# advice please on how you have tackled excessive workloads



## Miss-Shelf (Jun 5, 2011)

I've been in post for just over a year and I'm continuing to find my workload unmanageable.

I'm experiencing a lot of symtoms of stress about this(disturbed sleep, moodiness, tearfulness, aches and pains, lack of excitement about life) Despite the following: improved diet,  sandwiching  in some exercise &   six free sessions from workplace counselling I am still feeling overwhelmed.

I have expressed my dismay to my immediate line manager about the lack of well being in our team and observed to her how all long standing members of the team  have experienced major health problems in the last few years (mental/physical/emotional & combinations of) and said that I am worried that this will happen to me due to workload.  She was not able to offer any constructive advice and has not followed this up since I said this four months ago 

I don't have much faith in either her ability or the ability of the overall team leader in reducing the workload as   a)........b) they are overwhelmed themselves (both have had significant time off for stress in last few years)  and C) our wider workplace is in a lot of chaos after loss of government funding

I am almost ready to resign in order to stop this situation.

If you've been in similar situations I would welcome your perspectives. 

ps I am in a union but wonder at the capacity of the union at this time to help as they are fighting drastic and suspect redundancies


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## ericjarvis (Jun 5, 2011)

Resign. Seriously. Not only for your own sake, but also as a general principle the only way we will stop employers overloading people until they break them is by refusing to work that way.


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## Puddy_Tat (Jun 5, 2011)

ericjarvis said:


> Resign. Seriously. Not only for your own sake, but also as a general principle the only way we will stop employers overloading people until they break them is by refusing to work that way.



I'm kinda in a similar position - went part time a few years ago due to crummy health and now pretty much expected to do a full time job.

In theory, I agree, but in practice, how will resigning help?

You can't sign on the dole so will have sod all money

It will pretty much be taken by future employers (and probably be backed up by a reference) as "he could not manage the job and left one hell of a mess"

and they will get someone else in and work them into the ground as well and then replace them when they break.

The only possibility for Miss Shelf - you mention redundancies - any chance of volunteering for redundancy?  That would be a way out with a modicum of dignity (it's not exactly unique at the moment) and might lead to redundancy pay.

You could try raising this as a formal grievance, but they will probably try to turn it into an attack on you for something (been there, done it)

Bleurgh.


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## ymu (Jun 5, 2011)

I coped by periodically working 80-90 hours a week for months on end. My job grew from half a person to three people in five years and I had to beg repeatedly for them to sort summat out cos I was permanently knackered.

That was partly self-inflicted. I loved the job and tended to just get over backlogs, but all it ever did was create a vacuum for more work to fall into.. I was cured of my silly ways when Head Office shat on all of us from a great height. If your direct bosses don't deserve it, don't do it. If you can help it.

Sounds like it needs to be a joint approach from the whole affected team? Management are often shit, and if you're easy to ignore, they'll ignore you, Depends on your set up, but do you have staff meetings? If you can get a united front, no one has to stick their neck out and management have to take it seriousky cos if everyone left they'd be fucked.


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## Glitter (Jun 5, 2011)

I just don't do it. Do what you can, no more.


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## toblerone3 (Jun 5, 2011)

Could job sharing be part of the answer?


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## ymu (Jun 5, 2011)

toblerone3 said:


> Could job sharing be part of the answer?


Only if by 'job-sharing' you mean 'make the incompetent fucks employ enough people to do the job', surely?

She shouldn't have to go part-time and take a paycut to get a manageable workload.


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## weltweit (Jun 5, 2011)

I was very overloaded for about 10 years. 

I just did what I could. I did work long hours but that just exhausted me after a while. 

What I found was that I did everything urgent which I put at the top of my intray and the less urgent or plain unimportat just fell through the tray to the bottom until eventually they were discarded. 

I had a permanent nagging worry that I had somehow missed something that was in fact urgent and that I would get into trouble for it. There was nothing to it however, I mean I could only do what I could do, no more was possible. 

When I checked the bottom of my intray, it was amazing the things that I had not done and which had caused no problems in the not doing. I thought well, they were obviously not necessary as I had not done them and, even so, the roof had not fallen in!


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## Miss-Shelf (Jun 5, 2011)

thanks all for your varied perspectives (I'm not so good at multi quote)

redundancy: no voluntary redundancies (part of the union grievence)

I am very conscientious and find it very difficult to leave jobs undone - I know that this is not necessarily a useful skill/attitude - I find it hard in my present work as most tasks directly impact on my clients

I think that I may try to put my tasks into two imaginary trays - 'direct benefit to clients'   and 'management required tasks with no immediate benefit' - this may help in the short term



ymu said:


> Only if by 'job-sharing' you mean 'make the incompetent fucks employ enough people to do the job', surely?
> 
> She shouldn't have to go part-time and take a paycut to get a manageable workload.



