Work Stress

Pollycat

lulu_92 wrote: »

I don't know what she does, to be honest. I've been told they've been giving her tasks, but they aren't taking any of my workload to give to her - the attitude is basically "what's the point if she's going on leave before you?" which sounds bad, I know, but it's not really the fairest solution. My manager is going to take some work off me if I need it, and she has said some things don't need to be done so urgently (but they still need to be done, might as well do it at the same rate I'm doing it now)

It feels better today but only because I know for a fact now that it won't get better so I can resign myself to it.

Re the work you mention here:

lulu_92 wrote: »

I'm coming in every day (I've only had half a day off for sickness and booked the time off for my scans and appointments) and my work load is getting to me.

Are you paid for all this extra work?

If you aren't, I'd start working the hours you're paid for.

If you are paid for it, I'd question whether you really need the money.
If you don't need it, cut back on your hours.

You sound incredibly stressed and down and that's not good for your babies.

lulu_92

Pollycat wrote: »

Re the work you mention here:

Are you paid for all this extra work?

If you aren't, I'd start working the hours you're paid for.

If you are paid for it, I'd question whether you really need the money.
If you don't need it, cut back on your hours.

You sound incredibly stressed and down and that's not good for your babies.

I don't have to work any extra hours outside of my contract so I always make sure I get out of the office on time. Luckily everyone in my team does this so it is not an issue.

I am incredibly stressed, I'm so glad I don't have work tomorrow.

hieveryone

lulu_92 wrote: »

I don't have to work any extra hours outside of my contract so I always make sure I get out of the office on time. Luckily everyone in my team does this so it is not an issue.

I am incredibly stressed, I'm so glad I don't have work tomorrow.

Please consider going on sick leave, even just for a week or two to try and calm yourself down.

I was stressed at work and no one was listening to me - I then did the stupid thing of Googling effects of stress - which stressed me out about being stressed - so something had to give. I had to just take a step back and think about ME and BABY, and stuff what everyone else thought. Once I was in that frame of mind I felt SO SO much better.

pickledonionspaceraider

OP, you heard this quote before?

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got''

lulu_92

Today has been so lovely, to just sit on the sofa and do nothing after my appointments this morning.

I have a four day weekend coming up which I can't wait for. I'm just going to be more considerate of my own needs and go home when I need to

barbiedoll

Oh goodness, I think that this is a tale with which many people can sympathise.

The poster who mentioned the stress of having nothing to do all day...when I started my job, I was only the second person to take on the role, the one before me hadn't done much at all by all accounts. So no-one really knew what to do with me, it drove me mad, I need to be busy at work. It was a bit of a battle at first but I actively searched for things to do, now (8 years later), they can't do without me and I'm held up as the shining example for others in my post, to follow (with the downside being that I have to train them up, which I hate!)

I had a colleague, who had managed to keep her position for almost 10 years, without actually doing a stroke of work. She would do the odd office task (filing, copying etc) when asked but she would never actually offer to do anything. Coupled with late starts, early finishes and long lunch breaks, she was able to convince everyone that she actually had a job. It was only when I came along and started to actually do stuff, that everyone questioned what she was doing with her time. It's quite possible that OP's colleague is perfectly happy to sit and do absolutely nothing all day and to quite enjoy doing so.

OP, when people put tasks on your desk, simply say "Sorry, too busy, give it to XXX." Then when your colleague sits staring blankly at it, shout across to, or phone/email your manager, saying "You need to come and supervise XXX, she is doing YYY and she needs some help, I can't do it, I'm busy". And leave it at that.

Stop taking on everything, stop making excuses for your colleague. Even if she is pregnant, there's no reason why she can't do some work, after all, you are!

Hope you enjoy your weekend off!

lulu_92

barbiedoll wrote: »

Oh goodness, I think that this is a tale with which many people can sympathise.

The poster who mentioned the stress of having nothing to do all day...when I started my job, I was only the second person to take on the role, the one before me hadn't done much at all by all accounts. So no-one really knew what to do with me, it drove me mad, I need to be busy at work. It was a bit of a battle at first but I actively searched for things to do, now (8 years later), they can't do without me and I'm held up as the shining example for others in my post, to follow (with the downside being that I have to train them up, which I hate!)

I had a colleague, who had managed to keep her position for almost 10 years, without actually doing a stroke of work. She would do the odd office task (filing, copying etc) when asked but she would never actually offer to do anything. Coupled with late starts, early finishes and long lunch breaks, she was able to convince everyone that she actually had a job. It was only when I came along and started to actually do stuff, that everyone questioned what she was doing with her time. It's quite possible that OP's colleague is perfectly happy to sit and do absolutely nothing all day and to quite enjoy doing so.

OP, when people put tasks on your desk, simply say "Sorry, too busy, give it to XXX." Then when your colleague sits staring blankly at it, shout across to, or phone/email your manager, saying "You need to come and supervise XXX, she is doing YYY and she needs some help, I can't do it, I'm busy". And leave it at that.

Stop taking on everything, stop making excuses for your colleague. Even if she is pregnant, there's no reason why she can't do some work, after all, you are!

Hope you enjoy your weekend off!

I could have written your post about the person who left earlier this year. It wasn't until I started that they realised he did nothing.

I've been told "she's been given tasks" but I don't know what they are and they obviously don't have any bearing on business as it doesn't affect the things I do. My manager actually showed her how to do one of my tasks earlier and the girl said she enjoyed it, so I said to her she can have that task from now on :j

It does strangely feel better. Obviously I think it's a very stupid approach from my work not to bother showing her anything, especially as we will have two people to train up come January. I'm going to try and not worry about any of it though and instead try to enjoy my pregnancy as much as I can (especially as I'm consultant led, which means lots of long appointments that I can't come into work for!)