce onto the side of bad management, blaming the employee for not being able to handle it. Perhaps they are or are aspiring to be bad managers themselves?

On the contrary, I do not mean to be patronising, because I have seen both sides of the coin. I have seen people bullied by managers for no good reason, but I have also seen people who want to "cherry pick" tasks in an office environment, rather than muck in with the other staff, and accept that the less than glamorous jobs have to be done as well.
I have managed staff, and been responsible for training, and it is extremely satisfying to see people on a learning curve, and to be responsible for a team which is happy and performs well.

Zazen999

andygb wrote: »

On the contrary, I do not mean to be patronising, because I have seen both sides of the coin. I have seen people bullied by managers for no good reason, but I have also seen people who want to "cherry pick" tasks in an office environment, rather than muck in with the other staff, and accept that the less than glamorous jobs have to be done as well.
I have managed staff, and been responsible for training, and it is extremely satisfying to see people on a learning curve, and to be responsible for a team which is happy and performs well.

Hmm.....

I found your comments about younger member of staff and their issues with menial tasks very patronising.......also it was quite obvious from the first post that the OP's boss was asking for non urgent tasks to override urgent and important ones...

Your comments about the OP looking at themselves, about there being a bit in the contract about 'other tasks', and especially

"Very often at work, you will have to do other things, and fit your own work around it," :rolleyes:

Sounds like you are talking to a teenager.

We shall just have to agree to differ on this topic I suspect.

Floss

nexuss wrote: »

You can be assured your current employer will say in a reference that you went sick as you could not handle pressure at work.I think the reference will be even worse if you suddenly resign.

Not necessarily - they are more likely to be wary of what they say as if it is not true legal action could be taken.

If a sick note says "Stress & anxiety" & does not say "work related" then they cannot state that it is because the person could not handle pressure at work. My sick notes said that when my mother was in the last few weeks of a terminal illness & after her death.