@cautiouscovidity
Thank you for your comment and what you've done with regards to contacting your staff. You sound like you have done the absolute best you can, especially in uncertain times and not really knowing yourself.
I'm sure your staff respect you for what you've done. I know I would.
I was not written to, or informed directly by work with regards to being Furloughed. In fact, the word furlough was not used at all.
All contact has been through text message, initiated my by me and then responses from them have been vague.
I feel completely unsupported and let down, especially as I offered to work from home throughout the pandemic. I showed initiative.
In the middle of June I had my very first panic/anxiety attack and ended up at A&E after having a an ECG with Paramedics at home.
It was so frightening. I had no idea what was happening.
Then at the beginning of July, my father became ill and went in to hospital. Not from Covid 19.
At the time this was happening work then started to contact me about returning to work. I asked again if I could work from home and was told no, it was not an option for the office staff, despite it still being the advice of the Government. A colleague who'd gone back into work contacted me and she confirmed social distancing was not being adhered to and that she had also asked if she could work from home and was also told no. I didn't even know she and another colleague had gone back to work in May.
I told my boss about my father being ill, and by reply text I was told my Furlough would be extended to the end of July and then reviewed again.
Sadly after 2 weeks in hospital my father sadly passed away in this time and although I'm not sure how work found out, I received a condolence text. It was horrendous as we weren't able to visit him until he was about to pass away.
When it got to the 31/7 and I didn't hear anything from work about my furlough being reviewed as promised so I text them the following week to ask for the latest on my furlough as on top of everything else, clarity on my work position was a worry.
My boss asked if they could phone me to discuss my return to work and I asked if we could speak on the Monday. I actually had 2 weeks annual leave booked, due to start last Thurs so I was a bit confused.
I then had a further panic attack on the Sunday, so on Monday am I phoned my GP. Whilst on this call my boss tried to phone me. As they couldn't get me, I received a very direct text about my returning to work. Later on at 6pm my boss tried to phone me again. I did not take this call as I was driving from my Mum's after an afternoon of helping her further with admin relating to my father.
Based on everything I discussed with my GP, work situ, the death of my father, the recent home schooling stress, financial worries they issued me with a 4 week sick note due to anxiety and stress. So I relayed this by way of a return text once I got home from my Mum's, telling my boss I was sorry I'd missed their calls, had a sick note in the post and would send it in upon receipt of it from my GP.
I then heard nothing back from my boss. I received my sick note in the post on Thurs and emailed it to work Friday am. Then Friday afternoon I received a letter from work in the post saying they had tried to phone me twice on the Monday - but I hadn't answered, that I'd text them (out of office hours) to confirm what I said in my text.
I'm not sure why I've had a letter and find it a bit unnerving like I've annoyed them.
It all just seems so very one sided, nothing from them properly for months and then when they want me back in work at such a difficult time, I'm feeling hounded.