I strongly agree - many of my colleagues work part time in order to try and have some life - they work 5 days and get paid for 3

For some of them this is possible due to not having children, having paid a mortgage off or have a partner who is in very well paid work


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## stuff_it (Jun 5, 2011)

Usually I panic and then go out and get arseholed.

Actually probably better off having three piles - really urgent, important, not that important. So long as the 'really urgent' pile gets dealt with, you can always reallocate the important stuff into urgent as it becomes so.

If you never get into the important pile let alone the not that important, then you basically need to speak to your superiors about work load.

Or just take some time off for stress yourself, and/or perhaps look for a different job?


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## Miss-Shelf (Jun 5, 2011)

stuff_it said:


> Usually I panic and then go out and get arseholed.


 

 - I have been doing some of this - well my version of arseholed which is probably v tame compared to many



Puddy_Tat said:


> In theory, I agree, but in practice, how will resigning help?
> 
> .



I don't work in school at the moment but I am in the fortunate position of having a primary PGCE and living in inner london which means there'll usually be some work (not necessarily easier) even if its a temporary basis


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## ymu (Jun 5, 2011)

Miss-Shelf said:


> thanks all for your varied perspectives (I'm not so good at multi quote)
> 
> redundancy: no voluntary redundancies (part of the union grievence)
> 
> ...


 Similar to me then, except my problem was an area of research exploding and not seeing anything that could wait.

One anecdote...when me and the second person in our team won the battle to get a third person, she turned out to have lied on her CV and we were still triple-checking her work months after she should have gone solo. When we mentioned it to the boss, he insisted she was great. We puzzled for an afternoon before we realised that it was because we were correcting everything before he saw it. So we withdrew to our own jobs and let him do the corrections. It got sorted.

You need to find a way to pass the problem onto management. Somehow. Not at all easy, I know.


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## Voley (Jun 5, 2011)

I know 'resign' isn't very helpful as advice goes, but it's the only way I've ever coped. It got to the point where my health was really suffering; anxiety, drinking like a fish every weekend but not really even enjoying it, came to the verge of a full on nervous breakdown at one point. I now earn half what I used to but my life's immeasurably better. It can be difficult getting a job a few notches down the scale, though. A lot of employers raise eyebrows at people who aren't following traditional onwards-and-upwards career paths.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jun 5, 2011)

ymu said:


> One anecdote...when me and the second person in our team won the battle to get a third person, she turned out to have lied on her CV and we were still triple-checking her work months after she should have gone solo. When we mentioned it to the boss, he insisted she was great. We puzzled for an afternoon before we realised that it was because we were correcting everything before he saw it. So we withdrew to our own jobs and let him do the corrections. It got sorted..



 and 




ymu said:


> You need to find a way to pass the problem onto management. Somehow. Not at all easy, I know.



I know.  I am determined to do something this week.

I think I may compile a list of everything that is on my to do list at the moment and ask them to help me prioritise it and/or go in with a prioritised list

I MUST communicate to them that I am finding it stressful and completly unworkable


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## Voley (Jun 5, 2011)

Miss-Shelf said:


> I think I may compile a list of everything that is on my to do list at the moment and ask them to help me prioritise it and/or go in with a prioritised list


 
Good plan. If you find you can't cope in the future they can't say they weren't warned.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jun 5, 2011)

NVP said:


> I know 'resign' isn't very helpful as advice goes, but it's the only way I've ever coped. It got to the point where my health was really suffering; anxiety, drinking like a fish every weekend but not really even enjoying it, came to the verge of a full on nervous breakdown at one point. I now earn half what I used to but my life's immeasurably better. It can be difficult getting a job a few notches down the scale, though. A lot of employers raise eyebrows at people who aren't following traditional onwards-and-upwards career paths.


 

I have done this before in the past and have always benefitted from it - Since I started this thread I have done a serious job search and asked for some application forms.

I love the actual work I do at the moment but can't enjoy it as there are always 5 jobs to do at once which robs it of pleasure - I can't see a time in the future where there will be a lull at all


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## stuff_it (Jun 5, 2011)

Divide it into two actual trays, even if it means printing out a placeholder email for some tasks....this also makes sure you don't miss anything important that has 'dropped off the end' of the recent emails.

I used to work for a charity that did legal help for refugees, so missing something or getting it done at the wrong time would mean real live changing (possibly even ending) stuff for people. I used to rearrange my really urgent and urgent piles every morning first thing, and maybe twice a week go through the not that urgent one. Pile one was 'do by end of the day', with 'do by end of the morning' on top; pile two was 'do by the end of the week', again with the more urgent on top; and pile three was stuff that could wait till the next week. Advantages of this was that you knew so long as the really urgent pile was getting done you were ok, and you could physically see the pile going down through the day/week/whatever.


