to feel like I'm just going to snap and want to just walk out of work?

[domistheone]

At work we are ridiculously understaffed (people leaving and not being replaced)

Last week two more full time people left and one person is on holiday. What once was a 14 people team has dwindled to 7. It has been the week of hell - I work in customer services and will generally deal with on a busy day 40ish calls and today I took near to 90. The system we work on has been down all week and made our job so much harder and has created further work.

We have had no recognition for the extra work we have done from our manager (I don't expect praise and people bowing but a thank you would be nice)

I know its just customer service and not an A&E doctor but to have people scream at you all day, have double the work load, have a system that doesn't work and get zero recognition all for minimum wage I just feel like saying fuck this and walking.

Aibu?

YNABU that sucks. Can you look for a new job?

Yanbu. I feel for you!

YANBU at all, too much work isn't good for anyone. My mum got upset at work because where most people's workload decreased hers went up and it changed because she spoke up.
However, I will say, if you walk, your team will go down to 6 and those 6 will have even more to do.

Don't walk. Go off on stress and get a new job. If you walk you won't be able to sign on for JSA for several weeks.

You can't stay at a job because you feel badly about how the others will do without you. Get a new job then put in a good word for your colleagues. Make sure to let your comapny know why you're leaving if they do an exit interview. Eventually your old place will have to do something if everyone leaves.

YY to previous posters - don't get mad, get busy, find something else and be honest in your exit interview. These people owe you nothing.

This sounds a bit like my

This sounds a bit like my place

We have had so many people leave the past year and they've only just the week started to do inductions for new staff. Problem is, the new folk are replacing a lot of full timers, but on minimum hour contracts. So when there's no money in the pot for overtime, it doesn't matter that they've taken in new staff - we still have to pick up the slack.

I frequently day dream about walking out...

Thank you all for being so sympathetic, it's made me feel like I'm not being stupidly ridiculous.

Think I'll just have to grit my teeth through tomorrow and really think about it over the weekend. Being this stressed and continually tired is not worth being paid minimum wage

"go off on stress"

that'll really help future prospects, employers are just leaping at the chance to employ people who take spurious sick leave. I despair.

It's not that easy to find another job

This sounds exactly like the place I used to work. (it's not an insurance company, is it?).

And let me guess, management keep telling you that you need to "have a positive attitude" meaning you are not allowed to say that the current situation is untenable, or ask for ways it can be improved, or suggest ways it can be improved as they are ignored.

And hell would freeze over before any of the managers would chip in and take some of the calls?

I left my self-esteem sapping hell hole and got a great new job. Please look for something else, these places are so bad for your mental health. I feel like a whole new person now! Well, back to my normal self.

Don't go off with 'stress' unless you really really really need to. Just look for another job and use that energy productively.

I have felt like that about my job nearly everyday this week and for a lot longer!

Although I don't have a huge work load, the work I am doing is filled with mistakes, I'm having to deal with people when I've not been told anything about them & no-

Urgh - sorry

No-one knows about them & it's embarrassing!

go off on stress

No wonder this country is in such a state.

Why not talk to your managers, work on solutions to spear the workload/highlight recruitment needs/diarise the problems you have/talk to your co-workers and approach the issue professionally.

If it is beyond hope, get your CV out and start applying for other positions.

Stress is a real debilitating problem for some people, it's not a smokescreen for being pissed off with your current situation and looking about for a new job.

I worked in customer services call centre for bank nearly 20 years ago. Sorry sounds like nothing has improved for workers.

Yy to new job. In meantime you must do whatever you can to keep yourself well. If you are genuinely stressed and feeling ill then yes to being signed off. If hopefully that's not the case, just don't run yourself ragged. There's nothing you can do to improve situation at work. If you work harder and harder that doesn't change the situation. Management need to sort it out.

Montegomongoose, the suggestions you have made don't work in these sort of places.

Leaving is the only way.

Unfortunately 'going off on stress' is seen as a viable option where I work if you don't like something and want to throw your toys put of the pram. No wonder British businesses prefer to employ East Europeans because this sort of nonsense is increasingly the norm now amongst the indigenous workforce.

If your job is shit, yes look for another but to lie about being ill is immoral.

Tryharder I think if op carries on the way she is then she will be ill. Mental health is serious and genuine. She probably isn't there yet in terms of being ill but if she doesn't act now, then when she's suffering physical symptoms it is too late. You are lacking compassion and understanding imo. Lucky for you that you haven't felt this way. You shouldn't judge others who have. It is not throwing rattle out of pram.

The responsibility for this situation lies with poor management in the company.

As I say, look for another job and remember you can only do what you can do in meantime. It is not your responsibility to fix the under staffing and other issues.

I totally agree with tryharder and mongoose. It seems to be a common solution these days, "go to the gp, get signed off for stress".

Do you ever plan to be in a management role one day, or be a team leader because the situation you describe requires you to pull through in difficult circumstances. You had a week of hell at work, so doesn't everyone at some point? Imagine if we just had to run away every time we don't like a situation.

Speak to management about this,hr even, or look for something else But to want to run off is just ridiculous.

You're not unreasonable to want out of a bad situation that shows no signs of improvement. However - don't run. It's easier to get a new job if you're already working, and you won't be able to claim JSA. Do polish up your CV and start looking.

I take Coffee and Mongoose's point about trying to change things - but my experience of these kind of jobs is that management takes complaints/solutions from their workforce like a slap to the face - that your job isn't to "seek solutions", it's to do the work that's in front of you, and stop trying to get up yourself, style of wotsit. Besides, if their team is down to half-strength, the solution - hire more people, get some temps in, balance the workload more effectively - is far outside the OP's hands.

*the suggestions you have made don't work in these sort of places.

Leaving is the only way*

So leave. Professionally and responsibly without lying or jeopardising the chances of those with actually stress and MH issues.

Pretending to 'have stress' contributes to the popular misconception that those who face the challenge of real MH are skiving workshy liars.

Sounds extremely stressful OP. Can you and your colleagues put on a united front - presumably they feel the same as you do - and have a meeting with your manager to say this is not sustainable? If the company doesn't do something, presumably they'll lose even more people and have to spend time/money finding replacements (who may not want to stay long).