Problems With Working A Full Time Job?

[BlueBear]

My colleagues and employers have noticed and told me of how I've changed so rapidly, from a employee with huge potential to basically a unmotivated and sick ghost of my former self.

It's understandable why they think this, I hate my job atm. I don't want to go back at all, I can work from home and earn far more money. Yet I've asked to cut my hours down even offering to work Fri/Sat/Sun and I'm being denied because I need a valid medical reason?

Then I'm being brought into disciplinary's for being off sick and leaving early. I don't understand what they want from me, I even told them I want to quit but again it's like they can't replace me or wont.

What options do I have? I thought employers love part time workers with all these 0 hour contracts?

 

[Dana1010]

I can work from home and earn far more money.

Um, what's stopping you? I would give anything for an option to work from home even at a financial loss.

 

[BlueBear]

Um, what's stopping you? I would give anything for an option to work from home even at a financial loss.

The month or two with no financial backing. It's why I need to cut hours down to get set up fully again.

I have a lot of debt, I couldn't afford to pay off my bills and debt without my pay packet to support me.

 

[Suzetig]

Does your employer know you have a health issue and what that issue is? Even for the best employ there's a point at which a manger will resort to disciplinary processes when they see such a significant change in behaviour such as you describe.

You do have rights at work which vary depending in how long you've been there. If they don't know, you need to sit down with your manager and explain as far as you can/want that you have a health concern and what that is. If you've been diagnosed with PTSD that would fall for consideration under the disabilities section of the equalities act - this means your employer needs to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate your health. You may have a referral to occupational health to help assess what would constitute a reasonable adjustment. For example I have a very informal flexible working arrangement whereby I can work from home, leave early or take short breaks in the day depending on how I'm feeling.

Simply put, your employer needs to know what the issue is and what you need in terms of support. If they do know, and arent looking at what you need for support, that's a different matter and could be discrimination.

 

[BlueBear]

Snip

They know more then most, it's taken a while to organise occupational health. A good few months in fact and I still haven't seen anything about occupation health. I wasn't even told by my employer it existed until I found out from my stay at hospital.

I've been bugging them for awhile about my hours being adjusted. And at first it was like it wasn't a big deal and they could get it done ina week. It's been several weeks and nothing, I continue to be needing time off for stress and anxiety related to work, and they continue to question what I'm doing about my sickness.

I simply can't stand being trapped in that building any more.

 

[Suzetig]

I'd suggest looking at your employers HR and sickness policies and following them to the letter. For example, submit a formal request to adjust your working hours on health grounds. That means they need to formally consider your request within timescales and give a clear response if they don't give you what you need. Also formally request referral to occupational health, keep records and copies of paperwork etc. Avoid informal discussion because that's not worked thus far. In my place there's specific paperwork to complete for flexible working and most employers should have a clear process for this.

You say they know more than most - only you know whether that's enough for them to know what you need. By way of example, my employer knew for a long time that I was "struggling" or finding being at work difficult. It was only when I sat down with my head of service and explained in clear terms what was wrong (at that time an anxiety disorder triggered by my working environment) that she understood that I needed specific supports to lessen my anxiety levels and quickly put these in place.

 

[BlueBear]

Thank you, I will do that when I next go in :)

 

[Suzetig]

Good luck, I know it's really not easy to stand up to your employers for what you need but managing to stay in some form of work will be good for you in all kinds of ways.