Leaving job due to stress- what can I claim?

love_lifer

Thanks sangie and densol. I will speak further with the union and check those links.

Funnily enough this afternoon i received an email from my manager with an OHU referral attached and request to meet with manager next week. I feel physically sick but it has to be done and I have no issue with this manager personally- she started after i went off sick.

Things will be clearer once I see OHU hopefully, whenever that is

sangie595

I think it is fair to ask the manager for an agenda for the meeting. It isn't right that they ask you to turn up without knowing what the meeting is about. It doesn't matter about whether you have a problem with the manager - none of this is personal on either side. But you need to look after yourself, and nobody else.

Prudent

Apologies for the brief reply, I need to go out. However I could not read and run as I have just been through a very similar situation. I also worked in a high stress, high responsibility job with vulnerable children. I had repeated relapses in my health since 2011, it also impacted on other staff and there was high sickness/ staff turnover.

I have just managed to get ill health retirement under my occupational pension scheme. I also have another long term disability and whilst it was taken into consideration the feedback from the pension scheme's medical assessor focused on the impact of the job. I got the lower rate which means I can go on to work in a different kind of job.

love_lifer

Thanks prudent. sorry to hear you have been so ill with it all, but not surprising. it's just grim. and no sign of improvements under current govt and certainly not in most LAs.

I'm meeting my manager next week- she has been in touch every week since she started, to my house once, a bit much but I'll go next week to see what she has to say. I think she's trying to show concern given the complete lack of anything until recently. GP next week too. Will request a bit of breathing space- without going into detail Im being hassled.

Aiming to speak with union but I really need the Occupational health appointment to get a feel of whats possible

sangie595

Your GP can advise that you are unfit for work contact at this time, if you ask for it. It is advice only, but it would be a daft employer who ignored such advice, and local authorities generally aren't daft. It's only a temporary stop gap - there is no way an employer could, or should, cease all contact for a prolonged period of time. But it may buy you a few weeks. They would need to be able to write to or email you for certain things anyway - so it wouldn't be absolute. But it's better than nothing.

love_lifer

just an update- and a big thanks to those whove taken time to comment and help me- i had an occupational helath interview and found it helpful. ive another 4 week sicknote, staying on same meds and seeing a therapist- which im paying for and started yesterday, was great. saw my manager a few weeks ago and that was fine, after all my fears.

feel like im making slow progress and feeling more hopeful than i was. no contact from work for a while, except some snide texts from co worker. the scales have fallen from my eyes about this person, which has put things in perspective.

the union have also been helpful- i can ask for support now- just felt too low and anxious until recently

so short term ok, no clear plan yet for longer term but I cant go back to my original workplace, its whether i am redeployed or I resign . no decisions yet

p00hsticks

love_lifer wrote: »

just an update- and a big thanks to those whove taken time to comment and help me- i had an occupational helath interview and found it helpful. ive another 4 week sicknote, staying on same meds and seeing a therapist- which im paying for and started yesterday, was great. saw my manager a few weeks ago and that was fine, after all my fears.

feel like im making slow progress and feeling more hopeful than i was. no contact from work for a while, except some snide texts from co worker. the scales have fallen from my eyes about this person, which has put things in perspective.

the union have also been helpful- i can ask for support now- just felt too low and anxious until recently

so short term ok, no clear plan yet for longer term but I cant go back to my original workplace, its whether i am redeployed or I resign . no decisions yet

Thanks for the update, and glad to hear that there has been some progress. Look after yourself

sangie595

love_lifer wrote: »

just an update- and a big thanks to those whove taken time to comment and help me- i had an occupational helath interview and found it helpful. ive another 4 week sicknote, staying on same meds and seeing a therapist- which im paying for and started yesterday, was great. saw my manager a few weeks ago and that was fine, after all my fears.

feel like im making slow progress and feeling more hopeful than i was. no contact from work for a while, except some snide texts from co worker. the scales have fallen from my eyes about this person, which has put things in perspective.

the union have also been helpful- i can ask for support now- just felt too low and anxious until recently

so short term ok, no clear plan yet for longer term but I cant go back to my original workplace, its whether i am redeployed or I resign . no decisions yet

And stay away from those decisions for a bit. Look at how things have changed in just a short time. There is still time to get more resolved. Things may look a whole lot different in a few more weeks.

Prudent

I would also agree with staying away from decisions for a while. Make sure the next step is what you need. I went through a long process and as well as get counselling (very helpful) the thing I found really helped was this book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Joy-Burnout-burning-unlocks-brighter/dp/0340821590/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473455305&sr=8-2&keywords=the+joy+of+burnout

love_lifer

thanks for all your kindness, it really does help. the kindness of strangers and friends has kept me afloat recently.

prudent Ive just ordered that book, looks like something that will be useful. im glad youve got through your process and yes counselling is great isnt it? there have been no positives at work for so long i do appreciate everything now. the occupational health person was positive about me taking all the right steps to recover and i was touched by it. still a bit delicate and thin skinned.

so no decisions yet. step back and keep getting stronger.

warm wishes to all of you