Depression affecting my work

Raksha

Back in March, after several months of symptoms (tearfulness, paranoia, short temper, confusion etc.) I went to my Dr who diagnosed a return of my clinical depression (I had a previous bout in Spring last year, about 6 months into this job, and a further one the previous Spring in a previous job). I've been employed here since August 2008.

I struggled to continue to work, as we are a small company and I am the only administrator - I deal with all accounting & banking, all post sales queries, credit control, general admin as well as PA type tasks (errand running etc.), when I started it was just me and the boss, then a third member of staff was brought in to expand one side of the business - this meant an increase in my work load, but my 6 hours a day was not extended. I started working 09.30 - 16.00 (30 min break for lunch) as it suited the work pattern of the company better, even though my contract was never changed from 09.00 - 15.30 with 30 mins for lunch.

After my diagnosis this time, I asked for some modifications to be made at work - more support/ allowances be made to enable me to continue to work. I requested that allowances be made for it taking longer to do things correctly, more training on Accounts practises (I'd been asking for training/support on this side of things for the past year, since last years episode of depression but it hadn't been forthcoming), help with prioritisation as I have to deal with requests from both the company Director and a Manager so need to know which tasks take priority. I was being excluded from decision making - this was to be solved by having weekly team meetings. None of this has been happening.

Last Tuesday (11th) I had a meeting with my boss (the company director) where I was able to tell him I was feeling better, but how I am feeling still fluctuates, and I would keep him informed when things are particularly bad. He admitted that he hasn't been helping me with prioritisation as much as he should have, and asked me to send him a daily list of 'to Do' things which he would asses first thing and advise me of the priority of each item. My first list to him had 22 items, my second one more still..... He didn't respond to either in a timely manner, indeed I only got a response to Friday's list in my emails when I got in on Monday morning, and when I started to act on that list of priorities I was told I was wrong, that had been Friday's list. He also told me that he had been made aware of some errors in my work (one of my jobs is to raise booking forms on request - this used to be done by the Director and Manager depending on who made the sale) and I'd sent one back to the Manager with an incorrect date in .pdf format as per his instructions, even though I had suggested that saving both a .doc and a .pdf format file would make any necessary changes easier) - I explained that I'm under a lot of pressure, especially towards the end of my working day, as for personal reasons I have had to leave on time recently to collect my son from school - the request for this invoice and booking form had come in 10 mins before I was due to leave for the day. Both members of staff are aware of my need to leave on time and are reminded during the day. He did acknowledge that the error rate on the invoices I am asked to raise was now zero, and agreed to minute that fact, but when I received a copy of those minutes, it was missing. I was also noted that he no longer has any issues with my timekeeping.

On Monday I was handed a letter as I left work, telling me the company was 'considering instituting a performance review action against you' . It then listed areas where the company considers I am failing to perform to the required standards - prioritisation of workload, errors (it details some of these errors, one of which wasn't actually my error as I was only following normal procedure for paying bills, the supplier had supplied us with the wrong account details when setting up his account). Not doing things I had been told weren't a priority. Not producing reports which I had been told were a lower priority than another task, when I hadn't had time to complete the higher priority task.

This meeting will be Chaired by the Director and minutes taken by the Company Sec (his wife). I am advised I am allowed to take either a) a work colleague (choice of one as we are a small company, and he would be the last person I would want supporting me) or b) a Union official (I am not a member of a Union)

Needless to say, this has totally pulled the rug from under my feet. I saw the Dr on Tuesday morning and he's signed me off for 2 weeks. My boss has been advised that I won't be available for the planned meeting, and in the mean time all communication is to be directed through my partner who is acting as my 'gatekeeper'.

I anyone chooses to read my past threads on this subject, they will appear to be what they are - the rantings of a mad woman....... I really do love my job, I am perfectly capable of doing it, as my 12 1/2% wage rise after my probationary period shows. The only thing that's stopping me from doing it is this illness and I don't believe my employer is supporting me in any way.

Does anyone have any advice (if you've made it this far, give yourself a pat on the back!)

Hammyman

My bosses wife had a job pretty much like yours for a local small estate agency. Baically everything was put on her shoulders. After several years of trying to get things sorted, she eventually decided that nothing was ever going to improve and left the company, setting up on her own doing books for self employed and small businesses.

She said it was like the weight of the world was lifted off her shoulders and everyone has noticed how much happier she is.

At the end of the day, its a job - a means to an end. If its affecting you to the point you are suffering depression then you need to seriously look at whether the price you're paying for staying is worth it.

Zazen999

It's a performance review action; not a disciplinary.

Prepare a plan to address all the issues that have been brought up, with a way of monitoring your own work, reporting back to the bosses and colleagues, and suggest prioritisation procedure based on the 7 habits time management technique [google it].

Take control of your work back, and admit that you may have done some incorrect things, but be keen to improve your working processes in order to manage your workload better.

jasper27

Hi Raksha

I am in a similar situation to you. I have recently returned to a full time job ( March ) after having 6months off for stress/depression, this was the 2nd time in about 18months.
My line manager is 30..i am in my late 40's and i feel i am being patronised. I have been doing ok, tho not been given many of my previous jobs, these are now being done by an apprentice! Last week I was given a task to do..and told yesterday that i hadn't carried out the task as asked.. although I KNOW in my mind I had!! I have evidence to show what ive done, but 'apparently' that was not what was asked of me!!

This set me back quite a bit as i started doubting my own sanity and found myself tearful.. but tried to hide it as I have already been threatend with dismissal.. on the grounds of not being able to carry out my work duties..or something similar. I AM in a union, and they have said thats right.

Sorry I know I'm not offering much help and advice, but I just wanted you to know that you're not alone. I hope you soon feel better..and able to take them on and prove that you ARE GOOD AT YOU JOB!!

