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Hi all,
This is a bit of a saga, so apologies for the mammoth post but please bear with me...
I work for a local authority and have done since 2004. I have had 5 different positions in the eight years that I've worked there, starting from a graduate placement and moving up through the ranks as promotions have come about.
In 2008, I was successful in being promoted from department A to department B to the post of Policy and Research Officer. A year into this post and I saw a 2 year secondment being advertised in department A. I was successful in getting this secondment and thoroughly enjoyed the job role. During the secondment, another employee was seconded into my substantive post in department B to cover the work. 18 months into the secondment, I fell pregnant. This was unfortunate timing as my maternity leave overlapped the period which would have seen the secondment coming to an end and my return to my substantive post in department B.
I was informed during my maternity leave that the person who had been seconded into my substantive post in dept B had returned to her original dept and had taken my job role with her. During my maternity leave, I was diagnosed with post natal depression and skin cancer and had to take sick leave at the end of my maternity leave. During my period of confinement, the fact that I knew my substantive post had been given to someone else did nothing to help my mental health. It was not until two weeks before my return to work in Oct 2011 that my line manager phoned me at home informing me that she'd had a 'eureka moment' and had thought of a new job role for me. I was now to be working as a Marketing Officer, a role which I had no experience of and no relevant qualifications for and obviously, quite far away from the 'policy' role of my previous substantive post. However, I needed a job, obviously, and therefore returned to work (I was also aware that if I did not return, I would have to repay maternity pay). I was not issued with a new contract of employment.
My return to work coincided with the job evaluation process. As my new job profile for the marketing officer role had not been written, I was made to go through the je process on the job profile of my substantive post I.e. the policy officer role, even though I was not doing these duties as the job was being done by someone else in another department. There was no change to my pay scale following the je process, but I did have to sign the necessary je agreements based on this old job profile. However, two months later, when my new job profile had been written, it had to be resubmitted to be evaluated under je. I was informed that if the job was scored and subsequently deemed to be of a lower salary grade, then so be it...luckily, the new job came out at the same grade. I had still not received a new contract.
It was immediately apparent that this job was creating no 'added value' and that I was either duplicating work being done by other officers or treading on people's toes. During my appraisal, I was not given any further direction and when I asked if it would be possible to receive some kind of marketing training to learn the basic principles, I was informed that there was no such training available internally, no money to fund external training, and that I should shadow someone in the marketing department for a day. My mental health deteriorated in May 2012 as a result of this situation and I had to go back on anti depressants.
As a result of my mental health issues, I decided to do something positive to help myself and over the summer months, have set up my own business making fabric items, cushions, bags etc. I find it gives me something to enjoy and to focus on. Unfortunately, in August, I was diagnosed with two medical conditions for which I am still on sick leave. They are serious conditions which affect me on a daily basis and am still currently undergoing tests. My mental health has subsequently been affected. Two weeks ago, I received a phone call from my manager stating that it was 'obvious' that I was continuing to work for my home business whilst on sick leave. I did not deny that the business has continued, but affirmed that it was being kept afloat by friends and family as I was simply incapable of doing any work. My manager told me to 'prove it'. I was extremely distressed on the phone and asked what would happen now. I was told that it had been passed to HR and that she had to go as she didn't have time to talk to me. This has sent my mental health spiralling out of control.
I have been sent to see the Occupational Health Doctor on the grounds of a) assessing whether I can undertake work duties at home as I am 'apparently' working for my home business and b) whether this 'apparent' work has had a detrimental effect on my health. The doctor affirmed that it was not his duty to investigate whether I had been 'apparently' working and he agreed that I am not fit to work. I have asked my step father to liaise with my manager with regards to this, however, my manager has refused to deal with anyone other than me. The Occ Health doctor also recommended that correspondence be directed to my step father due to my fragile mental state, however, today, I have received a letter from the director of the dept also stating that correspondence will continue to be sent to me.
I feel as though I'm having a breakdown and am on the brink of resigning.
Can anyone offer any advice on the last chaotic twelve months of my employment?
sincere apologies for the length of this post
This is a bit of a saga, so apologies for the mammoth post but please bear with me...
