View Full Version : Only way forward was to RESIGN
Hi all
Sorry i have been hit and missy on the site for so long but life just seemed to get more crazy. Since allegations made against me in Feb 06 i have been of work, an investigation has taken place on my behalf but no results gave me the acknowledgement i needed after such a stressful time. I took legal advice and was advised i had a good case for constructive dismissal. So weighing up all that had happened within the prison service, recent ongoings and more importantly my health i took one of the biggest steps and decisions i have ever had to make and resigned in December. Since that decision i am still consulting with a new solicitor who if decides it is viable will take on the case no win no fee. I know this will be an extremely stressful process and on any account they will try to say or do anything to justify their actions. But on the note for the first time since the day i started that job i feel i can do this. I know at times i may feel like i cant cope but i know i can dig deep and stand up for what i believe in. Financially things are pretty dire, especially since i resigned they forgot to give me my months notice half pay and after contacting they now claim i should have been on nil pay, which is not the case. I asked for sick excusal on the 3rd March 06 which gives you the first six months on full pay but excluded then you start on your full six months full pay then six months half pay and to this date they have still not looked into that either.
I know i have made the right decision but every so often i need to remind myself of that. On a good note i have applied for jobs and had a few interviews and on Friday i received a letter saying i had been successful and am due to start working as a law inforcement officer on the 12 Feb 07.
Sorry for such a long post.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".
Hi Sal,
congratulations on the new job...you really deserve it after all you've been through. I followed a few of your other posts and it sounds like you were treated really badly. I'm sure this is a good decision for you and hopefully the fresh start will be a turning point for you.
You really do sound very strong and very focussed. Well done you! Hope the new job goes well!
take care
Coni X
Hi ,do,nt know you but good luck with new job, new year,new start.
Wow you are sooo brave.
I have instigated an investigation against my employers on the grounds of Lack of duty of care. I am awaiting the results of this before I can move forward. I am working but the effects of the job on my mental health is too much at times. I am scared I might be forced to give up for the sake of my health and i may be forced to take things further. I hope that you get the result you are looking for, and I will think of you if I have to go the same route. Hope I have your courage!
TC xxxx
Hi Sal
You have certainly made the right decision and am so pleased you have secured a new job already.
This is a step towards recovery, and I suppose the next step will be when the case is settled.
Take care and thanks for the hug, pet
Have one back:D
Ray
http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers
Hi Sal,
Good to hear from you. Well done for making such a hard decision, sounds like it was the right one for you.
Congratulations on the new job too :D. I hope you'll really enjoy it.
Take care,
Lisa x
Thanks for all your replies
Bearcrazy that is the same as i have done. Let me know how it goes because they at least owe us that much so understand how you feel.
Thanks Ray, still sending you big hugs.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".
Well done Sal for making such a brave decision. I had a situation a few years ago where I was on the point of resigning and claiming constructive dismissal due to bullying. When it came to it I chickened out and they paid me off instead. With your new job under your belt you have nothing to lose.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Love Jo x
I was interested reading your post. Well done.!!! That was a brave thing you did and I am so glad you got another job, but it is so crap the way you were treated.
I have been off for almost 4 months with anxiety depression. I had an occupational health interview which found (with my agreement) that work didn't cause it but nowhere was I given the option to say how they hadn't helped it, it had help make it worse, the lack of support I was given.
Today, I had to call my work for something and a staff member started telling me of the crap going on there that I didn't want to hear. I came off the phone and began to have a panic and I know it was because of work problems. So, I applaud you. I wish I had the courage but I don't think I'll find another job like it with my present sickness.
happyone
x
"Today is the day before tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day." wisdom of my daughter!
Well done on the new job Sal :)
Piglet :)
"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.
8 1/2 years ago i had a huge investigation at work, on a night crew, over bullying. 2 people were dismissed/ or were given no choice but to leave. But one still works there to this day, the last person i'm not sure.
I had to go to working days, although i was the victim due to my social phobia, then i went back to evenings and some nights. In the end, i just woke up one morning and said why am i doing this to myself every day? They won't fire these other 2 people. They won't protect their own workers, other people were bullied before and after me. Instead of going to work, i went to my doctor and got a months sick note, then another month and went on sickness benefit and housing benefit. 8 1/2 years later i'm still on sickness benefits.
The most i've managed is my son's paper round with my wife or son. An hours 'work'. My sister struggles on with similar problems at work. Every job for 2 decades shes had problems with other staff and the job through stress anxiety. One of my brothers hasn't worked for years either.
Companies don't protect people with mental health/ phobia/ anxiety problems. Which is why so many of us are on sickness benefit. I can't think of a job i could do with my social phobia. Love Paul.
Love to all members
honeybee3939
25-01-07, 10:14
Congratulations Sal on your new job!
Thats a great step forward for you, im sure things will move in the right direction from now on.:D
Love
Andrea
xxxx
"If you have a worry turn it into a problem, you cant solve worrys but you can solve problems"
Hi Jo
Thanks for that. I am in the process of writing a letter to the head of the prison service, i am trying to edge my way forward to getting a settlement out of court, not because i think i dont have a strong case or am unwilling to go the full process but more for the finacial reward in itself without have to pay (if i win) most of the money to a solicitor. How do you come to an agreement to be paid off if you dont mind me asking?
