Return to work after sick leave, job has changed

Jo_R_2

Hi all

I returned to work last week after having nearly three months off due to depression. I decided to grab the bull by the horns so to speak, although not feeling 100% still yet, I felt that a return to work would help me, with a routine to stick to rather than sitting in the house all day.

I have also provisionally changed my hours so I can take my DD1 to preschool in the am and so I finish earlier - I work in the next city and finishing at 5 meant that the drive home was taking up to an hour and I was rushing to arrive for 6 to pick up my DDs from nursery - I'm a single mummy so obviously this falls on me. Felt a lot better, although a drop in money, the adapted hours made me feel a lot more optimistic.

My work duties have changed since I have been off. Whilst in some ways this is better - no driving round the city all day to see clients, or having to make appointments, so I only have to worry about getting to the office on time, basically I am now being given work by colleagues to do and I feel like the office junior being given tasks to do. The premise of the work is fine - I am marketing to employers to gain work experience and paid work for clients - but I have been there for three and a half years and keep getting promised bigger things but never getting them.

My manager always backs me 100%, she has often said she would hate to lose me, I'm the most experienced team member and she pushed me to apply for promotion, but I feel now that her words, although well-meant, are empty and I feel so bored. I feel sad because I love with a passion what we do for people (it's charity-based work) and although last week I felt a renewed sense of vigour and enthusiasm at having a new challenge, this week I am dreading going aimlessly through my work. The thought is depressing me but I don't want to go off work again.

I guess I need to start applying for jobs - I just need to feel that momentum somehow that makes me do that! Any ideas?

Debt_Free_Chick

Have you discussed all of this with your manager?

It could be that they think they're trying to be helpful and supportive.

Have you specifically been told that your job has changed? Or is this "just how it seems"?

I can well understand that this is doing little for your self-esteem, at a time when you probably need a boost. But if you haven't talked to your manager yet, then please do so. We can all blow things a little out of proportion and it could be that the intentions are well-founded, but being executed in a rather clumsy manner.

In the meantime, focus on doing what you have to do and doing it well. Recognise your own achievements no matter how small they might seem. Even if the task has been delegated to you, you can still do it fantastically and know that you've done a good job.

I'd say it's too early to be looking, before you speak to your manager. Changing jobs is ssssooooooo stressful :eek:

mrcow

Jo_R wrote: »

I guess I need to start applying for jobs - I just need to feel that momentum somehow that makes me do that! Any ideas?

Yes! Stick with it for a while.

You need to give things a chance to settle down. It always takes some time to find your feet when you've had a few months off work. I can't see work suddenly piling work on top of you considering that you've just had three months off sick.

You've been there a reasonable time. You have a supportive boss.....that's more than most can say! Give it some time. If you are unhappy with what you are doing, then think about what you can do to make the job what you want it to be. Then gradually start working towards changing things bit by bit. I think looking for something new could be a big mistake. These things take time.

Just take some time to settle in and don't try to run just yet. You sound like you've had a hard three months, use this time to settle back into a routine.

Oldernotwiser

Debt_Free_Chick wrote: »

I'd say it's too early to be looking, before you speak to your manager. Changing jobs is ssssooooooo stressful :eek:

And likely to be very difficult after 3 months' absence due to depression.

I do agree that they've tried to make your job less stressful for you after your return; you really must discuss this with your manager.

DaisyFlower

I agree with DFC, talk to your manager. She may have felt this was the best way to "ease" you back into work after such a long time off.

Not the same thing, but when I returned from maternity it took me a good couple of months to get back into the swing of things after such a break.

Once youve been back a while, you can discuss more workload/promotion - your manager may just have put any plans on hold until she knows you've settled back in and are ready. Try and see it from her point of view, you've been off for 3 months (assuming no previous absences) and its your first week back - shes unlikely to mention promotion based on that is she?

If you're still not happy after a few months and talking to your manager doesnt resolve things, then you can review the situation with regards to a new job.

