Started a job I'm not fit enough to do. How to proceed?

fufu_banterwaite

I ran 52 miles on 13 July. I wasn’t sure I could do it, but I kept pushing myself to keep going and keep going and I did. The body is an amazing thing and capable of far more than we realised.

[Deleted User]

busy_mom wrote: »

If you do leave unless you have done a minimum of four weeks you face a sanction on your benefit for leaving a job.

This is really interesting to learn, thanks Busy Mom - something from the past makes sense now so thanks again :T

Tell me to do the housework now! LOL!

geminilady

OP If you have missed your signing day they will have stopped your claim and you will have to do a rapid reclaim.If you leave of your own accord you will be sanctioned.As others have said it could get a lot easier when the shop opens so I would at least give it until then.I was in a similar situation recently after being out of work for two years.I think they gave me the hardest job there,I was having to lift big bags of paper which in my last job was a mans job and really struggled but I was determined to stick with it Unfortunately they let me go at the end of my second week(long story).from what you have said your job will get easier so try and stick with it,also if you suffer from depression it really helps to be working less time to think of your problems and negative thoughts.

Opinion

totalfailiure wrote: »

There's no cleaning yet, it's carrying boxes, opening boxes, stacking shelves. Being on my feet for 10 hours isn't agreeing with me. I'm knackered after getting home and can't walk. I walk 40 mins to work as well as getting a train and the same back. I don't think I'm fit enough to keep doing these hours for another month like this and worry I might injure myself or faint or something.

I rang the boss today to day I'm aching all over but he wasn't happy.

Being on your feet for ten hours doesn't agree with you? Tough. Hard work doesn't agree with most people but we still have to get up in the morning and do it, day in, day out.

Knackered after getting home from work? Are you kidding? What did you expect?!? Work is work, it's not sunbathing in Spain.

I bet your boss wasn't happy, I sure wouldn't be. Doesn't exactly give the best impression. If I was out of work for nine months and had a poor working history I'd take any opportunity that I could get, grab it with both hands and do absolutely anything I could to provide myself with some stability.

This must be a joke. You want your manager to agree that your legs ache too much to carry boxes, so you can look for a more suitable job- something that you haven't managed to do in the previous three quarters of a year of trying?

geminilady

Eliza wrote: »

Completely agree with all the above. It'll be a really good challenge. I'm in my 60s and started work in a large shop (not sitting at a supermarket till!) but lots of lifting and carrying stock, running round finding items for customers, taking heavy bags to their cars, certainly no sitting down! I started wearing a stepometer and couldn't believe the number of steps I walked each day. The first month of full days was hell, I would get home nearly crying with exhaustion and my legs, feet and back ached like nothing on earth. However, after a month or so, my body has adapted as others have said, and I can now do a full day and think about going out in the evening afterwards. I've also offered to do cleaning there after work 3 evenings a week, I know can do it, after all, this sort of stuff is what our bodies are for, - movement, work etc.

Can't believe I was such a wuss in those early days, my legs and back are getting stronger every day!

Stick with it - just think of that payday!!

Your post has given me food for thought.I am 57 and after my last job was thinking I was not fit enough for cleaning anymore.It is great to know your body adapted after a month but re the lifting,I have found lately I cannot seem to lift things like I used to and struggled to get bin bags into a skip,would the ability improve do you think ? as I would need to do it in the cleaning jobs I am looking for.

totalfailiure

I am a total failure because I can't even do the simplest of jobs properly. I'm obviously not right for that place or most places. I'm very incompetent.

There's people there fresh out of uni and they're a million miles ahead of me with everything so that just makes it all worse. I hate them all.

It's going to be 70 hours next week without a day off. I didn't want this many hours. I would have been fine with 30 or even 16.

What can I do? Can they make me work for as many hours as they want? What if they said work 100 hours? What are my rights since I only signed for 16 and the contract says a typical working week will consist of 20 hours per week?

If I was told to leave because I wasn't suitable or incompetent, what will the jobcentre say?

agrinnall

Opinion wrote: »

Being on your feet for ten hours doesn't agree with you? Tough. Hard work doesn't agree with most people but we still have to get up in the morning and do it, day in, day out.

Knackered after getting home from work? Are you kidding? What did you expect?!? Work is work, it's not sunbathing in Spain.

I bet your boss wasn't happy, I sure wouldn't be. Doesn't exactly give the best impression. If I was out of work for nine months and had a poor working history I'd take any opportunity that I could get, grab it with both hands and do absolutely anything I could to provide myself with some stability.

This must be a joke. You want your manager to agree that your legs ache too much to carry boxes, so you can look for a more suitable job- something that you haven't managed to do in the previous three quarters of a year of trying?

You're a bit of a !!!!!! really aren't you? You don't have the slightest clue of the OP's physical condition, or indeed their ability to do this or other jobs. Your post is not of the slightest help, if you want to abuse other people looking for assistance can I suggest you find another bridge to hang out under?

totalfailiure

Ah, that's ok agrinnall. I just ignored that one.

I only have one friend, my ex and even she turned against me when I said I was finding it too hard. She said "I hated my job and went home every night and cried" and also that I should grow some balls, man up, other stuff.

agrinnall

totalfailiure wrote: »

I am a total failure because I can't even do the simplest of jobs properly. I'm obviously not right for that place or most places. I'm very incompetent.

There's people there fresh out of uni and they're a million miles ahead of me with everything so that just makes it all worse. I hate them all.

It's going to be 70 hours next week without a day off. I didn't want this many hours. I would have been fine with 30 or even 16.

What can I do? Can they make me work for as many hours as they want? What if they said work 100 hours? What are my rights since I only signed for 16 and the contract says a typical working week will consist of 20 hours per week?

If I was told to leave because I wasn't suitable or incompetent, what will the jobcentre say?

If you haven't signed anything to opt out of the working time directive then the maximum number of hours you can work in a week is 48, however, this is averaged over 17 weeks.

https://www.gov.uk/maximum-weekly-working-hours/calculating-your-working-hours

I would say that if your contracted hours are 16 then if you refuse to do more than that (or more than what you consider a reasonable number of hours above that) and you are then dismissed then it should be seen by the jobcentre as a breach of contract by the employer rather than anything you have done to become unemployed again - but with the way things are in the DWP these days that might well not be what really happens.

totalfailiure

agrinnall wrote: »

If you haven't signed anything to opt out of the working time directive then the maximum number of hours you can work in a week is 48, however, this is averaged over 17 weeks.

I would say that if your contracted hours are 16 then if you refuse to do more than that (or more than what you consider a reasonable number of hours above that) and you are then dismissed then it should be seen by the jobcentre as a breach of contract by the employer rather than anything you have done to become unemployed again - but with the way things are in the DWP these days that might well not be what really happens.

Hmmm, yeah the jobcentre seem to change its mind depending on who is your advisor or decision maker. Thanks for the info. The problem is that I have a copy of my contract and it doesn't mention the working time directive and I'm so stupid that I could have signed something like that without knowing and wasn't given copies of these other sheets of paper. I remember one was for a uniform but can't remember the others..

I could ask the next time I go in about it... But can imagine their faces strangely wondering why I'm asking.