Work Stresses

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Hi everyone,

How does everybody else deal with stress around work? does it get to you or are you able to forget about it once work finishes?

The reason I ask is because i'm totally stressed out at the minute. It all started about 6 weeks ago, basically I felt that the work I was doing wasn't appreciated and that I was getting paid poorly for doing extra jobs not in my contract. So I had a meeting with the management and told them how I felt, their response was to first of all critise me because I don't always do certain minor jobs, usually because I was busy doing important jobs! Then after that they offered me a smallish pay rise and lumped on a few extra things I had to do(don't get time to do what I was already supposed to do). Then later in the day I was told that I was being made the manager of my department to justify my pay rise. So basically I was unhappy being paid little to do my current job, now they want to pay me little to do a management job!With little things like "flexible hours" thrown into the contract. Meaning they want me to work through dinners and stay late without being paid, all this for an extra 90p an hour!

Anyway I wrote a letter tonight declining the offer and will find another job ASAP as it's totally stressing me out, in fact i've got a test for another job on Thursday

Sorry for the long post but had to get it off my chest

John

[rainmaker]

I'm one of the lucky few whom for the second I leave work I totally and utterly forget that the place exists. Except for Sunday nights where I get "the misery"!

It has to be REALLY serious for me to get stressed about work, espacially out of work - we're in administration at teh moment, and it's 50:50 that we could be closed down - and to be honest there's nowt I can do about it, so I'm not worrying.

Hving written that, and having thought that people who get stressed about work are a little odd I believe it's actually ME that's almost definitely a LOT off

[galanthus]

Awww soz to hear you're having a bad 'work' patch John At least these things make us take stock and do something about it so there are positives there.

I have a fairly stressful job, love it but get very tense nonetheless, therefore I bought a cross trainer and treadmill. I get home and if I've had a bad day I pound around on these and feel great afterwards, the bonus is a good serge of energy too and hopefully a smaller bum eventually Mind you, the 3 glasses of red wine everynight help with stress too !

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Thanks for the replies, it wasn't so much the actual job that is stressing me out, more the attitude of the boss, who wouldn't accept that I should be paid more money for the work I was doing and had to add on extra responsibilities to justify the wage I should have been earning anyway. This was all the more annoying to me because we recently took on a 17 year old lad to basically labour after a fitter, and are paying him only 10p less an hour than me for a job that amounts to sweeping up and fetching!

[Brocker]

Sounds to me, my friend, that you would be better off away from this place and with a business that appreciates hard graft and dedication. Get out there and keep looking. Feel positive about your actions and drive to better yourself.... I work in a very stressfull environment where I need to affect around seven hundred people, positively. (not all at once, thank heavens). It is tough but at the end of the day, I have a physical line drawn at the end of my driveway. Once I cross that, my work is over and I leave it behind that line. Sounds daft, but it works for me. This was taught to me by a Police Forensic Psychologist friend who uses the technique himself.
Anyway, best of luck...

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Originally Posted by Brocker

Sounds to me, my friend, that you would be better off away from this place and with a business that appreciates hard graft and dedication. Get out there and keep looking. Feel positive about your actions and drive to better yourself.... I work in a very stressfull environment where I need to affect around seven hundred people, positively. (not all at once, thank heavens). It is tough but at the end of the day, I have a physical line drawn at the end of my driveway. Once I cross that, my work is over and I leave it behind that line. Sounds daft, but it works for me. This was taught to me by a Police Forensic Psychologist friend who uses the technique himself.
Anyway, best of luck...

I'm going to try that technique As a general rule I don't think about work when I've finished for the day, which is part of the reason i'm declining the offer, I want ot keep it that way

I'm certainly looking for new jobs and have been doing for a few months now, especially since a couple of people I enjoyed working with have left. So if anybody has a job in North Lincolnshire give me a shout

[Marliza]

Hi Yellowbelly,

You've obviously had a bad time with this job. My son was in a similar spot until recently, then his exploitative boss suddenly sold the business. The new owners have a fresh outlook and things are improving, so my son's decided to ditch his plans to seek another job and see what happens in the new set-up.

Nothing lasts forever, and maybe it's time to move on and find a less stressful job, but if you do decide to stay put and do a good job as manager, perhaps greater appreciation of your efforts and more pay will follow.

Hope it works out well for you, whatever you decide to do.

Marliza

[Marliza]

Hi Yellowbelly,

Sorry you've obviously had a bad time with this job. My son was in a similar spot until recently, then his exploitative boss suddenly sold the business. The new owners have a fresh outlook and things are improving, so my son's decided to ditch his plans to seek another job and see what happens in the new set-up.

Nothing lasts forever, and maybe it's time for you to move on and find a less stressful job, but if you do decide to stay put and do a good job as manager, perhaps greater appreciation of your efforts and more pay will follow.

Hope it works out well for you, whatever you decide to do.