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## weltweit (Jun 5, 2011)

Having three intrays can certainly help. 

1 for urgent important 
2 for important not urgent 
3 for the rest 

And there is a trick I was taught by someone sometime which I used on occassion when I thought I was getting inefficient. 

Every time you pick up (when you address) a piece of paper, put a dot in the top right hand side. If you find you are handling pieces of paper with more than 3 dots on them then you are working inefficiently.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jun 5, 2011)

stuff_it said:


> Divide it into two actual trays, even if it means printing out a placeholder email for some tasks....this also makes sure you don't miss anything important that has 'dropped off the end' of the recent emails.
> 
> I used to work for a charity that did legal help for refugees, so missing something or getting it done at the wrong time would mean real live changing (possibly even ending) stuff for people. I used to rearrange my really urgent and urgent piles every morning first thing, and maybe twice a week go through the not that urgent one. Pile one was 'do by end of the day', with 'do by end of the morning' on top; pile two was 'do by the end of the week', again with the more urgent on top; and pile three was stuff that could wait till the next week. Advantages of this was that you knew so long as the really urgent pile was getting done you were ok, and you could physically see the pile going down through the day/week/whatever.


 

that's actually really good advice


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## oryx (Jun 5, 2011)

Puddy_Tat said:


> In theory, I agree, but in practice, how will resigning help?
> 
> You can't sign on the dole so will have sod all money
> 
> ...



I left a job voluntarily nearly seven years ago (not so much for workload but for general frustration and lack of job satisfaction) and had a much, more more positive experience than this suggests. 

I was renting/living alone then and got full HB and CTB from the day I left work. I planned for it very carefully and saved as I reckoned I'd not get jobseekers' for six months. (ETA - I didn't claim, but have subsequently seen stuff which suggests that leaving your job voluntarily doesn't automatically disqualify you from JSA).

It took me 9 months to get a temp job but TBF I didn't look that hard and was fussy about what I did and by then I was claiming JSA. As far as I know I have never had a bad reference or anything like that. I temped for four years and really enjoyed most of it. Now in a permanent job I really like (don't know how long it will last though.......)

They also changed the job slightly after I left - which was annoying, but I left on very good terms with them and blamed a poorly-managed internal restructure which had taken place just before I started, rather than my manager, who had been supportive.

Good luck (& to you Puddy_Tat) in sorting out the work nightmare.


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## ymu (Jun 5, 2011)

Miss-Shelf said:


> I have done this before in the past and have always benefitted from it - Since I started this thread I have done a serious job search and asked for some application forms.
> 
> I love the actual work I do at the moment but can't enjoy it as there are always 5 jobs to do at once which robs it of pleasure - I can't see a time in the future where there will be a lull at all


 
This is why I quit that job. We'd been firefighting for so long, we finally had a trained and stable staff complement, our 5 year review said give them more money to do less work and the end was in sight...until they relocated us to London. I would have loved to go with them, but it meant permanent fire-fighting because there is no such thing as staff stability on those wages in London. Couldn't face it.

If you love it, fight for it. I still mourn for that job. Twelve years on, and I've only just got over it, really. 

You need allies if possible. Sounds like enough people are struggling. It's easy for bosses not to get it, so if you can get a group willing to stand together on this, you'll have a better shot.

If they're underfunded, they have to decide what does not get done. Not your problem.


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## stuff_it (Jun 5, 2011)

Miss-Shelf said:


> that's actually really good advice


 
Still can't get interviews for office work now.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jun 5, 2011)

stuff_it said:


> Still can't get interviews for office work now.


 
  how come?


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## stuff_it (Jun 5, 2011)

Was off work for a few years, then some freelance (mainly for my mum), now can't even get interviews at agencies!


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## boohoo (Jun 5, 2011)

Miss-Shelf said:


> I am very conscientious and find it very difficult to leave jobs undone - I know that this is not necessarily a useful skill/attitude - I find it hard in my present work as most tasks directly impact on my clients



This sounds like a good idea - as well as what you said about asking for people for prioritizing.

I have a keen new work colleague who wants to make sure everything gets done which is a good work attitude but impossible to do in my job - i have to keep telling her that she no matter how many hours she spent in the office there would always be more to do.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jun 5, 2011)

boohoo said:


> This sounds like a good idea - as well as what you said about asking for people for prioritizing.
> 
> I have a keen new work colleague who wants to make sure everything gets done which is a good work attitude but impossible to do in my job - i have to keep telling her that she no matter how many hours she spent in the office there would always be more to do.