Take care
(Hugs)) x

Uncertain

First you need to discuss with your doctor if he considers your illness to be a disability (in the legal / employment sense of the word). If he does then you need to advise your employer of this as it gives you some legal protection under the DDA. They would be obliged to consider making "reasonable adjustments" to help you. What constitutes reasonable is of course another matter and, being a very small firm, not as much would be expected as if you were employed by a huge organisation.

From your own point of view you need to consider what you would like to happen and what is realistically achievable within your current setup. At the end of the day you are working for a husband and wife and if there is any degree of falling out this will become very difficult regardless of the legal position.

Presumably in such a small business your sick pay entitlement is limited?

What do you see happening at the end of your current two weeks sick? Are you likely to be better and able to face the situation or do you expect your doctor to put you off for longer?

If you are likely to be better soon then it is probably worth responding positively but firmly to their concerns and try to sense how the land lies. If appropriate make them aware of your DDA rights.

Failing this there are two choices.

Sit it out on long(ish) term sick leave until the firm try to "manage" your departure.

Leave, get yourself better and find something else.

Not easy I'm afraid......

teabelly

It's the classic two bosses problem. Ask them for only one of them to assign tasks and set priorities and all other requests would have to be passed through one of them. Or they need to come up with a prioritization method which they both agree on which you can apply to all jobs. Also when doing a particular job means others won't be done it often causes problems for bosses. It takes a while for them to understand with only so much time you can only do so many things so if one job takes 6 hours but you have 5 others, less important that could be done in those 6 hours which would they prefer?

Make sure they know when you need a list of priorities for. Eg last thing send them off the list and you expect it to be prioritised by the following day or otherwise you'll do them in due date order.

Just tell them in the review that you have asked for reasonable help and been refused. You asked for priorities to be set, they failed so you had to do them in the order of whatever you decided. If they had done what they said they would then you wouldn't be in this situation now. Asking for adequate training and competent management isn't really asking for a lot....

Keep records of everything. Especially highlight where one of them says do one thing and other says do something else as it is virtually impossible to work effectively in those situations.

Weirdlittleman

I am afraid I dont see what you expect here. They appear to have tried to help you but unfortunately it would appear you are either overworked or not capable of doing the job.

Neither has a good ending. If its the former then you put up with it until you can convince them to recruit or leave, If its the latter they appear to be starting the motions towards a discliplinary and dismissal. Even if you do get it declared a disability you are only allowed reasonable adjustments and I doubt much over what they already were doing would be offered.

Its the nature of your job you will be lumped with everything and if you cant cope with that you are not really able to do the job.

Going off sick within hours of being handed a letter about it isnt going to do yourself any favours either.

Raksha

Weirdlittleman wrote: »

I am afraid I dont see what you expect here. They appear to have tried to help you but unfortunately it would appear you are either overworked or not capable of doing the job.

I don't see how you come to the conclusion that they have tried to help. They have said they will try to help, but that hasn't been forthcoming - I've not been allowed extra time to complete tasks correctly, I've not been given the training on the accounts package that I had asked for over a period of a year, and I haven't been given the help I asked for with prioritisation.

Judge a man by his actions, not his words - there's a lot of 'what can we do to help' but no action....

Most frustratingly, a 4th member of staff is being recruited to help the second manager, which I am told will also mean more (not less) work for me!

Weirdlittleman

Raksha wrote: »

I don't see how you come to the conclusion that they have tried to help. They have said they will try to help, but that hasn't been forthcoming - I've not been allowed extra time to complete tasks correctly, I've not been given the training on the accounts package that I had asked for over a period of a year, and I haven't been given the help I asked for with prioritisation.

Judge a man by his actions, not his words - there's a lot of 'what can we do to help' but no action....

Most frustratingly, a 4th member of staff is being recruited to help the second manager, which I am told will also mean more (not less) work for me!

They shouldnt have too do any of this though if you were doing the job already.

If they do have too then they have to decide whether its reasonable to spend money and time away from other resources in response to your condition.

I'm afraid due to the environment my response would be no as if you cant work under pressure your not suited to being a sole administrator/PA/Office manager combined.

Uncertain

Weirdlittleman wrote: »

They shouldnt have too do any of this though if you were doing the job already.

If they do have too then they have to decide whether its reasonable to spend money and time away from other resources in response to your condition.

I'm afraid due to the environment my response would be no as if you cant work under pressure your not suited to being a sole administrator/PA/Office manager combined.

The other side to this is that working for a one man band / tiny business can be very difficult.

A typical scenario is that somebody who is very good or enthusiastic about a particular thing sets up a business.

It is successful so they start to take on staff.

They may well have no experience at all of staff management, training etc.

The are totally wrapped up in their little business and tend to forget that all they can expect from staff is a fair days work for a fair days pay.

Nothing staff do is good enough in the eyes of the boss. It's his business, he knows all about it and nobody does anything quite the way he would.

Staff want to do irritating normal things like take their paid holiday, go sick from time to time etc. All seems very ungrateful when all the boss can think about is all the hours he put in getting this far.

Too often it ends in tears a few times before these very different animals find a way of living in the same cage.

Sad, but true.

Raksha

Update - it's pay day on the 24th (to cover the period from 1st May - 31st May) - I've been informed of the amount I will be paid this month, which appears to have an amount deducted of approximately 1 weeks pay. Our Sick pay allowance is 5 days per year, of which I've taken one so far (1st Jan - 31st Dec) so that's pretty much as I'd expected.

Now - we have 28 days holiday a year, including 6 days BH although my contract doesn't say that, it's taken as read that we don't work BH. Am I right in saying that if I have only been paid SSP for the 31st May, then I am due another days holiday later in the year?