Taking a career break - WWYD?

[Ontheedge2]

I think my work is making me ill.

We're at a capacity of 60% public sector, no backfills and the team are still expected to deliver. Redundancies are on the cards and we have had 12 people in a team of 55 off with stress since April. I'm the last manager of my level left and so my direct reports have increased from 4 to 9.

My sickness record is pretty good - no time off other than covid for the last 7/8 years. But I'm beginning to think I need to get out before I ruin that.

I'm sleeping 12+ hours a night then still needing a nap the next day. I've got bald patches from hair loss and I've been put on medication for high blood pressure. I dream about work, im constantly biting my nails and I have an elderly parent on palliative care that I'm trying to support. I've been checked over by the GP and nothing sinister going on - confirmed by blood test. The Dr has signed me off for 2 weeks which I fought against. But now I've been off for a week, I can see how unhealthy this all is.

I have some savings and my employer permits 3 month career breaks. I'm thinking of taking one, getting better, applying for jobs and hopefully not have to go back but if I don't get a new job, I'll have the fallback of going back to my current job. My DP works but we couldn't survive on his wage alone for very long.

It would wipe out 75% of my savings and there's no guarantee of a new job. With costs rising and a mortgage to pay, I'm a little nervous about taking such a big plunge.

WWYD?

As you work for the public sector I would not take an unpaid career break but would get signed off for a much longer period than 2 weeks. You will continue to be paid. Use that time to find another job. Don’t add financial stress to everything else you have going on - I’m really sorry you’re having such a tough time.

Taking a career break sounds risky if it will wipe out your savings and you will have to return to the same job.
can you put yourself forward for refundancy? If not, the way out of this nightmare is to find a new job, use the 2 weeks off to start your search.

I've enquired about voluntary redundancy as that would definitely be a better option but it's all too vague at the min. HR have confirmed it won't be open to everyone just certain roles.

I thought about staying off ill but I'm worried that if I do end up being made redundant after a long time off on stress, it'll be much tougher to get a new job?

Thanks for the quick replies!

I wouldn’t necessarily sit around waiting to be made redundant while you’re off sick. Just take enough time off to get a new job, or to recover enough that you can return to work and then either take a new role or be made redundant in the meantime. If you’ve only had a week off so far And have realised how crazy things have been for you, with a bit more time and work on yourself you may find a better perspective. For example only being willing to do the job/hours you are paid to do while you look around for something better and not holding the woeful state of the public sector as your personal responsibility.

I am public sector and have had time off due to stress and have taken a career break!

Don't use a career break to recover from stress. Use sick leave. Stay off as long as you need to, and plan a phased return with documented support to ensure you're not thrown back into the stressful situation again. Look for the new job while you're on sick leave.

A career break is supposed to be for you, not to let your employer off paying for sick leave!

I'm wondering if you're in the middle of peri-menopause. Perhaps you need HRT.

Thanks all.

I am really worried about having 'off with stress' on my record. My GP has put headaches on the current note (which is the complaint I went to him with but he thinks it's all stress-related). If I asked for longer off, he'd need to go with an official stress diagnosis I guess?

Getting my own work boundaries is definitely something I need to work on but I feel like I can't do that in my team under the pressure there is at the moment. We're literally creaking. And then I get annoyed and worried that it's just me and I'm being overdramatic ...

Thanks @Aquamarine1029 - always worth checking but everything seems okay on that front at the min.