 
I am making a list of all the tasks I am expected to achieve before 22nd July with expected dates of completion and I will share this with my team leader


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## Treacle Toes (Jun 5, 2011)

No advice from me as all I would say has been said. I think it's great that you have come to this point though Miss Shelf and decided to be pro-active about it...too many of us don't and we suffer for it in the long term. All the best lovely.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jun 5, 2011)

oryx said:


> Good luck (& to you Puddy_Tat) in sorting out the work nightmare.


 

thanks



Rutita1 said:


> No advice from me as all I would say has been said. I think it's great that you have come to this point though Miss Shelf and decided to be pro-active about it...too many of us don't and we suffer for it in the long term. All the best lovely.


 
and thanks Ruti

I have nearly finished my list - for myself and line manager - don't necessarily expect a solution to come from manager (but you never know) but its the first step in identifying the problem for them 

I have written each task, when it's due, the consequences of not doing it, suggested solutions, h/m/l priority, other factors impacting on ability to achieve - as most of tasks are high priority this is the problem

I have also requested three job application packs 

thanks Urban for your support today - it's helped me not cry and to not overburden boyfriend yet again with this probelm


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## bluestreak (Jun 5, 2011)

my job was like that.  i knew i was stressed but ignored it.  since being made redundant i've been a lot happier!  just started the process of looking for new work though.


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## Bob_the_lost (Jun 5, 2011)

I've started taking far too much pleasure in telling people that I can't help/do that as i'm over stretched. I think this is a bad sign.


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## Looby (Jun 6, 2011)

I really think you should talk to your TU rep as well if you don't get anywhere with your manager this week. 

Yes, reps are busy with national campaign stuff at the moment but individual members and their problems are important too. 

If your own rep can't help you they can get someone from their HQ or another workplace. 

Sounds like this situation fits quite well with their fight against redundancies anyway.

Good luck.


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## sim667 (Jun 6, 2011)

Is everything they're asking you to do within your job spec?

If there's too much going on I start refusing to do anything thats outside my job role. Im a photographic tech, but they want me to also be an IT technician and painter and decorator.


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## ymu (Jun 7, 2011)

stuff_it said:


> Was off work for a few years, then some freelance (mainly for my mum), now can't even get interviews at agencies!


 Right, well. I am shit with papee but I am going to implement your superb syatem electronicaly via to-do software. I am useless with to do lists but this might do the trick.

PM me with who to email the glowing reference to.


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## grit (Jun 7, 2011)

Glitter said:


> I just don't do it. Do what you can, no more.


 
This or resign basically. If you stop killing yourself, the work mounts up management goes fucking nuts and you point to the workload that reasonably no one person can handle. You will have their attention then, if they dont feel any negative impact why would they try to change the sitaution?


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## stuff_it (Jun 7, 2011)

ymu said:


> Right, well. I am shit with papee but I am going to implement your superb syatem electronicaly via to-do software. I am useless with to do lists but this might do the trick.
> 
> PM me with who to email the glowing reference to.


 
I'm not in London but just outside. There really isn't much in the way of part time or even short term agency positions, but literally can't get interviews for even full time stuff. Milton Keynes innit, recession means that so many wives of London workers that have moved out are looking for office work (especially part time) just to keep the roofs over their heads. 

With my studying part time and looking after my mum I couldn't possibly commute into the smoke, but there is a huge demographic round here that also have other commitments as well....they probably have less problems with references as well, or at least some pictures of kids to show for their time off. The OU stuff just says to potential employers that I won't be a long term prospect. 

Then again I couldn't find any work in Brighton either.... must be me. It's a version of the same CV I literally walked straight into agency jobs with for years though...fucking recession, grr! No continuous work history means I go straight in the 'chuck' pile round here.


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## ymu (Jun 7, 2011)

Might help you get a foot in the door with an agency. PM if it's any use anyway. Any time you need. You seriously helped me there and am happy to say so to anyone who wants to know.


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## stuff_it (Jun 7, 2011)

Ta, will definitely bear it in mind. Probably going to give up on the office work for a bit (not sure how you give up on something you can't get a look in to do) and do my HGV licence, as I need one anyway and it's not getting any cheaper.


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## ymu (Jun 7, 2011)

Good call! Decent money if you can hack the long trips.


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## stuff_it (Jun 7, 2011)

Can only afford a class 2 for the time being, so no artics just yet...but I need something with plentiful agency work to fit in round my studying and looking after my mum, and I ned to be able to move our truck legally as well. Also can't see it being a huge disadvantage in engineering. I quite like long driving trips.


