View Full Version : Going to Lose Job as Result of Anxiety
Just posting here to vent really. I'm so fed up. I've battled anxiety for 9 years with things becoming particularly bad in the last year. I went off sick in June 2018 from anxiety, managed to get a bit better and return to work Sept 2018. Then I was struggling but still managed to carry on working until Dec 2018 where it all became too much and I went sick again.
I had a work meeting yesterday to discuss my ongoing absence where they basically told me it's the second long term sickness and they can't continue to keep my post open for me unless I'm coming back in the next few weeks, which is unlikely considering the severity of my anxiety right now. HR are involved and have mentioned redeployment to me which they said might not be a good option considering I have agoraphobia (fair enough).
I'm getting referred to occupational health. If they say redeployment isn't suitable which isn't going to be for me (my issue isn't the job role, a change in role isn't going to help) then I'm going to get dismissed.
I've run out of sick pay, I basically have no job to go back into because they can't support me being off sick for any longer than I've taken and I'm dealing with this horrific problem.
I honestly do not know whether to let them dismiss me or just hand in my resignation because I know exactly where this is going and feel it would look better if I made the decision to leave rather than be sacked.
Another thing that sucks is I've been working solidly for 10 years. This is the first time I am going to be without a job with no idea what the future holds or having to worry about income. I've been seeing therapists and paying for them privately in hope they'd help me but no joy as of yet. I'm in a long distance relationship and I now can't really afford to pay for the travel or accommodation to visit my boyfriend, and I couldn't really see him anyway because of agoraphobia. Me being off work is going to soon eat into my savings and my future seems further and further away. I've been saving hard to move out and now I have no income it's all going to go!!!
I feel so down right now, can't stop crying about how this has all played out. Just needed to write it all down and get it out lol :lac:
I really feel for you, Graceski - I've never lost a job through anxiety but I've messed up literally dozens of interviews because of it.
As such, if there's any way you can hold it together enough to keep yourself in work, I'd strongly recommend it - the market is harsh right now, and I think you maybe need to fight on this one. I have an idea of how tough it must be, but it's even tougher when you're hunting and I really wouldn't wish the DWP on anybody.
Please feel free to PM me, as I have any number of strategies for coping with severe anxiety at work and I'd love to help you any way I can.
I really feel for you, Graceski - I've never lost a job through anxiety but I've messed up literally dozens of interviews because of it.
As such, if there's any way you can hold it together enough to keep yourself in work, I'd strongly recommend it - the market is harsh right now, and I think you maybe need to fight on this one. I have an idea of how tough it must be, but it's even tougher when you're hunting and I really wouldn't wish the DWP on anybody.
Please feel free to PM me, as I have any number of strategies for coping with severe anxiety at work and I'd love to help you any way I can.
Thank you for your reply BlueIris it's much appreciated! I've tried so hard to keep it together to stay in work and I was gutted when I had to go off again in December. I hope I can find the strength to take up redeployment and just get my bum back in there!
I'll be thinking of you; it's incredibly hard to keep a job when you have severe anxiety, and it can take every drop of energy you have.
Please let me know how you get on? I really want things to be okay for you.
It’s horrible to see how badly anxiety can affect you. I hope that the occupational health team can offer practical help. What kind of outside support do you get for your agoraphobia?
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It’s horrible to see how badly anxiety can affect you. I hope that the occupational health team can offer practical help. What kind of outside support do you get for your agoraphobia?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've had a few different counsellors in the last year who offered talking therapy. I tried something called BWRT which is supposed to replace negative emotion with positive ones. I just started with a new therapist but it's private and now my job is properly at risk I can no longer continue.
I'm going to through myself into an independent program which is supposed to eliminate your anxiety in about 2 weeks (be good if that were true). Should this fail I am going to through myself into self help and go back on the waiting list for NHS 1:1 therapy, which I have tried before but did not find particularly helpful.
Have you tried contacting your local branch of MIND? They may be able to help.
Have you tried contacting your local branch of MIND? They may be able to help.
I haven't no, might look it up - thank you :)
Anaximenes
26-01-19, 21:01
There may be practical issues to consider. May I ask if you are employed in the UK. There are a lot of technical questions because on the face of it the necessary procedures for dismissal might not have been followed. This might give you a focus in the short term to help; then you can address wider issues.
My first recommendation is not to resign. Then as other posters have suggested approach MIND for advice on employment rights. I am sure you do not want an argument with your employer's but there are rights which must be respected. Your employer may be following the correct procedures but then again....
I can help explain the procedures to be foloowed if it would be helpful to you.
There may be practical issues to consider. May I ask if you are employed in the UK. There are a lot of technical questions because on the face of it the necessary procedures for dismissal might not have been followed. This might give you a focus in the short term to help; then you can address wider issues.
My first recommendation is not to resign. Then as other posters have suggested approach MIND for advice on employment rights. I am sure you do not want an argument with your employer's but there are rights which must be respected. Your employer may be following the correct procedures but then again....
I can help explain the procedures to be foloowed if it would be helpful to you.
I am employed in the UK yes, I work for NHS. I am waiting for my referral to occupational health at the moment, before I am called in for my third and "final" meeting which is known as the dismissal meeting :weep:
Update!!!
I resigned today.
It turns out, behind my back, in my referral to occupational health my manager had lied on paper saying I was late for work, took short notice annual leave which inconvenienced the department, left work early, was antagonising coworkers, and a bunch of other factually incorrect statements.
I found this out this morning at my OH appointment when the poor adviser was reading them out.
Asked for a copy, sent a very angry email off with my resignation letter. It's basically constructive dismissal. They wanted me gone so they can re-recruit into the post.
I'm so sorry things ended like this for you. Your manager sounds like a complete jerk.
She is, I can't believe she would do something like that. I've notified her boss, who's coming to meet me tomorrow to talk things over :)
So my managers boss came to see me and agreed it was very wrong of my manager to put what she did in the report and agrees it was all untrue (she knows me better than my own manager does probably) and is going to have words with her.
They refused my resignation, and are helping me by letting me use my annual leave I've accrued instead of sick leave so I get paid, and by the time this has run out the referral they kindly offered to see an in house therapist should be available to me. If then I'm able to work I should be able to get myself into another position at the hospital fingers crossed.
I did tell her though I can't go back into that position with that lady as my manager after those comments that have been made, and the potential that colleagues have been talking rubbish about me (unless my manager made this up too not sure!)
Oh, that's wonderful! Sounds as though everything might turn out okay after all.
I'm really pleased that your resignation was refused-what an awful experience. I do hope that another position is made available for you with much better working conditions and colleagues. You are best out of this toxic environment and who knows, your next position could be so much better all round.
whispershadow
16-02-19, 18:40
I hope they put you in a better position than you was in, you deserve to have coworkers and a manager you can trust :hugs:
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