Work Related Stress - What are my options?

Itsjustsammy19

Good evening, I want to keep this brief and to the point so here goes.
I have been in my job for 7 months and 5 months ago my colleague, with whom I shared a workload with, left. Since then we have had a temporary person in to help, although she ended up making a tonne of mistakes which I had to rectify. On one particular day I worked for 16 hours straight. Following on from that was a month of me being alone doing 2 people's full time jobs and now we have a replacement but she isn't fully qualified for the role so I am having to train her, check her work, manage her workload as well as doing all my own. For the past 5 months the pressure and workload has been intense, I have been working late most nights, working at home and often working through breaks. Not because I'm not organised but because of the huge volume of work that keeps increasing as the months go by. The business has grown 50% in the last year but the same number of people trying to do the work.
It has got to me so much that not only is it having a bad affect on my health (I am getting severe headaches often now when I rarely used to have them, and also my blood pressure rises, my heart is constantly in overdrive and my chest feels tight and I feel I'm being suffocated) but it's also having a huge impact on my personal life because of the intensity and pressure of the job.
I have been raising my issues and concerns for months but no-one seems to take me seriously.
I am on 2 months notice which is quite a long time when I am really struggling to get through every day, even if I did find a job straight away. My only other alternative is to get signed off from the doctors which is not something I wanted to do but feel I have no choice.
Any advice or opinions welcome. Thank you for reading

74jax

Just work your hours. What doesn't get done in that time rolls over. Why would management employ more or see an issue when you're working 16hr days or from home. Just don't. Yes work will mount up, so ask what they want doing first. Make them see the issue.

If you go on the sick or leave it won't get done, so it's no different.

Itsjustsammy19

Unfortunately there is a clause in everyone's contracts to say we have to be flexible to meet the business needs, so therefore I am expected to work extra and I am in breach of contract if I don't

username901

Work smarter, not longer. As above if you work 16 hours management will either think you're incompetent and not able to do work quickly enough, or there's enough staff to cover work. At the moment the only entity benefitting is the company, and they probably don't even realise.

When clients start moaning or pulling contracts then management might get you the help you need

Itsjustsammy19

I am a super organised person, I work as efficiently and as quick as I can.
If I don't work the extra hours then I will get more pressure as deadlines won't be hit and I'll be getting p'd off customers on the phone.
I'm really in a no win situation

London50

You may not want to go and be signed off work by your doctor but I {before I retired from work} had the same situation you are going through and I ended up in hospital after a mild heart attack.
Your health is important and I am sure that your company will be going long after you leave and end up getting another "mug" to do what you are doing.
I was {and still am} a work person that what ever I do must be to the best standard but life is short so please for your own health get to the doctors and take his/her advise,also start looking for a job that respects you and gives you the means to have both a work and private life.

mrgrtt123

Here is what I just realize since I am also alone in handling one of the accounts in our company since a transition happens almost 2-month ago wherein my teammates have been transferred to a different account. I just do my work and not there's, I try to exceed my quota but will never do a three-man task. It is fine to train a newbie but never ever do more than what you are being paid for. Also, try to raise your concern to the general manager, since it's never easy to do a job by yourself.

74jax

Itsjustsammy19 wrote: »

Unfortunately there is a clause in everyone's contracts to say we have to be flexible to meet the business needs, so therefore I am expected to work extra and I am in breach of contract if I don't

No it says you need to be flexible. Being flexible isn't working 16hrs instead of 8 or however many.

Be flexible, work your lunch if you must. Then go home at home time.

Do you get paid extra. Does the extra hours make you fall below nmw?

Itsjustsammy19

No it says you need to be flexible. Being flexible isn't working 16hrs instead of 8 or however many.

Be flexible, work your lunch if you must. Then go home at home time.

Do you get paid extra. Does the extra hours make you fall below nmw?/QUOTE]

I don't get paid extra. I don't believe it does but I haven't actually worked it out.
If I work my contracted hours my workload will just incase the next day and so on, even more so than it is now. I have tried talking to my boss and sent emails to have it recorded over the past few months but they just brushed it off.

Sea_Shell

It sound like while you're "coping" they won't address the situation.

It sounds like it is time to let the wheels fall off!!! You feel like it's your problem, but really it isn't.

You are going above and beyond, you have a record that you've repeatedly asked for help/support, but it's fallen on deaf ears.

If you feel you can't just work your hours, at least cut them back, dramatically. Then they can't use the "must be flexible" argument with you. They can't expect you to not have a life.

Tell them that you HAVE to leave on time on a given day, because you've got to ….(insert excuse here), then gradually increase the number of times you need to be somewhere else.

Don't come in early. In my experience, bosses/colleagues only notice if someones working late, not if they're in early.

If you receive any customer complaints, refer these to management.

TELLIT01

Itsjustsammy19 wrote: »

Unfortunately there is a clause in everyone's contracts to say we have to be flexible to meet the business needs, so therefore I am expected to work extra and I am in breach of contract if I don't

Sorry, but that is simply not true. Flexibility would be putting in an additional hour or so in an emergency, not working double hours because the business fails to employ enough people.

Given the way you have been treated by the company I wouldn't have a second's hesitation in seeing your GP and getting signed off until your notice is completed.