dcake
09-05-11, 09:20
Hi, my name is rob.
Ok so let me tell you a little bit about me. I'm a Civil Enforcement Officer, or traffic warden in ye oldie tongue. I work for a local authority. I really hate my job but unfortunately it pays my bills and feeds my 2 year old son, I've been looking for another job since I started 2 years ago.
I know its not a great job, but I've been getting on with it and keeping my head down. You kinda get used to being insulted on a daily basis by members of the public and drivers, even those who don't drive and just don't like the look of you. And having un-official targets put on you.
I've had a few minor assaults, pushes and pokes. Being driven at and threatened kinda happens everyday. Which I have coped with, you can even laugh it off to an extent because I have a few good friends on my team. I guess my problems really started just after christmas. I had a car full of young lads following me around with a megaphone calling me all the names under the sun, humiliating me and getting a good laugh from standers-by which I was really embarrassed about. It didn't look very professional and was out of my control. A few weeks later I was ordered by my manager and a supervisor to photograph some council workers who were hiding and not doing what the were suposed to be doing according to my manager. To which I did under duress. They have had a disciplinary since. Now most of the council workers go silent when they see my and stop talking amongst themselves. I can understand how they feel, my manager has not supported why I photographed them. About 3 months ago I had an incident where I was pinned against a wall face to face for what felt like along time by a guy who had just had a parking fine, was about 10 minutes according to my college. The guy was very angry and would not let me move. We use mobile phones as a communication method but my colleges did not work when he tried to call the police so he had to reach in to my pocket to get out my own personal phone to make the call. It took 10 police 2 riot vans and special teather ropes to detain the guy.
You know what, I managed to deal with this all pretty well. But what really finished me off was getting banned for a local shop because of the job I do. Silly really. But I wasn't able to do my job with out getting very angry at the "customer". I was having constant arguments with my wife and shoutting at my 2 year old for next to nothing. My wife sat me down and we talked. I went to see my doctor who after a long chat signed me off for a month and gave me a script for Fluoxetine. I've been to see him twice since and I'm now at the point where I don't dare to take off any more time. I did hear from one of my work college after a week of me being off that my manager is openly discussing with team mates about taking me down the "capability route" and how angry she was that I didn't approach her with my problems (which I have tried but end up after 2 minutes her telling me that she works from home when things get on top of her and offers me no help). I revived a copy of the work sickness policy though the post after 4 days of being off as I didn't call her to explain why I wasn't at work, It wasn't acceptable to hear it from my team leader who I contacted as I wasn't comfortable about calling my manager at 7am.
I've been to see HR who were great, they seemed to avoid talking about my manager's issues with me. I've also been to see occupational health. She was fantastic and advised a phased return to work. I'm back at work in 3 days. I've just been told by a work mate that I'm being taken off my team and being put with another group of people who I don't know. I really don't want to be split from my work buddies as they make the job just bearable.
I'm dreading going back.
what am I going to do?
Ok so let me tell you a little bit about me. I'm a Civil Enforcement Officer, or traffic warden in ye oldie tongue. I work for a local authority. I really hate my job but unfortunately it pays my bills and feeds my 2 year old son, I've been looking for another job since I started 2 years ago.
I know its not a great job, but I've been getting on with it and keeping my head down. You kinda get used to being insulted on a daily basis by members of the public and drivers, even those who don't drive and just don't like the look of you. And having un-official targets put on you.
I've had a few minor assaults, pushes and pokes. Being driven at and threatened kinda happens everyday. Which I have coped with, you can even laugh it off to an extent because I have a few good friends on my team. I guess my problems really started just after christmas. I had a car full of young lads following me around with a megaphone calling me all the names under the sun, humiliating me and getting a good laugh from standers-by which I was really embarrassed about. It didn't look very professional and was out of my control. A few weeks later I was ordered by my manager and a supervisor to photograph some council workers who were hiding and not doing what the were suposed to be doing according to my manager. To which I did under duress. They have had a disciplinary since. Now most of the council workers go silent when they see my and stop talking amongst themselves. I can understand how they feel, my manager has not supported why I photographed them. About 3 months ago I had an incident where I was pinned against a wall face to face for what felt like along time by a guy who had just had a parking fine, was about 10 minutes according to my college. The guy was very angry and would not let me move. We use mobile phones as a communication method but my colleges did not work when he tried to call the police so he had to reach in to my pocket to get out my own personal phone to make the call. It took 10 police 2 riot vans and special teather ropes to detain the guy.
You know what, I managed to deal with this all pretty well. But what really finished me off was getting banned for a local shop because of the job I do. Silly really. But I wasn't able to do my job with out getting very angry at the "customer". I was having constant arguments with my wife and shoutting at my 2 year old for next to nothing. My wife sat me down and we talked. I went to see my doctor who after a long chat signed me off for a month and gave me a script for Fluoxetine. I've been to see him twice since and I'm now at the point where I don't dare to take off any more time. I did hear from one of my work college after a week of me being off that my manager is openly discussing with team mates about taking me down the "capability route" and how angry she was that I didn't approach her with my problems (which I have tried but end up after 2 minutes her telling me that she works from home when things get on top of her and offers me no help). I revived a copy of the work sickness policy though the post after 4 days of being off as I didn't call her to explain why I wasn't at work, It wasn't acceptable to hear it from my team leader who I contacted as I wasn't comfortable about calling my manager at 7am.
I've been to see HR who were great, they seemed to avoid talking about my manager's issues with me. I've also been to see occupational health. She was fantastic and advised a phased return to work. I'm back at work in 3 days. I've just been told by a work mate that I'm being taken off my team and being put with another group of people who I don't know. I really don't want to be split from my work buddies as they make the job just bearable.
I'm dreading going back.
what am I going to do?