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## K1ck3m0n (Jun 7, 2011)

Read this thread with interest, loads of good advice here.  Just wanted to say good on you for doing something about your situation Miss Shelf, and I really hope things improve dramatically for you.

Was in a similar position myself a few years ago.  Was on the point of resigning when I got pregnant.  Decided there and then to get out and stay out of the work I was in.  It meant my OH and I halved our joint income, doubled our mortgage (had to move due to new baby) and had all the expenses a new ankle biter brings.  I waited till he was in nursery and luckily found a job in our village which I totally love, and it's term time only.  We have to be very careful with money but I love going to work every day, and love the fact that I sleep well at night and no one puts pressure on me.  It had actually got to the stage in my old job, where I was questionning myself constantly, and losing all confidence in my own ability.  If the stress and long working hours hadn't taken a physical toll on me, I know my self belief would have been eventually shredded.  Looking back, I can't believe I stuck it out for as long as I did.  Hats off to you for taking positive steps. X


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## stuff_it (Jun 9, 2011)

Hmm, the economy must be improving, have started getting job application invites off those job sites again....they all seem to be for really high paid stuff. Maybe I haven't been getting bits as I've been undervaluing myself? Trouble is I don't really want to be in Office Management permanently, and these are all permanent well paid stuff... 

*checks bank balance*

Arrgh!


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## Cloo (Jun 9, 2011)

I've never been in this position myself, but if I can't get things done in the allotted time, I have been known to say 'I can finish this tired and in a rush tonight, or it can wait a day and I'll do it properly'

Work that is too much to cope with is work that will not be done as well as it could be - if I were a manager I would _far_ rather hear someone say to me 'I can't manage this alone, it needs another person/more time/to be put on the back burner until other things clear' than to have an employee work themselves into a state of exhaustion or resign, citing overwork.

People can be crap at realising they're setting too much work for an individual or team, especially if the person they give it to keeps taking more on without saying anything. I very much doubt many people have been suffered for actually saying their work is too much - I suspect more managers would be embarrassed and worried to hear an employee is being overworked when they quite demonstrably are, than would think 'What a wuss!' or see that person as being problematic or lazy.


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## Barking_Mad (Jun 9, 2011)

Bob_the_lost said:


> I've started taking far too much pleasure in telling people that I can't help/do that as i'm over stretched. I think this is a bad sign.


 
lolz, i hear you with that one.

I walked out of the office yesterday for about 15 mins. That or hit someone.


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## Barking_Mad (Jun 9, 2011)

It's hard, but try nto to look at everything you have to do, just do one job at a time. That way you look at small pieces rather than the towering inferno above your head 

Where i work they have allowed 40+ teaching staff to leave and 2 full time off staff have left in our office (due to the job being shit and no chance of progression in the dept.) Another one is due to leave before the start of the new academic year and we also lost a part-time supervisor.

The number of students i look after has gone up, and the remaining teaching staff are stupidly overworked. I have to deal with 5 programme managers, 2 cohort monagers and a multitude of module managers. To make matters worse one of the programme managers took over from someone who had done the job for 25 years - he knows bugger all, no handover period and spends most of his time asking me what should be done.

To say stuff is falling down the cracks is an understatement.


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## temper_tantrum (Jun 9, 2011)

stuff_it said:


> Hmm, the economy must be improving, have started getting job application invites off those job sites again....*they all seem to be for really high paid stuff. Maybe I haven't been getting bits as I've been undervaluing myself?* Trouble is I don't really want to be in Office Management permanently, and these are all permanent well paid stuff...
> 
> *checks bank balance*
> 
> Arrgh!


 
Go for it, you will be good at it, you're clearly very competent!  (And 'permanent' only has to mean 'permanent' if you want it to - it doesn't mean you can't quit after a while, if you choose!)


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## Miss-Shelf (Jun 10, 2011)

a few thoughts:

stuff it - value your skills and experience and go for these opportunities

thanks everyone else for all the perspectives

I am teetering on verge of resigning and will keep this as an option.  As my immediate alternative would be school based work and I've got a three month notice period I'd have to take this option by end of june in order to be available to start work as a supply/temp in teaching again

I nearly went for a job this week but it was way below my capacity (and current income) and I think I want to have adaquate renummeration and authority because I have worked so hard for it.  

I am keeping an eye on the job market and revising my criteria - for instance I would take a pay cut and authority cut if the workplace was exceedingly local with all the advantages that would bring to me and mine.  (long commute adds to present stress)

I spoke to my team lead this week and had a mixed response- she was very personally sympathetic and expressed concern that I was experiencing stress and did emphasise that nothing is worth loosing my health over- what it did do was to give me permission to go to all the other colleagues with whom I had overdue deadlines and let them know I can't meet them.  

