Stress at Work - What to do??

Thmas_Covenant

I am in a pretty senior job and my workload recently has increased dramatically, due partly to other staff being off and partly due to a new boss who has loads of new ideas and strategies.
I have told my boss that my workload is too much and that I have been getting signs of stress, and he has agreed it's too much but there's not much that can be done in the short term. Meanwhile work keeps piling on and I get the odd throwaway comments about things like not answering emails.
I don't want to complain anymore about workload as I fear for my job, but can't be doing with the stress and accompanying illness. the doc has offered me antidepressants, but I am keen not to do that.
I have had no time off yet and don't want to, as my work will just pile up and it will be a black mark against me and I don't think will help, but I can't go on like this anymore.
I need to just switch off from work and try to be objective about things, but I can;t while I am still constantly feeling under pressure at work.
I am tempted to take the doc up on the offer of A/Ds and take some time off with stress, which will make them take note and protect me to some extent, but I know long-term it won't help.
I guess added to this is the state of the job market and fear of being in a market with what appears to be a total lack of jobs, and having a family and kids compounds that fear.
Any advice to a normally strong and capable person?
T

SarEl

I'd be careful. If you need time off sick and are sick then that is what you must do. But it won't make them sit up and realise anything other than your sickness absence is becoming dodgy! The answer is in your own post. You won't take time off because work will just pile up etc.... Holidays are there for a reason. Take one. You need time off to breath and think through your position and how you are going to handle the problems.

Cheeky_Monkey

Thmas_Covenant wrote: »

I am tempted to take the doc up on the offer of A/Ds and take some time off with stress, which will make them take note and protect me to some extent

I wouldn't bet on it. I don't mean to be negative but you need to be careful as they may just decide to go down the capability route if you stay off with stress for too long.

Thmas_Covenant

Thanks for the replies.
I don't have much time to take off and things will pile up then anyway.
As far as I know stress causing depression is covered by DDA, so they must treat me fairly if I have a protected disability. I don't see it as a capability issue if the workload is simply too much and this has been accepted.

Emmzi

some kind of stress and depression are covered by DDA but probably not reactive depression, more usually clinical.

Best answer is to find a new job, if boss is full of lip service.

Thmas_Covenant

Emmzi wrote: »

Best answer is to find a new job, if boss is full of lip service.

Yep probably, wish me luck!!

Annisele

Thmas_Covenant wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.
I don't have much time to take off and things will pile up then anyway.
As far as I know stress causing depression is covered by DDA, so they must treat me fairly if I have a protected disability. I don't see it as a capability issue if the workload is simply too much and this has been accepted.

I'm not a lawyer, but I'd echo other posters' suggestions to be very careful.

Whether you see this as a capability issue may ultimately not be relevant. Plus, "treating you fairly" doesn't always mean letting you keep your job. There are a bundle of procedures to go through, but employers are allowed to fire people - even disabled people - if they can't do their jobs.

Could your new boss be persuaded that it isn't a good idea to introduce "new ideas and strategies" whilst "other staff...[are] off"?

I don't know your situation, but sometimes complaining about your workload does help. Sometimes going even further and refusing to do part of it can help - but that strategy can also get you fired.

SarEl

Thmas_Covenant wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.
I don't have much time to take off and things will pile up then anyway.
As far as I know stress causing depression is covered by DDA, so they must treat me fairly if I have a protected disability. I don't see it as a capability issue if the workload is simply too much and this has been accepted.

Well no it isn't covered by the DDA because the DDA does not exist any more and hasn't for a year - it is the Equality Act 2010. And it still isn't covered. You do not get stress today and suddenly become disabled. It must be long lasting - have existed for a year or more or likley to last for a year or more having already existed for some months. It must be severe and have a serious impact on your ability to carry out normal day to day tasks.

So they will be clear to sack you long before you have a protected disability - if you ever do.

Your tale is getting convoluted however. You haven't been able to take any time off but you don't have much time to take off - which suggest that you have taken your holidays. Because both statements cannot be true. You either don't have time to take time off and therefore have leave accruied - or you don't have leave accrued because you have taken time off.

And you certainly aren't a lawyer, I agree, but you have thought you knew enough to use a repealed law to hold your employer over a barrel by claiming a protected status you don't have and won't have (if you ever do) for a long time yet.

Methinks I am smelling an odour and it isn't perfume.

Wellery82

It is really easy to say when you aren't in the situation, and also easy to try and find reasons why it is impossible to do, but maybe look at how you can change the way you are working?

I sympathise with you anyway and hope you are able to cope with it. I agree with others to be careful on the stress, but ultimately if you are ill you are ill i guess.

Anyway a few ideas from me.

• What tasks can you ignore/delegate to others?
• When your manager asks you to do something ask where the priorities are, and make clear that you will have to deprioritise something else - start getting their expectations managed.
• Make a pact with yourself, you simply won't work over your hours (or over an amount you set) and get used to the fact that some things remain undone.
• Be confident in yourself that when you are challenged on not doing something you have prioritised the right things over it.
• Set aside time every week, which you don't deviate from, to pick up some of the nitty gritty e-mails etc
• Set time in your calender to do certain tasks each week and don't let others drag you away from these times unless you absolutely have to
• When you feel the stress building take a walk around the office, try and have a laugh and a joke with someone etc, remind yourself it is only work, and the only stress is the expectation you are putting on yourself. They won't sack you - they are underresourced anyway by the sounds of it so will be really grateful for you

Sambucus_Nigra

It sounds to me like you need to sit with your boss and decide on your priorities; using the 7 habits method; there will be important and urgent things, not urgent but important, not important but urgent and neither urgent nor important; if you can agree that you will do the first 2 and leave the second 2 until they either become irrelevant or forgotten about - it should help you to clear the backlog. It is much better to deal with this head on and sort it, than to even think of going off sick.

Perhaps you can suggest that one of his new ideas and strategies is to drop half your workload for a start, and concentrate on some stuff and leave other stuff behind.

Thmas_Covenant

SarEl, don't really appreciate the tone of your reply.
If it makes you feel superior lauding your knowledge if equality law over the likes of me, then bully for you.
Because I have taken my leave during the year I have done something wrong have I? Not looking to hold anyone over a barrel, looking for some advice. I am committed to my work, have been there 7 years and had a total of 5 days off sick in that time. The smell is of someone suffering from stress, a first in 25 years of an unblemished career, who doesn;t know what to do and thought a forum like this might offer some help - your comments hurt more than help, was that your intent?