To just have an effing rant.

[CyanSnake]

i just seriously need to rant before I explode.

My partner died a little over a year ago and I decided I needed a break from the well paid, but very stressful career I was in.

I’ve moved to a related industry and I’m just miserable. I’m paid £32k (much less than I was)

for that I sit on the firms board of directors (but I don’t have a director title), I line manage an entire department and I project manage at present about 4/5 big product projects.

We are not allowed flexible working or hybrid - it “isn’t something the company does” (Unless you’re a member of the family that owns it of course, then you have unlimited early finishes and work from
home as needed)

Since starting this job, I’ve needed to find the money to replace my car as the old one broken down completely, the new one now has a warning light and the my boiler has died and will need replacing. Currently living with no heating or hot water as I simply have no funds. My bank balance is 78p for the next two weeks. The money I’m paying out in the loan for the new car and repairs swallows up basically all my disposable income

I have cancelled my holiday - lost the deposit but couldn’t afford to go on it.

i no longer get a weekly shop delivered. We live off pot noodles and bread, as I am the only one bringing money in.

ex-partner had a lot of debts I have to pay off and I just can’t manage anymore.

all this while my boss (I’m the only one actually qualified to deliver the service the company offers btw… my boss just has the money) has her third sunny foreign holiday and the middle class new kid on the desk opposite moans about having to use of some of the house deposit money to buy tickets for his two weeks across the world (also his third holiday!!)

I grew up quite poor, worked really hard, went to uni, have a masters, saved for the house deposit without any help, I work and work and work and all I have for it is the most basic survival - it’s not a life.

What is point?

thanks for listening.

Contact Step Change asap

That's a poorly worded gardening leave clause (IANAL). You might want to post on Legal about it, or ask ACAS or Citizens Advice about exactly what you are committed to. If they don't specify the period of time you are not allowed to work a competitior for, is it forever? In which case this is unreasonable able and possibly unenforceable.

Your company sounds awful - you need another job - you could easily earn more money with less responsibility than what you have now.

sounds really similar to my ex boss - played scare tactics with everyone “oh it won’t go down well if you ask for more money - it should be about your commitment to the job” etc and then he will decide when to throw you a few crumbs- which ended up barely being an incremental rise with inflation despite taking on more and more responsibility- bollocks to that OP - new job time!

Time for a new job or a very frank discussion with the owner.

If the competitor wants you, and it sounds like they would since what you do is niche, they may keep it on the down low you've gone to work with them.

I worked for a company that did this. The staff members just kept it quiet and didn't update their LinkedIn until the year had passed. When people asked who they were going to work for, they just said they were taking time off for private family reasons or gave some plausible sounding initials of a company and made up the role, downplaying it so it sounded boring.

Also a good reason to persuade the competitor to let you work from home, since it will be less obvious.

This sounds dreadful you are being paid a pittance compared to your responsibilities. You can’t go on like this you’ll burn yourself out.

I am sure you may have done but have a look at the public sector, Civil Service in particular with your skill set. Much better benefits than what you’re getting now and most are hybrid working. Could be good place to start for at least a year or two if you’ve got a non compete.

Don’t worry if you can’t hit everything on a job spec, still apply.

Good Luck x