Took a sick day as I'm burnt out

[Henrietta1000]

I work between 44-50 hours a week which I know isn't even as much as some people on here must do, however working 6 days a week is draining.
I have no children so I know it could be worse, but I'm fed up. So I've called in sick today, luckily my last sick day was a year ago and it's not a job where they'll be short staffed.
I'm in the Civil Service as an AO. Whilst I enjoy the role, an AO salary is not great for a person living alone..I've applied for 3 EO roles but have come to understand how unbelievably slow they are. I sent 2 of my applications 3 months ago and still waiting to hear if I have an interview!
So I've currently got a second weekend/evening job. There's no guaranteed overtime in my civil service role, it used to be unlimited now it's capped.

I'm a qualified teacher, but gave up trying to get a job. I'm in languages, was turning up to interviews with 5 others and failing every time, got put on a support plan in one so resigned, or just not getting interviews. So I did supply, which was fine and paid better but I wanted something permanent and stable.

Please do not tell me it's worth it because of the pension, when you have a low salary and are quite young, you're obviously not going to put up with that for 30 years!
I've had a very productive day so far, cleaning my home and tidying, also just catching up on TV.
It's hard sometimes! I went to a hen the other week and all of my schoolfriends are now band 7 or 8 NHS, manager of xyz, and I'm in an entry level admin job despite going to uni.
6 days a week isn't sustainable much longer!
It's not even an AIBU, just a rant. Even EO roles are very competitive, I'm so fed up.

Agree.

@officeeyecandy Speak for yourself. I have never ever had a sick day when I wasn't sick. I think of others before myself.

And what about the other bit of my advice around identify skills gaps and working on them?

If other people are getting jobs you’re applying for then they are somehow coming across as more suited then you are. How can you change that?

Although I’m not sure you’re here looking for actual advice.

Depending on what languages OP teaches, I personally think she has a very strong chance of making very good money with tutoring platforms.

Hmm. I’ve read the OP and all the replies. Sometimes, professional advancement depends a lot on how one engages and interacts with other people. If the OP’s posts reflect their real-life interactions, I can see why an employer might be cagey about an advanced role that requires managing other people.

How did I know this was coming 😂 yes, because this forum is totally reflective of real life. 🤔 so sorry I stood up for myself and didn't bow down to rudeness.

Congratulations.

Virtually everyone has taken the occasional duvet day, OP. Some replies on here are ridiculous!

When I read things like this I am
so glad I’m not in the UK. What a shit country if you can’t even take one unpaid day off being sick.

IKR. I’ve had to take 4 weeks off twice because of health issues and it’s never hindered me. Healthy should always come first.

Trying to be constructive, I work for a company who sell product internationally to other businesses and we are always advertising for sales and admin roles that require languages. Pays well too, as language skills are increasingly rare.
Might be worth changing your job search to roles that need the languages you speak, a lot of companies will prioritise that and train you in the rest of the skills needed

If you have SEND experience or training, what about jobs as a case officer?
Tutoring? You have teaching experience and languages and tutoring will be flexible.

Couldn't you do one to one tuition instead of your second job? It likely pays better

From what I understand you have a degree if you were teaching before. AO is the lowest civil service grade, considered entry level so you should not find it too challenging or time consuming.

I would expect someone with a degree to easily get an EO job. Did you get feedback on why you were unsuccessful - civil service job applications can be an art - they are usually looking for competancies and transferrable skills rather than specific training as such.

Creepy and rude.

Couldn't you do one to one tuition instead of your second job? It likely pays better

I said “If the OP’s posts reflect their real-life interactions…”

AO? Admin Officer?

What's the salary? Can you cut down on your outgoings anywhere?

How about the real life interactions of some of you rude arses? A friend or corworker says I want some advice/feel ill and you say a trolly shit comment.

Ive been a civil servant for over 20 years and know that some AO roles are awful. It's a grade which often works face to face with the public. Roles interviewing asylum seekers or women reporting trafficking are at EO grade with a salary of around £26k so just because a role is a low grade doesn't mean it can't be stressful.

A good option can be a sideways move to another AO role but to a department where there are plenty of EO roles available. Get in somewhere that want to give you that progression and go for temporary promotions, extra work, training to get you to the level where you can apply for higher grades.

Oh here we go the 'I've never taken a day off in a 100 years because I am the most vital member of the team and must Marty myself' get lost. You're healthy until you're not, sometimes life kicks your arse in one year. Sometimes you have a good run of good health for a few years.

I've done it, I was a single parent as well as working a 40 hour week and sometimes it felt that all I did was work and do my best to grab some sleep after coming home from work and then starting all over again in the house. It used to feel like climbing a mountain range at times. In the grand scheme of things what does it matter if you have taken a day off to recharge, of course if you made a habit of it then that would be a different matter because that impacts on your colleagues.

Doesn't mean the OP doesn't have things to juggle. Also those at work without kids are largely put on to cover those who do have kids who have to take time off for health care etc because the thought is that their time is not important and they have no other things to do.

So she might be juggling more than you. Who knows?

I've been in a department where graduates were in the AO apprenticeship scheme and they had come from bar or coffee sop work. The jobs market is shit. A lot of them did then progress to higher grades but they could not get in the door easily.

Op, enjoy your day off, take a nice bubble bath and recuperate. Don’t listen to the judgemental martyrs who will criticise you for having a sick day.. and for the PP who mentioned you being on a hen party, what a weirdo little stalker they are haha