However, a lot of my deadlines are with clients and I cant' go to them and say 'sorry I'm stressed I can't do this now!'

The longterm problem is threefold:
*the whole team is over worked and this leads to stress pinging round the team and also to people not being available to each other at important times which often impeeds others tasks 

*no one is either employed to or else doesn't fulfill their brief to manage workloads for people - workload is allocated as hours for tasks at the begining of the year and there is not always care taken to map out how these tasks may converge at a particular time with competing deadlines - I will be more savvy to mapping this out for myself at the begining of the year and highlighting where tasks will converge

*far too many tasks are allocated with inadaquate and unrealistic hours allocated to them - I will also be requesting more hours for tasks as I have been keeping a log - for instance I have been allocated 30 hours for the year for a task and in 10months I've spent over 200 hours doing it.
*


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## pennimania (Jun 10, 2011)

Sorry to hear this - must be shite if you are thinking about going back into schools 

have little to add - when I was in that position I stayed up till 3am with glasses of wine and paperwork several  nights a week and took red boxes of work on holiday with me.  

Just like a a cabinet minister (but without the pay and the perks ) but WITH small children.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jun 11, 2011)

pennimania said:


> Sorry to hear this - must be shite if you are thinking about going back into schools
> 
> have little to add - when I was in that position I stayed up till 3am with glasses of wine and paperwork several  nights a week and took red boxes of work on holiday with me.
> 
> Just like a a cabinet minister (but without the pay and the perks ) but WITH small children.



are you saying small children aren't a perk?

anyway thanks people for your support this week it's really helped to be able to post here and hear your experiences.

question for today:
I went to my team lead this week and said 'I've been so stressed and unable to see how I can change it that I have been on the verge of resigning' .  What would a good manager do in response to this?

thanks in advance


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## Bob_the_lost (Jun 11, 2011)

I'd fire you to help reduce the stress 

Your boss should say something along the lines of "Ok, let's see if we can't help you work more effectively and if that's not possible let's type it up and push it up the chain, we can only do so much work and pushing ourselves to breaking point isn't sustainable".


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## oryx (Jun 12, 2011)

Miss-Shelf said:


> What would a good manager do in response to this?



Make an hour or so's time for both of you to sit down in the next few days and discuss in depth why this situation is what it is. 

If I was the manager I would ask the member of staff to think in depth beforehand and write down ideas of why this might be. I would make this an informal and supportive meeting but (in a nice way) non-negotiable to have it, i.e. not saying 'Just feel free to come and chat to me if you want'. 

I also think a good manager would already be aware of it and would be referring upwards any issues with an unreasonable workload.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jun 13, 2011)

its not a good sign that I worked at home for six hours and again today for six hours and am just finishing up now at 12.10am

got a lot to learn about my own part in this


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## Miss-Shelf (Jul 6, 2011)

ericjarvis said:


> Resign. Seriously. Not only for your own sake, but also as a general principle the only way we will stop employers overloading people until they break them is by refusing to work that way.



fingers crossed - I've got a job interview tomorrow


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## temper_tantrum (Jul 7, 2011)

Good luck!


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## Miss-Shelf (Jul 18, 2011)

I didn't get the job but I did go back to my line manager and ask for more specific help and the management team have made some changes to my workload for the next year.  This was more than I expected.  I'll see how it pans out. 
thanks for your support folks


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## Captain Hurrah (Jul 21, 2011)

This is how I've dealt with it, in the past.


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## Wookey (Jul 26, 2011)




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## Captain Hurrah (Jul 27, 2011)

I got booted out of my shift.  Either that, or the lazy prick who accused me of being lazy was threatening to call  the police.


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## Miss-Shelf (Sep 8, 2012)

One year on stress is still a massive problem

this time my stratetgy has been to not do the unmanagable work - I had three weeks off this summer and I went into that holiday thinking I would still do the work and try to catch up.  By day three I was a wreck and I decided to put it to one side and do things for me
nice things like sewing and swimming and seeing friends.
stress levels well down and happiness well up
one week back at work and stress right up and happiness right down

quite a lot of my colleagues spent their annual leave catching up on projectsand

this has become the norm there aren't enough sad smilies to express my feelings about that


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## boohoo (Sep 8, 2012)

My brother resigned from his job the other day. And said he has had three amazing nights of sleep. The work had been piling up for years and although he was working from home because of stress they were giving him loads of work.

Hope you can find away around it. It is really difficult when your work is really two people's work. My office is like that and I'm dreading returning!


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## Miss-Shelf (Sep 8, 2012)

yes we are at least three people down at a conservative estimate
this last academic year was even more stressful than 2010-11 and I can't see 2012-13 being less stressfull!