I work for a local authority and have done since 2004. I have had 5 different positions in the eight years that I've worked there, starting from a graduate placement and moving up through the ranks as promotions have come about.
In 2008, I was successful in being promoted from department A to department B to the post of Policy and Research Officer. A year into this post and I saw a 2 year secondment being advertised in department A. I was successful in getting this secondment and thoroughly enjoyed the job role. During the secondment, another employee was seconded into my substantive post in department B to cover the work. 18 months into the secondment, I fell pregnant. This was unfortunate timing as my maternity leave overlapped the period which would have seen the secondment coming to an end and my return to my substantive post in department B.
I was informed during my maternity leave that the person who had been seconded into my substantive post in dept B had returned to her original dept and had taken my job role with her. During my maternity leave, I was diagnosed with post natal depression and skin cancer and had to take sick leave at the end of my maternity leave. During my period of confinement, the fact that I knew my substantive post had been given to someone else did nothing to help my mental health. It was not until two weeks before my return to work in Oct 2011 that my line manager phoned me at home informing me that she'd had a 'eureka moment' and had thought of a new job role for me. I was now to be working as a Marketing Officer, a role which I had no experience of and no relevant qualifications for and obviously, quite far away from the 'policy' role of my previous substantive post. However, I needed a job, obviously, and therefore returned to work (I was also aware that if I did not return, I would have to repay maternity pay). I was not issued with a new contract of employment.
My return to work coincided with the job evaluation process. As my new job profile for the marketing officer role had not been written, I was made to go through the je process on the job profile of my substantive post I.e. the policy officer role, even though I was not doing these duties as the job was being done by someone else in another department. There was no change to my pay scale following the je process, but I did have to sign the necessary je agreements based on this old job profile. However, two months later, when my new job profile had been written, it had to be resubmitted to be evaluated under je. I was informed that if the job was scored and subsequently deemed to be of a lower salary grade, then so be it...luckily, the new job came out at the same grade. I had still not received a new contract.
It was immediately apparent that this job was creating no 'added value' and that I was either duplicating work being done by other officers or treading on people's toes. During my appraisal, I was not given any further direction and when I asked if it would be possible to receive some kind of marketing training to learn the basic principles, I was informed that there was no such training available internally, no money to fund external training, and that I should shadow someone in the marketing department for a day. My mental health deteriorated in May 2012 as a result of this situation and I had to go back on anti depressants.
As a result of my mental health issues, I decided to do something positive to help myself and over the summer months, have set up my own business making fabric items, cushions, bags etc. I find it gives me something to enjoy and to focus on. Unfortunately, in August, I was diagnosed with two medical conditions for which I am still on sick leave. They are serious conditions which affect me on a daily basis and am still currently undergoing tests. My mental health has subsequently been affected. Two weeks ago, I received a phone call from my manager stating that it was 'obvious' that I was continuing to work for my home business whilst on sick leave. I did not deny that the business has continued, but affirmed that it was being kept afloat by friends and family as I was simply incapable of doing any work. My manager told me to 'prove it'. I was extremely distressed on the phone and asked what would happen now. I was told that it had been passed to HR and that she had to go as she didn't have time to talk to me. This has sent my mental health spiralling out of control.
I have been sent to see the Occupational Health Doctor on the grounds of a) assessing whether I can undertake work duties at home as I am 'apparently' working for my home business and b) whether this 'apparent' work has had a detrimental effect on my health. The doctor affirmed that it was not his duty to investigate whether I had been 'apparently' working and he agreed that I am not fit to work. I have asked my step father to liaise with my manager with regards to this, however, my manager has refused to deal with anyone other than me. The Occ Health doctor also recommended that correspondence be directed to my step father due to my fragile mental state, however, today, I have received a letter from the director of the dept also stating that correspondence will continue to be sent to me.
I feel as though I'm having a breakdown and am on the brink of resigning.
Can anyone offer any advice on the last chaotic twelve months of my employment?
sincere apologies for the length of this post
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