Job Despair, 86 yr old mum really sick, Sickness & Notice Period

wildthing46

Hi
I have been in a job I have hated more or less from the start. Been there 9 mths. There are only 2 other women on a floor of 70'sh men. both women have been there for long periods. They were immediately hostile towards me. I have tried very hard to get on with them. To no avail. They just totally blank me and just give me dirty looks.

The job:

The person who left the job I took, worked every night until 7pm and took work home and worked constantly on weekends also.

One of the above women took her job, and the pay, but talked the new manager, a man into passing on most of the work to the new person, me, when I joined. she wanted the post but not all the responsibility.

I became aware of this as all the written processes were for her role name not my role name. Nobody really wants to do the majority of the work I have been lumbered with. It is a lot of responsibility.

I have been working no end and this women just couldn't wait to get rid of all her responsibilities. I have not received adequate training and I have voiced my concerns to the manager. He and his immediate boss noticed the hrs I have been working. And voiced to me that it had been noticed that the other 2 women had been noticed talking for 2 hrs every morning and every afternoon.

My mum became critically ill 4 wks ago, and I have been realising I was stressed, anxious , depressed but became uncontrollably all 3, stressed, anxious & depressed last wk. I walked out of work one afternoon at 1430. I thought I would be able to handle it all. but no I couldn't any longer.

I had the wk before contacted a temping agency I have worked for and am well thought of there.

I called them on way home and told them how I felt. They are looking for work for me.

I went to doctor to get an anti depressant or sleeping tablet to help me. The doctor told me to take 2 wks off to start and signed me off not fit to work and gave me a prescription for depression. He advised me to look for work and look after my health and my mum and family.

If i find a temp role, I am supposed to be on 4 wks notice. My boss is aware I believe that I am not happy there.
Do you think I could negotiate a shortened notice period. I believe he is expecting it. I am on the sick for 'low mood' until the 31st Oct 2 wks sick in total.

These other women can do my job afterall, they have at least 4 hrs a day to not work and talk all the time and he knows that.

I can't and won't go back, it was making me ill. Now that I am off I can see, and the sleepless nights for months were awful.

My mum has been in hospital for nearly 4 wks now and still no sign of her coming out.

This job I knew was going to be a challenge and the money is a lot more and the level a lot higher.

I realise now that I don't want it, I don't want the long hrs, the challenge or the job. I want to go back to the level I am used to. I really dreaded every day in there, so much so I realise now I was having panic attacks in there in the end.

I do not have a bad relationship with my manager and I do not want to ruin that, I want to leave the company as amicably as possible and as soon as possible.

I may actually have a role to go to ..... I will know more on Monday or tuesday .....I want to make this transition as short and as amicable as possible. I think my boss knows my heart is not in the job. I don't want the long hrs and I don't want the pressure. Too much for me.

wildthing46

i just need clarification, payday was yesterday 20th, and my notice period is 4 wks. If I negotiate or try to negotiate an early resignation am I breaking my contract, and if I get offered a position to start say Tues or Wed and still on sick can I take it.

I am sick due to the job and its issues. I just need a less responsible job and I am going to accept a lot less pay. Which I can manage.

If the sick note lasts until 31st and I get a job and i give one wks; notice and tell my manager or really confirm what he probably realises will I break any laws. Do I have to go to doctors and get a fit for wk note as I have a new job.

I suppose i am worried what i say to my new employer..... if I get an offer.... I want to be truthful....

sangie595

You can ask your employer for a shorter notice period if you wish, but it is up to them whether they accept it. Everything else is irrelevant. Your notice period is what your contract says unless you negotiate a different one. Reasons, good bad or indifferent, have no relevance.

I would strongly recommend that you do not start another job whilst in your current one and signed off sick. Whilst it isn't impossible to do that, provided the job could be done alongside the current job if you were working (a second job), working elsewhere whilst also still working for this employer and also claiming sick pay will be fraught with difficulties that could cause you problems. The current employer will need to provide a reference. Don't give them any reason for that to be a bad one.

To make this work, you need to be talking to your manager about it- but equally please bear in mind that they are unlikely to be impressed by you spinning out sick leave for your convenience. If you are resigning, do it. If you intend to go back to work if you don't have another job, then best to not say anything. But sitting on the sick longer term, whilst waiting for a job to come along - that is likely to annoy them. Nobody wants to be the fall back position. And the longer your sick leave lasts, the more it will impact on your job seeking.

wildthing46

hi sangie

not on sick just cos looking for job..... he was expecting me to spin out due to state of me with mum as well....its a mixture of both.....but i realise now off due to mums illness as well I realise I do not want to go back. I would have been off anyway, should have gone off wks ago.... i plan to speak to him on mon or tues no matter what....i actually want to resign anyway.... regardless of job or not.

Its that bad. if mum comes out she will need more care, i can't be in a job like that and care for her. so i have to get a job that requires no overtime.

wildthing46

I also plan on getting a temp job within a wk or 2 so if I resign, risky I know, but at least they have 2 wks notice and they can move on , I can move on, whereas if i stay there i am kidding them and me. as I will leave anyway. can you see what I am trying to say. for both it is better to move on. and for me to get a less responsible job as I have to look after my parents after work as much as I can.

theoretica

We can't tell you what will definitely happen, they could hold you to your notice period, but you are not doing any good to the company at present when you are off sick so they may be happy to release you early if you ask.



Your manager may want to offer you part time or less challenging work within the company. I suggest you think about how you want to respond to such a potential offer before you talk to him.

wildthing46

I realise i am not doing them any good...I should have listened to my heart many months ago instead of trying to push on and manage the job. It's hard to admit your capabilities...that they are not what you thought you could do.

I think that is going to have to be what I tell him on Monday.

wildthing46

one main thing I forgot to tell you all, when I was being trained I was told twice by one member of staff and once by another. ...so 3 times in a space of 2 wks..... the following:

if you get anything wrong on these 3 files. bear in mind 'a certain high up manager' in charge of the main customer account, has said that she will sack anyone who does something wrong on this file, so you should be scared.

And the other colleague stated that that manager sacked someone in another part of the European company for doing something wrong. on the said files , there are 3 of them.

I made my manager aware of this and my concerns.

dawyldthing

Are you due any annual leave? As that could go towards your notice period too possibly

wildthing46

no only annual leave is for Nov and Dec which we have to use for Xmas.... leave period ends end of Dec.

Ja7188

If you resign on Monday, it sounds like there's a very good chance you'll be asked to leave straight away which will give you time to look for something else to start after your notice period ends - and in this scenario, you might be better off not asking for it be shortened as you'll have a few weeks to find a new role.

I'd also suggest that you see about finding a counsellor during any time you have off - it sounds like you really need to talk things through with someone.