I'm not quite sure what's stopping me leaving (beyond obv not having another job to go to)


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## ethel (Sep 8, 2012)

i'd read the HSE site. follow the advice on work related stress: http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/furtheradvice/legalresponsibility.htm#linemanagers
the directors/HR have a legal obligation to do something. if they don't then resign and claim constrictive dismissal.

or if it is affecting your health, go and see your GP.


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## Miss-Shelf (Sep 8, 2012)

I saw my gp while I was on holiday and I've just started cbt so I hope that will help
I may resign
I wont claim constructive dismissal but I might see my line manager

we are all so stressed that we are hanging on by finger nails including my line managers which is probably why I'm not going to them as I don't want to cause them more stress


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## claphamboy (Sep 9, 2012)

Miss-Shelf said:


> I saw my gp while I was on holiday and I've just started cbt so I hope that will help
> I may resign
> I wont claim constructive dismissal but I might see my line manager
> 
> we are all so stressed that we are hanging on by finger nails including my line managers which is probably why I'm not going to them as I don't want to cause them more stress


 
Sorry to hear this , I found myself in a similar situation many years ago, my finger nails gave way and I actually fell off the ledge, I had to walk out, actually no, I had to stomp out shouting 'right, that's it, I'll see you in court'  , whilst it seemed like I was wearing a red face-pack and I had put a boiling kettle between my ears, I was shaking & finger-pointing with rage and I slammed the office door so hard behind me that I thought the bloody glass was going to shatter into the open-planned office space.   

The look on the faces of the key-players in the team that I had been building for this new project, that had worked alongside me for years on other projects, across several different businesses, was classic in one respect (supportive) and sad in another, as their divisional MD exits stage left, pushed out by the (almost unknown to them) regional MD. I felt I had let down some friends there, some had jumped ship from our main competitor to come on-board with me, and there was me jumping into a lifeboat and leaving them with a new captain. 

But, in fact, it wasn't me jumping, it was me being pushed.

Now, I know your situation is somewhat different to what I've described, but there're a some similarities, so I'll suggest...

a) You need to get out of this situation ASAP, whatever it takes, however you do it, get out. I exploded before getting to see a GP, you have been lucky that you have clocked the stress level building before crashing, but you can't allow that pressure to build further. Your health comes first, no job should make you ill like this.

b) Reconsider the constructive dismissal route, you may find this thread helpful - Help with Constructive Dismissal! - my contribution on that thread included _'I wouldn't advise going down the constructive dismissal route unless they seriously push you into it, it can be a very stressful few months from experience..- _In your case, from reading your posts, they have seriously pushed you, the evidence being that you have had to consult a GP, no employer (private or public) should be allowed to get away with making their staff ill like this.

Whilst it is stressful to take the constructive dismissal route, believe me, it's nowhere near the stress levels experienced in the job that in turn results in the constructive dismissal action.

I also feel there's a morale obligation to take such action, it's not just about getting compensation to insure you are not left out of pocket over a situation not of your making, but their's, it's about giving them a wake-up call as to their responsibilities to their staff, which hopefully will in time reduce the number of people that end-up suffering unacceptable levels of stress.

Anyway, I hope at least some of what I've posted makes sense, it's taken bloody hours to write this , because I've been up all night playing with various 'legal highs' and TBH I am absolutely bloody smashed, I can hardly focus on the screen let alone find the right keys to press!  

That's it, I am off to the garden.


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## N_igma (Sep 9, 2012)

I'm a team leader myself and recently lots of people have left but they haven't recruited anyone to fill the gap. I find myself working on after my shift with no pay quite a lot but I think the key is to prioritise your work, don't fuss over simple stuff like. It's shit when you raise these concerns and no one does anything about it!


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## Miss-Shelf (Sep 9, 2012)

Clapham boy thanks for sharing your experience in all its viseral detail. I liked the door slaming schtick

I m back to the silent crying on the bus again ( thankful for sunnies)
I ve had to stop and have a cry writing this
that is not good
I know that its part work and part home stress and I know that the two ping back and forth and make each situation worse
I think my first step is to make my two line managers aware of how stressed I am and exactly how behind I am on projects 
they sort of know but not how bad
I will take it from there
the most useful time for me to resign is 30 sep as this leaves me available for school supply work on 1 january
I will see what happens in the next two weeks


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## Miss-Shelf (Sep 9, 2012)

N_igma said:


> I'm a team leader myself and recently lots of people have left but they haven't recruited anyone to fill the gap. I find myself working on after my shift with no pay quite a lot but I think the key is to prioritise your work, don't fuss over simple stuff like. It's shit when you raise these concerns and no one does anything about it!