Marliza

[eeyore]

if you are not in a union , join one - it wont necessarily help the stress but it will give you some protection if the boss gets right out of order

[ron1863]

Hi Yellowbelly,

Stress can be a killer so what's the point of staying in a job where you are obviously not appreciated. I worked in the N.H.S. for 30 years and it was only when I retired on health grounds in my early fifties did I realise how much stress I had actually been under.
The day I retired was like a weight being lifted off my shoulders, I could go for long walks and actually appreciate the countryside and nature, where before I was running problems at work through my soggy brain.
If you are serious about applying for another job then make demands on your present employer, explaining your problems etc. What do you have to lose and you may even gain something from them.

[eeyore]

also if you generally like the job , but it is your boss which is the problem it might be worth going to their boss , or possibly even filing an official greivance (your employer should have a policy for this). If you are going this route make sure you are well prepared , keep a diary of incidents where the boss treats you unfairly , and like i said above get representation from the appropriate union.

[coasty]

Reading the posts from everyone above makes me realise how lucky I am to be in a well paid job that I find rewarding even though I commute and work very long hours ,however It hasnt always been like that and have had periods during life where I have suffered very seriousley from stress. I think the important lessons I have learned are the following:

1: Always try and analyse where the stress is coming from and to be totally honest with yourself all to often in the past I realised to late that I was actually putting myself under stress.
2: Consider your priorities and workload some years ago I was taught a trick ie to split jobs into three types and prioritise them accordingly
(1) jobs that Urgent and important
(2) Jobs that Urgent and not important
(3) Jobs that are important but not urgent
I like many others did the three types of job in the order above however my working life changed when I started to do (3) before (2) this stops important jobs becoming urgent and therefore stressful...

The other thing is,,,,Look for a different job I am not sure what work you do, But there are lots of opportunities for everyone out there,

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Thanks to everyone for the replies feeling alot better today, I told my boss this morning that I wouldn't be accepting the offer of being a manager as I didn't want the stress that would come with it, mainly from being expected to work to a rigid way in a place where you must be flexible, being told that you must do this and you must do that when there are to many variables involved. I get the feeling they were setting me up for a fall, were they could move me back to my original job after 3 months if they weren't satisfied with how I was performing, knowing full well that I simply wouldn't be able to do all the tasks I was set.

Anyway, he said we'd have another meeting and look at what they can do with my wages without giving me the responsibility of a management position. So we'll see I guess, I'm not expecting alot to be honest! I'm still looking for other jobs, and have a test for a better paid one tomorrow

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Passed the selection tests today and have an interview later in the month

[coasty]

Good on you.....

[Marliza]

Best of luck, Yellowbelly. Hope it all works out well for you.

Marliza

[Paul mabbott]

Quite so. One general thing though, your union officers will be more active on your behalf if you've been a member for a long time .... rather than joining just before you enter into a dispute!

Originally Posted by eeyore

if you are not in a union , join one - it wont necessarily help the stress but it will give you some protection if the boss gets right out of order

[Dogwood]

I've found the ideal solution to stress at work, I've grown old enough to retire.

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Dogwood

I've found the ideal solution to stress at work, I've grown old enough to retire.

Bring it on

Pauline

PS Good luck Lincs - hope you get into something better where they appreciate you - on a personal note - I've found they 'above' (bosses) discover some respect and think twice about pushing you around if you stand up for yourself esp if you do it very very calmly (even if you do have to go outside and have a scream and kick the grass about after - sorry grass...)

[smartie]

I agree with you, Pauline - managing to explain calmly to your boss why you think that things are not right and what you think should happen to improve them is worth a dozen uncontrolled rants. Hard to do sometimes when you are steaming, but more likely to be effective.

But if you've got to the end of the road, John, best of luck with finding a new job where you'll be more appreciated. If you do resign, I bet they offer you more money to stay - hands up everyone that's happened to!

[svenrufus]

Glad to hear that things are looking up for the work situation. Also really pleased that the benefits of Trade Union Membership have been flagged up. If you do move job still join the approporiate union. You may find that you won;t get representation at all for the first 6 months of membership - they are like an insurance policy, and not there to bail people when things have already gone wrong. It doesn't cost much, but the potential benefits are massive.
That said, it may be worth looking into whether your current situation qualifies as constructive dismissal. If your employer is putting you in a position where it is not possible to continue working for them, then they may have to compensate you for loss of earnings if you lose your job. There is a definite procedure to go through for it, so check it out so as to not close the door on yourself for making a claim in the future should you need to.
Hope the new job (hunt) goes well.

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Just a quick update for those that are interested

I passed the interview and got a letter through saying that i'm now on a waiting list for a job to come up, which i'm told will be Feb time. So I can now go to a decent job, with good pay and pension and the prospect of a career I'm looking forward to it, but also nervous as it's different from anything i've done before

[NickCantle]

First off John, many, many congratulations! It's always a pleasure to know that someone's mind is at rest. Secondly, I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine! With any job switch or situation transplant, nervousness will play a part...but you'll be fiiinnne

Congrats again my man!

Nick

[Brocker]

Very many congratulations John. . . You made the positive step and it is going your way now. I am sure you will love the new job and also they will respect your commitment. . . With this, you will have a great Christmas and the New Year will be full of new exciting things. Once again congrats.

[coasty]

New year , New job, new Challenge,,, what could be better embrace the challenge there is nothing better, Good luck