Manager off work for 3 months (and counting?)

mollstewart
mollstewart Posts: 3 Newbie
edited 25 September 2018 at 9:36AM in Employment, jobseeking & training
I find myself in a rather unusual situation and one that I have Googled intensively to no avail. I have read a lot with regard to individuals being signed off work for an extended period of time but haven't seen any from people who are on the receiving end, so to speak.

As it currently stands, my manager has been signed off work for 3 months and I think there is a strong possibility that it could be longer. Originally, it was one month; naturally, I did enquire as to the reasons why but was told it was confidential so have just left it.

To give some context, I work in the marketing team for a law firm. It is comprised of three of us; my manager being the director, I am the senior assistant and then the junior assistant below me. I was four months into my role when my manager was signed off, and my junior assistant joined in August a month after. I feel guilty for saying this, but I do feel like I have been dropped in it; taking on another workload and training a new member of staff.

It’s tricky as I have been told not to contact her and vice versa, which is understandable, but I find it hard to be empathetic towards the situation. Despite the challenges, it has been a good opportunity for me to show my company that I am capable but man oh man, the stress and anxiety I have experienced throughout the last 3 months has been through the roof. What I find more daunting is that there isn't a clear "finish line" in sight, which I completely understand given the circumstances, but just makes very difficult to work towards.

If anyone has been in a similar situation and has any advice to offer I would be so grateful!
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Comments

  • k3lvc
    k3lvc Posts: 4,175
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    OK - I'll give you it from my point of view as a Manager who has been off for last 4 months. Those of my team/colleagues that need to know why have been told the reasons for me being off, those that don't need to know can gossip/hypothesise as much as they like.

    In my absence I'm well aware that some of my team will have to work harder and come under some pressure - those that rise to it will be rewarded (either directly or indirectly) and those that don't will be (un)remembered when opportunities come along in the future.

    Given your newness into the organisation if you're looking to progress this could be an ideal opportunity to prove yourself - if you're not then it might also be the ideal time to look for another job that gives you the comfort/security blanket you're looking for
  • stator
    stator Posts: 7,441
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    I wouldn't worry too much about the fact that your manager is off and how long they are going to be off for. It's not really any of your business.


    If you are over worked and need extra help, then it's perfectly reasonable to raise that issue with the company. If you don't want to seem insensitive then don't ask questions like why your manager is off, or when they are coming back. Just talk about what support you need until they do come back.
    If you feel like you aren't being paid enough for the level of work involve, then it's perfectly fair to raise that as an issue too. If you feel like your are going an 'acting manager' type job, then certainly ask them for a temporary raise / title whilst you are going this work.
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  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 16,366
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    I agree with stator, if you are struggling you need to let those above you know. If you don't tell them you can't blame them for not doing anything about it.
    The reason for the manager's absence is absolutely none of your business. Whether the absense is likely to be long term does affect you but you need to be careful about how you deal with it. The relevant part is the fact that you are unable to cope with the additional work any longer and that you need help.
  • ReadingTim
    ReadingTim Posts: 3,970
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    Appreciate you're having a bit of a moan, but what do you realistically expect your company to do about it?!?

    It doesn't sound like the reason your manager is signed off work is easy/simply/straightforward to understand - like (say) a broken leg, and it's also possible that your employer is almost as much in the dark as to any possible return date as you are. This will also make finding an interim cover difficult, and probably not cheap either.

    As this has been going on for some time, it's not unreasonable to ask how long it's anticipated to persist, given the increased workload you're dealing with. And if you're struggling, it's not unreasonable to ask for assistance, either with elements of your job, or the manger's job which you can't do. You might also enquire whether this extra work might be recognised in any financial way - but the point is that it all requires you to initiate the conversation - which you don't seem to have done.
  • kazwookie
    kazwookie Posts: 13,810
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    Go to the mananger with a plan, ie the extra work is causing (x) number of hours extra work.

    Ask for a temp to cover these hours.

    The worse they can say is no.

    Mean while it is an ideal chance for you to step up and show what you can do.
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  • asajj
    asajj Posts: 5,123
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    It is not your business why she is off as stated nor it is her fault that you are experiencing increased workload and anxiety as a result. Talk to the company and ask for help. If you think that will look bad on you, then it is your problem.
    ally.
  • I've been in similar situation, pretty much took over the team and ran it by supporting the team with work and attending meetings that were for my manager. few team members got their nose bent out of shape as you'd imagine but I soon got promoted when the higher ups saw what i was doing.
  • ReadingTim wrote: »
    Appreciate you're having a bit of a moan, but what do you realistically expect your company to do about it?!?

    It doesn't sound like the reason your manager is signed off work is easy/simply/straightforward to understand - like (say) a broken leg, and it's also possible that your employer is almost as much in the dark as to any possible return date as you are. This will also make finding an interim cover difficult, and probably not cheap either.

    As this has been going on for some time, it's not unreasonable to ask how long it's anticipated to persist, given the increased workload you're dealing with. And if you're struggling, it's not unreasonable to ask for assistance, either with elements of your job, or the manger's job which you can't do. You might also enquire whether this extra work might be recognised in any financial way - but the point is that it all requires you to initiate the conversation - which you don't seem to have done.

    Appreciate you're having a bit of a moan, but what do you realistically expect your company to do about it?!?

    Maybe the OP expects the sort of stuff YOU suggest in your own post?!
  • Have you been told who you are reporting to in your managers absence?
  • What's the root cause of your anxiety/stress? Is it purely more work than you can sensibly handle, or is it work that would normally be 'above your pay grade' and which therefore you are unsure about how to handle? It's tough if you are expected to step up to the manager role without even the opportunity to contact the manager and ask for a bit of guidance.

    So, you need to speak to whoever is next in line, manager-to-manager (because effectively that's what you are now), and say 'X has been off for quite a while now, and although I don't expect you to discuss when they're likely to come back, we need to talk about how this is all going to work in the long term.' Then go on to list the difficulties and repercussions resulting from the absence (not from the point of view of blaming the person who's off, or even how much stress you're under, but how it's likely to affect the business).
    Have some solutions up your sleeve (take on a replacement, take on extra staff, promote you, give you more training etc etc). The important thing is that you discuss (rather than rant, whinge, blame, plead etc), and that you use the word 'we'.
    As others have said - this could be the opportunity you've been waiting for.
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