Sorry to hear you re overworked too - how is yr management dealing with it


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## boohoo (Sep 9, 2012)

Miss-Shelf said:


> Clapham boy thanks for sharing your experience in all its viseral detail. I liked the door slaming schtick
> 
> I m back to the silent crying on the bus again ( thankful for sunnies)
> I ve had to stop and have a cry writing this
> ...


 
(((((miss-Shelf)))) sorry to hear it is so bad. I remember you mentioning something about so much change in your life. Perhaps that is holding you back a bit from changing yet another thing. 

Please don't leave being stressed for too long. do you think this situation will really change?  Life is too short to deal with too much crap. You know that what ever life throw at you, you'll get back up, dust yourself off and move on.

Pop over for a tea and a natter if you like. Baby boo-hoo would like to see you again. x


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## equationgirl (Sep 9, 2012)

Can you make a list of all the tasks you currently have been asked to do, and take it to your managers?


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## Miss-Shelf (Sep 9, 2012)

boohoo said:


> (((((miss-Shelf)))) sorry to hear it is so bad. I remember you mentioning something about so much change in your life. Perhaps that is holding you back a bit from changing yet another thing.
> 
> Please don't leave being stressed for too long. do you think this situation will really change?  Life is too short to deal with too much crap. You know that what ever life throw at you, you'll get back up, dust yourself off and move on.
> 
> Pop over for a tea and a natter if you like. Baby boo-hoo would like to see you again. x


Thanks i would like that
I changed so much and it all went tits up and this has impacted on my faith in my decision making
as eqgirl suggests going to line managers sharpish with the list of my tasks is the first step
thanks people it helps to get it out


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## boohoo (Sep 9, 2012)

Miss-Shelf said:


> Thanks i would like that
> I changed so much and it all went tits up and this has impacted on my faith in my decision making
> as eqgirl suggests going to line managers sharpish with the list of my tasks is the first step
> thanks people it helps to get it out


 
It's easy when things have gone tits up and you are knee deep in the shit to doubt yourself. Some times with all the best will in the world and careful planning, things just don't fall into place. Give yourself a break. Things tend to work themselves out.

And have a bit of faith in your decision making.


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## claphamboy (Sep 9, 2012)

Miss-Shelf said:


> Thanks i would like that
> I changed so much and it all went tits up and this has impacted on my faith in my decision making
> 
> as eqgirl suggests going to line managers sharpish with the list of my tasks is the first step
> thanks people it helps to get it out


 
Well, if you think there's a chance of resolving it without resigning, and you think it's worth a try, go for it, but keep a record of everything you discuss with them, just in case.

Otherwise, I would seriously suggest getting the hell out of there ASAP, as it's clearly seriously impacting on your well-being, based on what you have posted over a fairly lengthy period.

In my case, it was only a matter of 4 to 5 months after I had sold them my business, and as part of that deal I was to be retained to develop the business within this larger company, that I seriously 'hit the wall', because of the fuckload of extra work they piled on me, that prevented me from doing what I was supposed to be doing. It wasn't until a month or so after walking out & starting the legal action, that the penny finally dropped  that if it wasn't actually the intention of their H.O. MD to stitch me up over the sale of my business, it certainly was the intention of the regional MD to force me out once the deal was done.

Still, it cost the buggers an extra £25k + legal costs of both parties, and that was a fair few years ago & certainly not bad considering the very short period of 'employment', plus as an added bonus the major shareholder in that company was the Daily Mail group. 

And, if you think the door slamming & walking out was funny, you would seriously laugh over how I comforted the tossers when they came around to my house to repossess the brand new company car they had supplied me with, that was firmly locked in the garage and they were advised in no uncertain terms what would happen if they attempted to break in. I wouldn't even let the tossers have it back 3-4 months later when they finally decided to settle my claim in full, which they had been fighting for months before starting to make various offers of around 70%, 80% & 90% of what I was claiming, just two days before the tribunal date! I only let them collect it after the funds had cleared my account. 

It was all a bit stressful, but nothing compared to the stress they had caused me in those 4-5 months I was employed by them, and believe me the cash settlement was nowhere need as rewarding as the actual winning of the case on principle, and being able to stare at them whenever I spotted them anywhere in town, including in pubs, and seeing them do everything possible to avoid eye-contact. 

The morale of this story, is don't let the bastards grind you down. 

And, good luck in whatever you decide to do, but don't be scared of considering/threatening or actually taking action for constructive dismissal, especially if you are in the union (an option that wasn't available to me) and can get their support or even better if you, as I had, have legal expenses cover on your household insurance policy that extends to employment issues - having a top employment specialist firm of solicitors on side, without any worries whatsoever over costs, is a great benefit.


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