I dread going to work

petals
petals Member Posts: 217
I think it's fair to say that I am begining to dread going to work. I now live for the weekends.

I work nine hour shifts, all standing (no sitting allowed, or practical) and after the first 2 hours I am tired and after 7 hrs I am exhausted and in pain and the final 2 hrs are just to be got through in the best way I can.

I am at the point now where I just want to give up on my job. It is making my life miserable and causing me a lot of pain and anxiety

Managers are not very understanding, collegues think that you are 'pulling a fast one' when you say you are not up to doing such and such today.

Money is the only issue now keeping me at this job (which I am begining to hate)

I can walk 100 mt, I can sit for more than half an hour therefore I expect to not be accepted for disability benefits.

What is the answer?

Sorry, just having a moan, I don't want this bank holiday to end and I know I will be tearful when I have to go back to work on Wednesday.

Does anyone else feel like this?

Petals

Comments

  • lululu
    lululu Member Posts: 486
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Petals I know exactly how you are feeling, I felt that way for a long time before I had to give in. I hope you can find a way to make yourself more comfortable at work . You could try asking for a OH assessment. If that soes not work I think I would reffer myself.
  • PollySid
    PollySid Member Posts: 343
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I know exactly how you feel too. I used to be in tears on the way home because I knew I would have to put myself through the same again the next day I was working. I worked 9-6 in a large homewares store walking the shop floor all day, no chance to sit only on breaks.

    How old are you Petals? Can you take early retirement?
    I had to go off sick in the end and then after 6 months and OH getting involved I was finished on health and incapacity grounds.

    I have since been on ESA, but found out last week that they are refusing me it and I have to appeal. I draw my state pension next February so I'm just hanging on until then.

    If you are younger, can you retrain for a different job that would be easier for you to manage?

    Good luck with looking for something else, I feel for you as I have been there and it is awful I know. Life does move on so this time next year, hopefully you will be in a more suitable job and happier.
  • fowls48
    fowls48 Member Posts: 1,357
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Petals


    I know just how you feel .Fortunately my bosses are more caring .I really feel for you as i do not like my job most days .I am 48 and still have a long time before i can retire .I think you bosses should be trying to help you bit more , can you not find any documentation that can be sent to them explaining your condition .I have had a letter from the hospital and i am going to take it in with me next week when i have repaired it .As murphy the dog ripped it in half .


    take care
    karen xx
  • Heather65
    Heather65 Member Posts: 262
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Petals ,i know how you feel i work full time nights cleaning in a college i feel tired before i even start work so by 4.30 in the morning when i finish im done in ,ive a problem with my neck and the job is quite hard work ,my oh is not working at the mo so i have to keep going and at only 47 ive a long way to go before i can retire !so i just keep going and rest when i can im waiting on my mri results next week so willhave ato see what will happen just try and rest when you can :)
  • paulch
    paulch Member Posts: 103
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    :( hi PETALS. I understand what you are going through, i myself have been at company 38 yrs so they more helpfull , i found that HR was of great help as was the Safty officer who saw the needs i need ( mind you i have had a stroke to ) i now work 30 hrs a week and work from home 2 days , you need to ask really but i understand a lot of companys are not interested.
  • applerose
    applerose Member Posts: 3,621
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I know a bit of what you're going through. I didn't mind my job up until about 6 months ago. Now I hate it because I know I will be soooo tired and in pain by the end of the day. When I get home, I just sit and do nothing so it feels as if I only live to work. At least my bosses are understanding and I can sit down for 5 minutes now and again. I hope you can manage to get your boss to understand and give you some help at least.
    Christine
  • petals
    petals Member Posts: 217
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks to everyone that has replied to my post.

    It helps to know that I am not the only one that feels this way, although I am sorry for those of you who do.

    I am 52 yrs old and so quite a way off reirement yet. My partner was made redundant for the third time 2 yrs ago and it took him 18 months to find his new job. He is better educated than me and is fit and healthy and yet it took 18 months to find work. This makes me wonder how on earth I would ever find another job in my condition.

    After a recent abcence from work due to a flare up my union rep overheard one of my managers saying 'yes she has Rheumatoid Arthritis but it does not affect her every day life' OMG she should swap places with me for one week, she would soon change her mind on that one.

    The problem is that we look so normal, we look the same every day except that some days we limp slightly, other days we limp badly and some days we dont limp at all. Some days I can pick up a reasonable heavy box and some days I can barely pick up my knife and fork or cut up my food.

    This is so frustrating, I know some people think that we pretend we cant do things sometimes. Just because we did it last week they can't understand why we can't do it this week.

    I have taken loads of leaflets and booklets into work regarding my condition but they just put them into my file and I am sure that they never read them.

    Pollysid, maybe you have the answer. Next time I go off sick I should get OH involved and look for ill health retirement and then take my chances with DLA.

    I will let you all know how I progress with this although it sounds like it may be a bit long winded.

    Thanks all, Petals x
  • Emily
    Emily Member Posts: 124
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Petal remember that you bosses do not care about your pain unless you are scamming all day long and then they might believe you and try and get rid of you as soon as possible with the least effect on them.

    The reason I am telling you this is because I was told to get access to work in to do assessment for me in 2010 by a so called caring boss but they really wanted to sack me however I kept one step ahead of them.

