Scared and lost - help me!

[GirlAfraid23]

I sent my resignation email today and also sent a letter in the post. As soon as I sent it my heart rate went through the roof and I had a panic attack.
I managed to (just) calm myself down...I turned off my iPad and phone and made a promise with myself not to turn it on until later in the day.
I turned them both on 2 hours later and I still haven't had a reply back :(
Why wouldn't she have replied to me? I'm so anxious.

One more question, as I've resigned willingly, what benefits am I entitled to? How about JSA? Don't want to end up with zero in my bank account :weep::weep:

---------- Post added at 20:44 ---------- Previous post was at 19:47 ----------

Anyone there guys?

[Em.ma]

Done a Google search and found this

Your Jobs and Benefits Office can delay your Jobseeker's Allowance for up to 26 weeks if you've voluntarily quit without good reason. If you are claiming constructive dismissal, make sure they know. If you cannot claim Jobseeker's Allowance, you may still be able to claim a hardship payment, which is a reduced amount of Jobseeker's Allowance.
http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/resigning-from-a-job

Also two hours I wouldn't worry. It sounds like she does a very busy job and two hours is no time at all if she was very busy. Don't worry about it. Give it a couple days then maybe try to contact them.

Hope your ok x

[GirlAfraid23]

Done a Google search and found this

Your Jobs and Benefits Office can delay your Jobseeker's Allowance for up to 26 weeks if you've voluntarily quit without good reason. If you are claiming constructive dismissal, make sure they know. If you cannot claim Jobseeker's Allowance, you may still be able to claim a hardship payment, which is a reduced amount of Jobseeker's Allowance.
http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/resigning-from-a-job

Also two hours I wouldn't worry. It sounds like she does a very busy job and two hours is no time at all if she was very busy. Don't worry about it. Give it a couple days then maybe try to contact them.

Hope your ok x

Thank you.
26 weeks is a long time! Is mental health and being singled out in the workplace a "good" enough reason to justify leaving to them so I can claim money sooner?

How about ESA?

[Fishmanpa]

Your best bet is to consult an expert in work relations so you'll know for sure. Perhaps a human resources specialist or a union rep if you're part of a union. I know you're anxious about this but truly that would be the best bet as opposed to Google.

Positive thoughts

[Catherine S]

I agree with the other posters. It's not black and white, like everything there are grey areas and everybody's situation is different. If you are being treated for your mental health issues, ask your doctor to maybe give you a letter to show the job centre staff when you make your claim, to prove that at the moment you are unable to cope with a job.

ISB x

[MyNameIsTerry]

Thank you.
26 weeks is a long time! Is mental health and being singled out in the workplace a "good" enough reason to justify leaving to them so I can claim money sooner?

How about ESA?

If your GP will issue you a FIT note to state you are unfit for work, you can claim either of the two ESA's (dependant on your financial circumstances).

From their point of view, they don't really care why you have left - just that you have. You will likely be asked to explain why but without a constructive dismissal (or other legal case) case against your employer, they won't have anything to consider other than your version of events.

Are you planning on going for constructive dismissal? It will harm your ability to even get a tribunal if you don't but in a grievance with your employer first.

You also need to consider whether you could win. It's very hard to prove constructive dismissal, on the flipside it is not exactly hard for a manager to do it and get away with it. Are your issues even with the school or are they with your colleagues? If you don't give the school the chance to even investigate it, how are they going to be at fault? That recent issue was not deemed enough to even bother with an investigation and if you haven't been informally spoken too about your conduct, the head must have just dismissed the issue...which will be evidence the school have followed procedure.

Please think about that. A tribunal will be tasked with determining whether your employer is at fault and should have acted differently but if this is an unknown issue between colleagues, it's going to be a hard case to press if they haven't been made aware of it.

The link Emma posted is as good as you are going to get, it's official one. The CAB website is excellent about anything like this but it's going to mirror legislation. If you want to discuss your ability to claim, you could ask the Jobcentre but they insist on forms being filled in these days before claims can be dealt with unlike years ago. Even for that they just give people phone numbers or website addresses.

You can also contact ACAS about the work issues if you want advice.

You can make a claim from when you leave. If you go for JSA you will be expected to also be looking for work and you have to prove it these days as they are strict now. Whether you get it any quicker will be an individual thing and up to the claims assessor. If you go the ESA route, it will be very different.

[GirlAfraid23]

I will call the CAB and find out the best course of action from them.
I guess I should go down the ESA route because I don't currently feel able to look for a job properly. However will the GP issue me a further fit note? She told me at the last appointment that once I'm out of that work emvironment she thinks I will feel better about things and the anxiety won't be as bad. Which is partly true but I'm still not well in my mind and I think I'll need to start my counselling before it shows any improvement.

So which route sounds more likely to help me? JSA or ESA?

[MyNameIsTerry]

ESA if that's the case. Your GP will do that if they don't think you are ready. It's a matter of what they think is in your best interests. They like to keep us in work as it can be worse when not working if you do what I did and shrink into your bubble further.

If you go the JSA route they will be on your back to find work and they can be pushy. If you don't do enough, they try to sanction your JSA. It can be stressful so it's something to be sure of.

Hopefully being out of that toxic environment will allow you to feel a bit better about yourself and you can start to move forwards. My work environment caused my first breakdown and later relapse so I know it can be very hard. In my relapse I fought and won both an appeal against my Capability hearing and raised a grievance which I also won. Then they wouldn't honour the grievance outcome. Like I said, constructive dismissal is easy when you push some here & there until they crack and that's easy with anxiety. Rather than get a solicitor on the case to threaten them I spoke to my family and we all agreed my health mattered more as regardless my employer would never change. So, whilst I advocate fighting, I also know how hard it is when you are delicate and back you either way.