To be unhappy that my job was missold

[FlyMeSomewhere]

I was made redundant last year from a health and safety job that I really loved, early this year I got a role with a H&S company as a H&S help desk advisor and had over two hours of interviews between two different people where we spoke at length about my 15 years as a H&S practitioner and all the technical support I could give clients. It sounded ideal!
The day I started, they turned my laptop on and phone calls started coming through on the internet phone and I said how come people are ringing me already?

It turns out we work on a hotline taking calls for a large organisation whenever their staff endure bad behaviour from customers and it's now around 800 calls a month for a small team of us! Nobody told that there was call centre style work complete with penalties and pressures if we don't answer the phones in 6 or 7 seconds and it goes through to the organisation that pays us to take them.

I have Dupuytren's in both of my hands and suspected carpal tunnel in both wrists and this sort of high speed writing and typing in the last over 7 months has made things worse. Last week was crap because we were struggling to manage calls with staff being on leave or in meetings and getting sniped at on the Teams chat (we WFH three days a week), you have to justify where you were and I have IBS too which was acting up last week and the stress of thinking I'll get bollocked if I go to toilet and a call gets missed just made my IBS feel worse.

The thing is the H&S side of the job feels barely existent and the organisation is ramping up tie things they want their staff to ring us and report - I did have an occupational health assessment recently and they said constant computer work like that wasn't good for me but I'm starting to not trust my boss to do anything about it even though she gives the whole caring thing, I just get short shrift that the calls are a major part of the job. So why did they not see fit to advertise the job as such and two higher managers pull me in for h&s interviews and not even mention it!

I have a one to one today and not looking forward to it because I won't lie about how it makes feel to be lured in to do the job I love and then made it do something I would never choose to do especially as I have incompatible health conditions!
The calls are depressing as well at times because you see his much such society is degenerating and I have ended up counselling crying and fragile people on the line as though I'm a Samaritan. It impacts you! Their employer should be taking responsibility for that side of things.

I also had agencies contacting me about another h&s job locally when I'd been in this job a couple of weeks and it niggles me now as to whether I'd would have got the other job and been happy now if I hasn't have had this job missold to me.

I'm having serious thoughts about freelancing for a H&S training company I spoke to last week, my partner is twitchy about unsecure work though.

I would find another job, tell them the truth once you have, and leave. And put them a bad review on glass door. Hae ACAS any advice assuming you're in the UK?
I've gone to something similar years ago while at uni. Went on an on the job training day for a job described as a customer-service like position. When I was successful at interview I was told to not wear high heels as 'it didnt look professional' which I found a bit odd, and once I arrived I was told I'd need a coat-I hadnt brought one as assumed I'd be in an office all day.
Turns out the position was to go to different towns on trains knocking on people's doors and going into their houses to upsell them their 'phone packages and the like. NOT something I'd have chosen to do in a million years.

A few hours into the traipsing around in the cold I thought what can only be described as 'fuck this' 😆 told those I were 'shadowing' that I was going home. Got on the train back to my uni town feeling rather bewildered.. there are people who would happily do that sort of job, why cocer up what it actually was?

Their recruitment practices sound terrible and I’m not surprised you’re angry with them. I guess it’s a question of what to do now. It sounds like even if they could make adjustments to the job for your physical health, you don’t like the actual job and it’s taking a toll. I’d either be actively looking for something else or working out if a freelance gig would be stable enough.

Work out what you need to bring in as a minimum. How much training would that need to be and do you have contacts that would put work your way? If you need a fixed amount could you go part time in your current job and use the rest of the time to build a business for yourself? It sounds like to job isn’t going to change, but you can move.

In your shoes I'd leave, once I'd discussed the health issues the volume of computer work is causing you. If they can't/won't make changes to your role to reduce the impact for you. The clue is in the word "helpdesk" though so I'm not sure how you didn't pick up on this. Presumably the job description was oblique on the nature of the work. Take the contract work for now and look for something that's a better fit.

What does the job description/ role actually say? First review that and highlight the gaps. Does anyone in the company need the experience you have - writing policy or doing advisory?
Next I would say that the current work practices are detrimental to your health and you need some OH support.
This can run in parallel to you applying for something else - but you might as well try and improve it in the meantime.

I wouldn't tell them the truth yet. Get yourself a new job first!

It's poor of them not to have been clear what was involved, and it's annoying to have had your time wasted and possibly passed up something that might have better. I understand why you're pissed off at them.

But you now know what the job is and it's been 7 months. It sounds like all you're doing is complaining about it. There's not much point moaning to them that you hate it and you think they missold you, leave that for the exit interview. It's not like they're going to completely change their business for you. You need to find another job.

It’s a shame you were mid-sold the role. Very annoying, and what a waste of time for them too if people realise they hate it.

In your situation, you’ve tried, realised you don’t enjoy to so I would definitely look for another role and leave. You’ve been there less than two years so have few employment rights, so I would sit it out until finding a new role or you know you can freelance.

Supporting clients isn't often phone based, requests for help primarily come in via email of the field based advisors - the title as advertised was h&s administrator but it's due to change to the helpdesk one - unlike the helpdesk one as it sounds a bit better.
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Calm down! I've not complained at them! I just wanted to feel like it's not my fault that I struggle with the job because it's not as advertised. I actually had a good one to one this morning so stop judging me!

No it wasn't in the description or interview about the hotline. There's absolutely loads of useful things for the company as I'm a h&s practitioner of 15 years and it's a h&s consultancy. The one to one was a lot better today than I thought it would be! They seem happy enough to help he forward my career especially given my hand issues. I was worried that asking to develop might fall flat but it didn't at all.

My one to one went a lot better than I was worrying about, my boss totally got it and was absolutely fine with me saying I wanted to develop.my career in the company and get involved in more of what I'm good at. My big fear was being told no, you're to do phones now! Hopefully I can stay here and have a bright future ☺️