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".
Hiya Happyone
Isnt it so true that when you are off sick everyone who contacts you wants to tell you how bad things are at work, and how is any off this going to make you feel any better towards getting back to work. It just highlights more why you are off work. Employers are so keen to realise that you are not off sick because of the work but forget to amend the part about how they could help and how they could have more importantly prevented situations that have hindered your health. I like you months ago thought because of my sick record would not get another job but i just persevered. I have been honest with the company that have offered me a job and if i struggle with it, then i no i can again go back to the drawing board.
You should contact your employers and make sure they are totally aware of the fact that you feel they have not offered you the support needed and that this infact has led to it hindering your health.
Here if you want to talk.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".
Hi Paul
Sorry to hear about your situation, but you are so right in saying that so many companies are not their to protect their employees but seem to protect those that cause trouble. I think from my point of view and situation at work they have protected those who have done the wrong doing and offered me no support or recognition for what i have been through. They stated that im a vunerable character so whatever happened to me in any situation the results would be the same. That is a very personal and detrimental judgement of my character but they seem to have the power to get away with this. Hence why i have decided to battle on against them and i am prepared for a hard ride, but one that i should have done years ago.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".
Hi Sal mate,
Sorry you have been through such a bad time at work hun. Leaving was definately for the best. I'm so glad you have a new job and I wish you all the very best of luck.
Take Care,
Love & Hugs,
Pip's X X X X
Pippa.
Thanks Pips
Still getting stress of them. Tring to write a letter to the Head of the Prison Service but so much has happened it is trying to cut it down in the the important facts, but it also feels like i am dragging the last year up again and at times it is really upsetting me. I just hope i have the strength to see this through to the end.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".
Thank you Sal, that was so nice of you.
At mo I have just been signed off for another month. Doc has all but pleaded with me to NOT say to them I will be back soon and not to contact them uneccessarily. SO, today I phoned them and I am not going to do so for another month. I have agreed to meet up with a couple of individuals if there is no work talk, and if they can come to me. When I go back, if it isn't working out, I am going to ask for redeployment.
Hope all goes well in your new post.
happyone
x
"Today is the day before tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day." wisdom of my daughter!
Hi hun
I think that is great that you are meeting up with a couple of individuals from work, it keeps you in touch with your colleagues without the pressure of talking about work. And those people will always be there to support you when or if you return to work.
Keep in touch.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".
Hello
I really admire you Sal. I wish I had had the strength to take up the matter of my bullying at work officially. At the time, I was so full of anixety and god knows what else I felt so confused, weak, vulnerable and at the stage where I thought I was going mad.
Paul, I am also so disappointed that my previous employers did not have any type of protection on this, if anything it was all part of the salesmans 'game' to them, survival of the fittest etc etc and they were as bad as the people doing the bullying. Also they would do it in a way which was really difficult to prove, ie pretend they were talking about candidates, or lots of non verbal communication, exaggerated coughs & giggles. It has been going on for years within recruitment and will do so for years afterwards. After I left, I actually found a clause in my contract that said you could be dismissed for having mental health issues!!! I couldnt believe this was in a contract, surely this is not legal? and against Employment Laws or Equal Opportunities?
Sal, in response to your question about how to get "paid off" in order to aviod going through what could be a very lengthy and stressful legal process - it called a Compromise Agreement.
The employer basically offers you a sum in exchange for your resignation and your agreement (legally) to not take any legal action against them and to keep all details of the agreement confidential. They are also obliged to provide a good reference for future employers, I believe.
I'd recommend that route. The sum may not be huge, but it is guaranteed unlike any awards for claims for unfair dismissal, which tend to be lower than people imagine and mostly get used up in legal fees.
The most important reason is that you can then put the whole episode behind you and truly move on. It is always tempting to fight on as a matter of principle, but the stresses are huge and you are already struggling with having to rake over the whole thing. If you want to really look after yourself, you'll take the money, have no regrets, never look back and start your new life!
Worked for me :-)
Eeb x
Thanks for that advice hun i really appreciate it. I will mention that in the letter i am writing to the head of the service and see what comes back from there.
I cant wait to forget all about it and move on.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".
Hi Sal,
I'm not sure where you stand on that if you have already resigned, but it is certainly worth looking for some info about it anyway.
Either way, you'll be so much better once you've managed to put it all firmly in the past where it now belongs ;)
Eeb xx
Yeah the best place for it is in the past, i can only try and see what happens.
Thanks hun.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".
nomorepanic
28-01-07, 16:00
Sal
Hey it was good to talk last night and catch up on things. Long time no speak wasn't it?
I hope things work out for you and you can now move on (like me) and put the past behind you.
Good luck with everything mate.
x
Nicola
People will forget what you said
People will forget what you did
But people will never forget how you made them feel
Thaks Nic
We will have to catch up more often, we left it far too long.
I hope everything works out great for you to.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".
I have just read through the letter i have written to the service and from nowhere i have gone in to a massive panic attack. I havent had one like this for months. In more panic i have just taken 10mg of diazepam and i am sat waiting for it to start working, but stupid thoughts are going through my head, what if it doesnt work? What if i lose control?
I am trying so hard to calm myself down and think of all the positive things but it doesnt seem to be working at the moment.
Sorry for the ramble.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".
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