handed in my notice today and it feels great

[Chompiemompie]

i left a job i loved 5 months ago to start with a new organisation. it was a tough decision but i really wanted teh new post.
The organisation and myself are not a match and i have been shocked at the toxic culture there with bullying, cover ups, large numbers of staff at all levels leaving with unfilled posts, stressed staff and a general sense of fear amongst employees.
i am at a senior level and have been told to lie to staff frequently along with being screamed at by the CEO. staff are crying in the toilets and at desks, the CEO has instructed staff to spy on each other with surreptious photographs being taken and emailed to her whilst she is wfh, she drops meetings into our diaries with no clarity as to what they are for apart from messages like "i need to see you urgently about your attitude" and then she never turns up so people are left in fear as to what they have done. she changes her mind constantly, overturns others decisions without letting anyone know, denies she has given instructions. her PA emails senior staff every morning to let them know that the CEO is in foul form and watch out so anxiety is rife.

i told her today i was done and that i am not frightened of her and her leadership style. she offered me a pay increase and the chance to be part of her secret unit that spies on others for her. i told her that my integrity was worth more and to stick it.

i have to work 8 weeks notice or she will sue me and warned me that she plans to make my life hell for every minute of it and will ruin me.

I have no firm job to go to and right now, i dont care. i feel the weight lifted and frankly giddy! This proves it was the right decision.

Well done 👏👏 👏
Make sure to keep copies of the emails where she threatens you for personal safety

I recommend you spend the next eight weeks pointing out job adverts that would suit your co-workers.

Also, you don't have to do what she says, attend meetings that you don't want to attend or listen when she screams. It's not like she can fire you, is it?

I did the same, God the relief. Your mental health will thank you. Embrace the future, you've had the sense to get out now. Their reputation will have gone before them and believe me, people in a similar industry will respect you for it

Contact Citizens Advice for advice about constructive dismissal. Although you've not been there long, they will advise on your rights and any potential liability

You'll be fine if you go on the sick. There's nothing she can do. Keep all texts/emails as evidence. If possible, covertly record her threatening you then send to the relevant people.

@Chompiemompie honestly feel so much better. You will too when it's done. I'm not going to say go off sick but you definitely need to adopt a 'fuck it' attitude and push back at every opportunity. I mean what is she going to do.

I'd also make a complaint to the board if they won't do your exit interview. She will kill that company.

Print out and hide away every shred of evidence you can get hold of. Take it home if necessary. Particularly anything remotely connected with her saying she's going to make your life hell during your notice period.

Get signed off for your notice period. Not a thing she can do.

That’s awful, what’s your line of work. Your company is likely to be well known for having a toxic work environment, mine was.

She sounds awful, great you could get out

Personally, I would NOT go off sick as it would be part of a factual reference and I would not want it on my record, you don’t have to work overly hard though!

What is your plan going forward (are you already applying to jobs?). If you can I’d try to land something while still employed as you have more bargaining power

So another week done and quite a week it has been.

The lovely CEO has instructed other senior managers to not be in contact with me without her permission so I am now cut out off meetings, important emails and discussions which makes doing parts of my job very difficult.
They are calling me from their personal phones to say how awful they feel.

I led on an external investigation into a serious issue I uncovered when j joined in that a staff member had overpromised and underdelivered to all her caseload, resulting in extensive financial impact on around 30 people. I was told that I would lead on this and share information etc and that would would see the report for fact checking before it was submitted to the CeO and that my team would also see it as they were to be part of the investigation. It was agreed that notes of meetings with the investigator and my team would not be included as they were concerned at consequences for themselves if they honest about failings in the organisation such as no support, supervision, training or case management, accountability, clarity and blurred roles / boundaries etc
It was on these reassurances that we were open.

I was meant to get the draft on Monday and had been contacting the investigator to ask when the report was coming through with no response.
She messaged yesterday to say that she had been told she was not to share it with anyone and that all notes must be submitted. She was also confused as to why I had been asking for it as she had been told I was already informed of the change.
This report is highly critical of the organisation, the culture and widespread failings so I imagine that is why it is not being shared.

I am so angry. Its a complete turnaround and of course the recommendations will be buried but the team are all in a vulnerable position now and I feel responsible for that.
The report is very critical of my predecessor who in many ways allowed the situation to happen. She was promoted and that is why there was a vacancy for me to apply to.
My replacement has been recruited by the CeO and has started apparently. She is a close friend of the CeO but I am not allowed to meet with her or communicate in any way so how I can handover a complex specialist service I am not sure.

I will be there another week and then I am going on sick leave. My team are distraught at all this and my leaving but they have been disgusted at how I am being treated.

This is a large charity BTW.

Sounds like you have whistleblower protection. Get proof of this and disclose it to the charities commission.

I think I need to get advice as there is a whistle-blower policy but also a confidentiality clause in contracts.

4 other people in the organisation resigned this week and I am baffled as to why the trustees and executive board are not concerned.

Do the trustees and board have any inkling of this? It sounds like quite a cover up. Are you able to contact them directly?

I honestly don't know that the executive board / trustees know as no one ever gets to meet with them or see minutes etc.

We have been told we are not to speak with them directly and everything goes through the CeO.

At my previous job there was a girl late teens that hated her job. She handed her notice in and then immediately got signed off with stress.

She was never seen again and I always thought what a good way to go

If there are trustees I'm thinking it's a charity. Have you looked on the Charities Commission website?

You need to contact the trustees. Regardless of what the CEO says, they are responsible for the organisation by law and need to be made aware of this.
If there isn't a trustee with designated responsibility for staff well-being speak to the Chair.
This may be useful: www.acevo.org.uk/advocacy/leading-safe-cultures/in-plain-sight/

Couldn't agree more that you need to contact a Trustee, get their names from the charity commission website and approach the chair and vice chair.

Time to go out with a bang … contact the trustees and executive board and explain everything in great detail. One email to everyone at the top except for the CEO. If these people are not aware of the issues, they cannot remedy things. It’s time to go above the CEOs head, do it for your colleagues. Your intervention now should make their working lives better.

The sh*t will truly hit the fan if I go to the trustees.
Gulp....

Is it written down in contract or policy not to speak/ write to the trustees? If not, go for it, sounds like whichever charity it is would benefit.

Those charitable funds have been donated by people. You need to follow the whistleblowing policy I am afraid.