    My boss did not believe me that I had a disability and that was why they told me to get access to work in and they would pay for any adjustments for me. When I did all the paper work and got access to work in that same manager was nowhere to be seen despite me telling them that the assessor was calling that day to make the assessment for me and I gave the manager the assessor phone number as well. The assessor was wonderful and made recommendations for equipment for me as I was standing also. The very large firm did not purchase the equipment and I had to continue to stand. To cut a long story short in the end I had to take my employer to a tribunal as I could not stand it any longer. I had more time off and my employer keep writing to me to go back to work and they would provide me with their standard equipment. If I did that they would never provide the equipment that was recommended by access to work specialist people.

    The plc company purchase the access to work equipment that was recommended 2 years ago only a couple of days ago just before the tribunal date. You would not believe the lies that the nice managers are telling, to get themselves off the hook. Also the very large retail plc company would rather spend thousand pounds a day on a barrister then spend a couple of hundred pounds on a disabled member of staff to help them stay at work.

    Also, if you have a lot of time off your company will get rid of you on capabilities and they are let off the hook and they can do this legally, therefore, asked you employer to send you to their OHA and get access to work in also to make recommendations for you at work. If the company does not comply then they will make you prove that you have a disability at the Tribunal like I am doing now. Also the only reason my company did not sack me was because I had put in ET1 and it would not look so good on them if the sacked me. At the end of day their staff do not matter it is money that that is their main concern staff are expendable and especially if it is costing them money.
  • Emily
    Emily Member Posts: 124
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Petals, I had a very bad day when I made the above post and just had another look at it. When I said ’scamming’ I meant ‘screaming’ which of course we do not as we are stronger than that and used to pain as we suffer from it all the time and becomes part of our lives.

    Once at my place of work a young person and a small bar fall on her foot from an inch high she screamed and immediately was taken up stair, ice put on her foot and got a taxi paid home for her. Next day she was at work OK. The ear pitching screaming she did, you would think her foot had been cut off. I am not saying that the employee should not have screamed like she did as the bar obviously hurt her foot but her screams got results.

    I had an accident outside work and was off as a result and unfortunately it happened while I was off on holiday leave. I was on crutches and told to go back to work and adjustments would be made for me. No adjustments were made and I was put standing behind tills. It was Christmas time and lots of boxes everywhere. I tripped on the boxes and damage myself more. A Christmas temp saw what happened and took me upstairs and got first aider and but accident in the accident book the first aider got my crutches and I had to find my own way home on public transport. Not as much can you do it alone in the dark during busy periods in a very busy street of London.

    I was 63 then and obviously not worth bothering about, I was off work for a further 3 months after that and took out a grievance as result of the treatment I got and was told that adjustments would be made for me but none was done despite their OH telling my employer that I had underlying ill health conditions. I got access to work involved and It took my employer 2 years to get an access to work equipment for me and now I know that they are really trying to make me resign which I am very reluctant to do as I do not want to give them an easy way out. I am very stubborn and will enjoy not doing what they want me to do by leaving quietly.

    I am getting another assessment done from access to work which employer does not like. I am having this done as it is such a long time since the first recommended was made and it took so long for them to purchase the equipment for that it is not suitable for me anymore. I have given my employer all details about my conditions with evidence but do the manager care no they are only interested in getting work done and do care about staff or how they are coping. My employer use to have a good reputation of been a good one, but not now, however they still want to keep the image of a good employer, I thnk they are they are worse employers I have ever worked for as there is no support for employess and all that matters is profit for their shareholder.

    Look after yourself x
  • petals
    petals Member Posts: 217
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank you Emily,

    It helps to read other peoples experiences of how they cope (or not) in the work place.

    It takes a lot of effort and determination to remain in employment when your body is crying out for a rest. I have found that my mood definately dips on Sunday afternoons as I mentally prepare myself for the next shift on Monday.

    I feel as though somebody took away my old life in which I used to go to work and have fun, and swapped it for this new life where each work day is to be endured. Fun no longer comes into the equation.

    petals x
  • fowls48
    fowls48 Member Posts: 1,357
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    petals wrote:
    Thanks to everyone that has replied to my post.

    It helps to know that I am not the only one that feels this way, although I am sorry for those of you who do.

    I am 52 yrs old and so quite a way off reirement yet. My partner was made redundant for the third time 2 yrs ago and it took him 18 months to find his new job. He is better educated than me and is fit and healthy and yet it took 18 months to find work. This makes me wonder how on earth I would ever find another job in my condition.

    After a recent abcence from work due to a flare up my union rep overheard one of my managers saying 'yes she has Rheumatoid Arthritis but it does not affect her every day life' OMG she should swap places with me for one week, she would soon change her mind on that one.

    The problem is that we look so normal, we look the same every day except that some days we limp slightly, other days we limp badly and some days we dont limp at all. Some days I can pick up a reasonable heavy box and some days I can barely pick up my knife and fork or cut up my food.

    This is so frustrating, I know some people think that we pretend we cant do things sometimes. Just because we did it last week they can't understand why we can't do it this week.

    I have taken loads of leaflets and booklets into work regarding my condition but they just put them into my file and I am sure that they never read them.

    Pollysid, maybe you have the answer. Next time I go off sick I should get OH involved and look for ill health retirement and then take my chances with DLA.

    I will let you all know how I progress with this although it sounds like it may be a bit long winded.

    Thanks all, Petals x
    Good luck too you petals , they do not realise that stress also causes flare ups and i have had days when i cannot even cut an apple .My boss owns the building and i could not even punch in security codes to get in the front door , had to go to the front of office and ask another company to let me in the back way .