Jo_R_2

DaisyFlower wrote: »

Once youve been back a while, you can discuss more workload/promotion - your manager may just have put any plans on hold until she knows you've settled back in and are ready. Try and see it from her point of view, you've been off for 3 months (assuming no previous absences) and its your first week back - shes unlikely to mention promotion based on that is she?

If you're still not happy after a few months and talking to your manager doesnt resolve things, then you can review the situation with regards to a new job.

I should probably clarify... When I mentioned promotion, I forgot to say that she pushed me to go for a promotion a few months' back, I had the interview, she'd put me on supervisory training at the beginning of the year, and of course I was gutted when I didn't get it. It really hacked away at my confidence - she said I was great at my job, would make a great supervisor and I was left looking back, seeing someone who has only been there half the time I have working above me and I felt like I had been living under this illusion, I had essentially stuck it out there as I had been unhappy for a while, waiting for an opportunity to progress, and couldn't make the grade.

We have spoken about the work on my first day back. My manager is supportive, I know she doesn't want to lose me because I am the most experienced member of the team and we have a high staff turnover, and I do very much appreciate how helpful she has been. In fact, that is one of the things that keeps me there - they're always helpful when I have problems with the girls, and they know of my history of depression and are sympathetic.

My job as is, ie my job title and the nature of the work, hasn't changed. However, what I am essentially employed to do, which is to train clients to gain work skills and put them in paid employment, is not what I'm doing. I don't have client contact anymore, which is what I love about the job, but that can't change now because all clients are on board with other colleagues. I am now really doing admin, paperwork, phone calls, and ironically, although I can see my manager has tried to make it easy for me, has made me feel even more forlorn than before. I just want to get my teeth into something but what I'm doing now is the same as before, just without actually directly working with clients.

Oh I don't know... I think it's partly Monday blues...

Fleago

Hi Jo,

You must feel really frustrated; your Manager is trying to help you ease back to work, but the routine nature of the tasks she has earmarked for you are actually making you feel worse as you have little stimulation or client contact, which is the aspect you most enjoy in your work.

It's also understandable from your employer's point of view in that clients have been allocated to other workers' caseloads and to change some of them to you would probably cause disruption and lack of continuity for the clients.

What I would suggest is sitting down with your Manager and discussing a forward plan for you to begin to pick up your own caseload again. I'm assuming from your line of work that referrals will come in on a fairly steady basis so that there will soon be new clients to work with. Perhaps you could negotiate with your Manager the point at which you will be able to pick up on some new referrals.

Also, presumably, as your colleagues get clients into work, they will begin to have some time to spare so that they can go back to doing their share of the more mundane administrative tasks that have fallen to you. I think if you can negotiate a clear plan for easing you back into your complete role you will feel more at ease with the current situation.

If you feel able, I would also have a chat with your Manager about the promotion issue. It obviously still upsets you, but perhaps if you approached it in a way that suggests you understand that that although post has gone to someone else, what does the Manager envisage as your career path with the charity - does she still feel that a more senior role is still on the cards for you and, if so, what do they suggest you do to help you work towards it.

I think that if you can get these issues discussed and find out where you stand it will relieve some of the pressure on you. If it turns out that your current situation is only temporary and they do envisage you getting back to your full role and with a bright future ahead of you with them, then you can take heart from that and look forward to the future. If, on the other hand, your discussions result in you feeling that perhaps it's time to move on, then at least you'll be clearer about it and can take steps to look elsewhere.

Good luck, Jo and I hope things work out for you.

Fleago

Jo_R_2

Thanks fleago.

I feel a bit less emotional and more logical at the mo. It's hard because I feel very passionate about my job and what we do, and I hate feeling understimulated.

As it seems, our contracts are at the moment are only up until the end of April; we might get another contract but right now, we will going through the process of bidding. But it means that at the end of January, we will be going through the consultation process with a view to redundancy. So the longer-term view is hard to take.

It's the nature of the work, nothing is guaranteed longer-term. I'm not sure with this in mind what is best, to sit it out and see what happens or try and move now. It's only me (single mummy to two under 5s) and I can't afford to not work... Ahw hat to do...