Is a toxic and high pressure work environment the norm now?

[Wormysquirmy]

Is this the new norm? What are your experiences?

I have worked in different roles, as a professional, in one company for around 15 years. Usually busy, nice colleagues, and I have always been well thought of although am now part time. I am, I think, relatively desirable as an employee in as much as I'm flexible, a good team worker, efficient and get on with people. Perhaps not as ambitious as I could be but I have kids. I have made part time working work well so far.

In the last year or so, the place has become utterly, utterly toxic. We have a new manager who is not really a leader. Overall head is implicitly anti- part time working mothers, long hours and stress culture.lots of people off with stress. People not replaced. The message is "suck it up". I was given a workload that was not do-able and the chap who helped me went off in stress so I struggled. Rather than help make it work, I have been shunned and made to do work for a very junior member of staff.

We are going through a merger and redundancies are looming and I'm convinced they are trying to manoeuvre me out before then (to avoid paying redundancy pay).

Workload is simply unmanageable for the entire team given we are short staffed and have people off. Team head ignores me and cancels one:ones. Most colleagues are very stressed and struggling. I was humiliated publicly in a recent department meeting by ignoring manager who I felt should have raised grievances directly.

Is this the new normal in modern Britain?

My instinct is to leave but I feel like I should receive redundancy pay rather than be forced to go through miserable conditions. I feel if I raise a grievance through HR or similar I will struggle to get another job when a reference is required.

I am feeling very anxious and work now and my confidence is plummeting and I have been in tears since I left today. This is all new for me.

Any tips? Thanks so much. I feel a bit lost.

Yes. Over the last decade work has become intolerable.

What line are you in?

Not terribly unusual in my sector but there are (a few) better places out there. Are you a member of a trade union? I'd speak to the union rep.

Yes. Normal for me now.

I could have written that. Are you in retail, by any chance?

Yup. Work was always shit, but nowadays jobs are proper shit. Even the good ones.

Sound so familiar.
I left my toxic job.

I'm convinced they are trying to manoeuvre me out before then (to avoid paying redundancy pay)
That sounds about right. In my experience (20 yrs in a huge multinational) redundancy is offered to men; women (esp longterm employees and those who work flexibly and are much less likely to make a fuss) are edged out of the workplace (job descriptions torn up, left to deal with understaffing and job insecurity). Do make sure you have copies of your contract/job description etc so you know where you stand (ime HR are adept at 'conveniently' losing/deleting details from your file)
if I raise a grievance through HR or similar I will struggle to get another job when a reference is required
You've little to lose - even if you've been a model employee it's common now for ex employers only to confirm your employment dates in their reference

I was asking myself this the other day. Employers used to care about their staff. Now they don't. It's horrid.

Only good thing is that employers don't give references anymore as a previous poster said.

I could have written your post. Every single word.

God, this is so depressing. Does everyone hate their jobs and feel utterly stressed out?!

There isn't much point me leaving if everywhere is as bad

Teaching is this and worse. That's why I don't do it any more.

The happiest I've ever been in a job was when I was a minimum wage carer. Go to work. Be nice to old people. Go home

I think there has been a huge change in culture driven by service user/ client/customer expectations. Mistakes aren’t tolerated and people want to apportion blame before hanging people out to dry. One only needs to look at the NHS where incredibly hard working, committed and compassionate staff are suffering burn out because of the pressure they are under. None of the Oops sorry’ now, people want to report things to spurious authorities, to complain about every perceived failing and to punish mistakes. It creates a horrid work culture. Add huge cuts and shortages across entire public sector and the picture isn’t glowing.
Look on MN at the number of people wanting to complain to school/GP/Hospital/Nursery over very trivial issues. MNers are ‘absolutely fuming’ about everything. That is what is driving a tainted work culture in the public sector.

About 80% of your post could have been written by me! I'm over 10 years in a working environment that's drastically changed to the point it's making colleagues ill. I'm a level below those caught up in the worst politics but I hear it all and hate the culture of demeaning and bitching

I don't like the management at my place of work. I have worked there 12 years and it use to be a lovely supportive atmosphere, lots of older people. Over the past couple of years management has changed and they have treated a few long standing and very loyal colleagues very badly ( in my opinion). One went off with long term stress, one is on mat leave and most likely won't return, one other was treated badly to the point that he left. It's a s if they want all the people that have been there long term gone and replaced with younger ( cheaper ) staff. I had a disagreement and told the manager how I felt and now I wholly expect my days are numbered too ! Fortunately I have another job as well to fall back on.

NHS and prison service supposed to be particularly bad

This is very much not my experience. I work in the public sector (office-based, not front-line essential service delivery) which has been tanked and the pay is not great, but the compensation is a nice working environment.

At my place, the management SWAT teams come and go but I am lucky in that I'm able to largely ignore them for now

I'd take a stress-free job with nice people and privations in my home life over high stress, high income, any day.

I work in high-end retail and I love my job. I have lovely colleagues, no real responsibilities or stresses and I go home and switch off everyday. I've never understood the attraction of a job with long hours and a lot of stresses, though, and I've turned down promotions as a result. I don't want a job that involves unpaid overtime, long days and lots of stress.

My experience is that the work can be very hard and stressful, but the environment is not toxic as such. The team will pull together to deliver, and although there can be late nights and some stressful times, it can also be quite rewarding to see a job through. I work in IT.

Balls to them, get yourself a sick note for stress, stay home awhile and think on your options

Normal where I work too

My previous job was working in a care home with people with dementia, not as a carer, but in a supportive role. Loved the job,loved the residents. No support from crappy management incapable of tackling abusive behaviour by carers. Now working in a very repetitive office job, I'm thanked daily for my work,got a lovely supportive manager who will always have my back, more money, less stress, a laugh every day. It's good for me and I've been so lucky but it's not as rewarding and seems so backwards that the caring job had so much less care in it. All it takes is a few words of appreciation.

Is there anyone in HR that you trust and could talk to in confidence before going down the formal route? I've got some friends in HR who've been invaluable. If you do decide to raise a grievance, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't affect a reference - our company only confirm that you are who you say you are and the dates you started / finished work. I don't think they even give a reason for leaving these days. Good luck, I really hope it gets better for you