AIBU - I need a new job!

[TheLobsterClub]

So a 3-fold issue about the same job but thought it would be better to keep it in one place. NHS middle management, Band 8a, non-clinical, I don't manage any staff. Been in the NHS 16 years, Band 8a for 5 years, currently looking for anything I can find at an 8a or 8b but sadly they're few and far between, especially living in a small town. I've just moved to a new team but the same role as I've done for the last 3 years.

1. I have a piece of work that needs to be done by 11am on a Tuesday, it's basically collating data from several spreadsheets into one. Far below my pay grade but it used to take maybe 1-2 hours in my old role. In this role they are asking for more and more information almost on a weekly basis, and I'm reliant on others completing the spreadsheets in a timely way in the first place. It's taking me literally 1-2 days of my working week (I work 4 days) to do and not only is it soul-destroying and boring, it's stopping me doing much more useful pieces of work. I swore after my last job I would stop doing unpaid overtime but this simply wouldn't get done if I didn't work all night on a Monday, and it's stopping me from taking leave. I want to raise it with our manager on Monday but doubt I'll get a positive outcome - colleagues aren't bothered about raising it as secretly think they use it as an excuse not to do more difficult things (see my next point)

2. Our job description is very fluid and very dependent on who we work for. Some tasks have been passed over into our team from somewhere else - they are things I've been doing for the last 3 years, but it turns out no one else in my role has! They're all up in arms because they haven't done them before and had no training (there isn't training - you learn by doing) but it's things like business cases, options appraisals, etc. which a B8a should be more than capable of doing! Although when others have been tasked with the odd thing in the past at this level it's been woeful - genuinely wonder what they actually do all day. If I point out I've been doing them all along I get shot down as it fits with my skills (I can't help where my strengths are!) but I'd rather have ten of these things on my list than doing interminable spreadsheets - I need to work my brain!

3. We know there's going to be a restructure to align with services rather than geography. But that's all we know - not how it'll be laid out, structure, etc. None of us will lose our jobs but we may have a different boss or location. One of my colleagues is absolutely panicking and trying to divide work up based on this new structure that we don't know about... it's a full Trust change and will take months of consultation, etc. but she's convinced it will just happen overnight! I don't have time to do my actual work, never mind line things up for a future set-up that might not happen. I need advice as to how I can deal with this as I find myself getting really exasperated as it's all we talk about! (Well that and the fact she can't do any of the tasks in 2) above)

Sorry just needed to get all that off my chest. I'm going away tomorrow for a few days alone to rest and reset and heal (I'm autistic and suspect am in burnout) but not sure how useful that is going to be when I'm straight back into all this shit and spreadsheets on Monday! We do have a sit-down meeting with my boss which only happens every 3 months so advice on broaching any of the above might also be helpful...

Thanks if you've made it this far!

Out of interest, what do you do? Non clinical and not managing staff at 8a sounds unusual but I mainly know clinical staff who do both so im interested to know what this could be

Are your Trust having to make substantial savings? If so are they offering voluntary redundancy?

If your 16 years would count at continuous service, you'd get a decent payout - some of which is paid gross. Certainly enough to take a year out and reconsider your options.

I was in a similar situation in the same industry as you. Was ultimately made redundant last September along with quite a few others. Was paid out a year’s salary (the tax was insane tho!), and on Monday i start a new job with a completely different organisation.
My advice is to hang tight where you are, while looking for something new.
All these changes in the health sector are very demoralising.
I would have found it easier to get a job while already employed though I think, especially as interviews were all on Teams and there were so many MFA and firewall type things to get through on an external laptop - and ultimately I had to use my phone anyway to get into the meeting/interview. It added a lot of stress!

Job 1 - collating data - you should be able to use eg Claude for that then it’ll take you 10 mins, not 1-2 days

@spstchmu I suppose it's not outing to give a gist... we're usually known as Business Managers/Business Support, etc. - provide support to senior leadership and do reporting, performance, business cases, bids and tenders, risk management, that sort of thing. I'm the sort of geek who would love to just sit in a darkened room writing reports all day (but actually using my brain, not copying and pasting from a spreadsheet)

@Spartak @Corneliafunk we've had two rounds of voluntary redundancy - I would get 8 months of pay if I left but I'd not be allowed to find another job in the NHS in that time. I would say a suitable job only comes up for me maybe every 3 months of so (band, location, specialist skills) and I don't want to leave the NHS so it would be very risky for me to do that.

@curious79 We have co-pilot but it's never been able to actually do what I want it to do. I've had a go at rearranging the spreadsheet and am going to try and get it semi-automated when I'm back from leave but I'm not that great with Excel!