Urgent staff meeting at work..In trouble [Archive]

ADW

08-12-15, 16:44

So tonight I have to go into work for an urgent staff meeting which was arranged last week because apparently we are in trouble. I know its somethibg bad because my bosses havw been in a bad mood since they announced the meeting. The meeting is at 6 and I'm in a right state about it now. I've had to go to bed I'm feeling sick, dizzy and horrible, all my usual major anxiety symptoms. I feel like I've been really trying at work the last few weeks and I've really improved my practice and taken everything on board that has been asked of us to improve. This feels like it doesn't matter what I do, something is wrong. I don't want this to affect my ability to work or the standard of my work but I know it will throw me off and I won't be as good as I know I can be. Also I feel like any confidence I did have at work is going to be badly affected. Eughh I feel so horrible and shakey.

robinsky

09-12-15, 01:08

Hi,

I am sorry you are going through this and I totally sympathise with your plight. Do you know what I would do if I were you? I suggest ANYONE be a member of a trade union and I'm not being funny, everyone makes mistakes at work and unless its something really bad, if its a first offence, then you shouldn't be fired for that unless it is gross misconduct, normally and I think you would be unlucky to lose your job over something else unless what you did amounted to this and from what you describe, it doesn't seem that way to me.

Furthermore, I think its unfair they are keeping you out of the loop until the meeting - I think you should be able to know about it as soon as its happened as this gives you the chance to give you a basis for writing your defence to the situation, whatever that situation might be. I mean, I was summoned in to what I believed to be a routine meeting once and it turned out to be nothing of the sort, very much a disciplinary meeting with other members of staff there as well and the things that were said, if I had had my wits about me more, I would have made a serious complaint which could have got the powers that be into trouble. Also, I would NEVER go into a meeting unless someone else was there with me so nothing could get misinterpreted but I think you certainly need to let your TU or equivalent know about this as it potentially has career changing consequences, which I don't think it should.

For the best part of two years, I have had a similar experience where my job was concerned. I was falsely accused of leaving messages on my social media account which concerned my work supervisor and I was off with severe stress/anxiety and contemplated suicide - however, I got great help from my TU and friends - you need them right now, they will certainly help your anxiety. I was bed ridden for weeks and it took a monumental effort to snap me out of this.

I went back to work during my sickness but I never felt I had the support of my work colleagues and found myself going off with stress again and I also had other medical issues. In the end, I decided to hand in my resignation as I felt that I couldn't see a future at my previous workplace and the irony and the irritation for me was that during the disciplinary hearing, they said 'I' wasn't responsible for the more colourful comments and the investigation was all about those comments in the first place and after everything I went through, I was resentful. I don't also believe the person who made the complaint was totally affected by what happened as there were circumstances following their initial complaint which didn't tie in the current situation, such as my supervisor going on social media, saying 'Life is great' etc. and curiously, that tweet mysteriously disappeared from their profile and it was labelled as odd when I brought it up on here at the time as well - I also saw this individual was happy as larry around the establishment and I knew she hadn't been as adversely affected as to put someone through all that.

To think about it now, it just enrages me, to be honest, but I made the choice to leave and it was the best choice I ever made this year - no more stress where my job is concerned which had no real future anyway.

Don't worry if the worst did come to the worst, you obviously are someone who works to the best of their ability and if your workplace can't see that despite the fact if mistakes are made, you are dedicated to the task in hand, they don't deserve you and ask yourself, has this deed really brought the house down? Of course it hasn't - any place would find a way to continue in the face of an error - that's what crisis management is all about.

Keep smiling. You will be fine.