More work advice needed...

gwen80

Please help. I'm really struggling with work at the moment. I was off last year for 6 months with anxiety and depression. I went back to work in September, a colleague indecently exposed himself to me in December, I had an awful time with the investigation, but it was eventually resolved after the colleague resigned.

We've recently gone through a complete reorganisation and I have a new manager who is aware of the above. I have a new team of 6 people. The resource of the team seems to have been guessed and the managers have admitted this and they may not have got it right. Currently one of my team members is working at another site 3 days a week and is therefore unavailable to help us very much. He is now doing some work on the 2 days he is at our site, although this is a recent development. Another member of my team is very junior and makes a lot of mistakes. It is taking a lot of training to get him to a level where he can be left to do the work unsupervised. Another member of the team is mainly doing work relating to his old role and therefore isn't contributing very much at all to our current workload.

Some of our automated processes aren't working, so this is having to be done manually until the issue is resolved. It's holiday season and people are using their holidays. I've spoken to my boss about how I'm only just coping and have at times been really struggling at times. There was an afternoon where I was so upset and inconsolable that I had to go to Occupational Health. I don't feel that I can use my holidays...I had Monday booked off, but I've had to cancel it. He keeps making (unfunny) 'jokes' about me not being able to take holidays in August, even though other members of my team have holidays booked off then and I have to use these holidays by the end of August.

Now, knowing all of the above, on Tuesday my boss has given us even more work. Then today, he's told one of my (useful) colleagues that he has to train somebody else on something unrelated to our team for the next three weeks. We were struggling with our exisiting workload and now there's more to do and even less resource. I've tried to speak to him previously and he only seems to hear what he wants to hear.

I'm crying on and off all day at my desk (:o), I can barely look my manager in the face I'm so angry with him, I can't concentrate or sleep and if I didn't have a mortgage to pay I'd have walked out. I can't be off sick again as dismissal was mentioned when I was off last year. What do I do?

Please help

Gwenx

PS. I've made an appointment with my work counselling service - they don't have any appointments for a fortnight. I've emailed my old manager who's been supportive to me - she's on holiday for a fortnight. I've asked to see the Occupational Health nurse I used to see and she's not back in until Monday.

prosaver

start recording everything that has gone on..go back on the sick because of anxiety and depression. tell the doc a colleague indecently exposed himself to me in December, I had an awful time with the investigation,
enjoy the summer and get some legal advice ....they cant sack you..after the colleague indecently exposed himself ...

gwen80

I don't want to be off sick again. I've worked really, really hard to get myself better again, to deal with things that have happened. I want to be able to go to work, do my job without unreasonable demands and expectations and excessive pressure. I want to be able to do my job, do it well and protect my health and be able to move on to somewhere (hopefully where they value their employees) with a good reference.

whitewing

Hi gwen, I remember you from your old thread. I'm glad the chap has resigned and is no longer in your day to day life.

I have no advice to you on your current problems, you seem to be accessing all the help you can get. Maybe for the time being, just managing to get through each half hour at a time will help keep you sane.

I am on antidepressants, and they are helping a great deal with the unstoppable thoughts. If you think you may have heightened sensitivity, they may be able to help. Mine give me a good night's sleep but don't zombify me. I know a lot of people are against ad's - I was because my family were - but I wish I had gone on them sooner.

My friend swears by Rescue remedy. It helped her grieve after her husband died. I have used it too, and can recommend it - I used the drops and also the hand cream. I don't care if it works scientifically or as a placebo - it just made me feel better.

prosaver

its a tricky one. maybe your bosses atitude would change if he knows that if you treat you like crap, Ill go on the sick... hes not stupid there just testing you and see if they can break you...
tell the doc that your crying at the desk... and talk to more people about it ..rembember lifes to short and there are people who really care about you.
sorry gotta go and good luckk#..

whitewing

I think maybe for now, talking and talking and talking it thro could help so maybe try calling The Samaritans. They may not offer you advice, but things may become clearer in your mind. Perhaps you can temporarily off load each night when you get home, so you can relax in the evening.

gwen80

What are capability procedures?

gwen80

I was more than capable when I took the job. We have to do more and more and more, the bar gets raised not even every year, more like every quarter.

gwen80

In fact as part of the reorganisation, my job description was dumbed down. I'm more than capable of doing my 'job description', but the job I do does not resemble it. I should be a band higher if they're looking at job descriptions.

gwen80

I'm drafting an email to my boss highlighting the resource issues we currently have....i.e. Mr X works at a different site, Mr Y is doing work for a different dept, Mr Z is being trained and currently unable to work independently and now Mr A will be training another team for the next three weeks.

Also reminding him of my previous ill health, explaining that I feel unable to take my holiday and I'm fearing a relapse. Also pointing out that I've made a counsellor apt and have tried to get an apt with Occupational Health and saying that I'm doing all I can to protect my health and I hope he'll support me in this. Does this seem reasonable?

Savvy_Sue

Seems more than reasonable to me. Are you in a union? I remember your last thread but not that detail.

I'd copy that email to someone else as well: his manager, HR, not sure who's best. State that you have tried to speak to him but that you do not feel he has understood your concerns.

As for the holidays, if August's the end of your holiday year they've got a problem!