Work related stress and anxiety

[PartTimeTeacher]

Hi, I'm wondering what, if anything, people might suggest me doing in these circumstances:

I have always found my job very stressful (teacher) but soldiered on as best I could. When an opportunity arose at work to reduce my hours to PT (3 full days a week) I did. This was around 3 years ago. Since then I've had my second child and informally requested to further reduce my hours when I return from maternity leave in May. This was declined and shortly after the school informed me that they we restructuring my working pattern. This would mean changing my 3 full days to x3 mornings and a full day (same hours, but spread out to include an extra morning).

Since finding out, I'm really struggling to accept the change mentally. I've been very stressed and not able to think about much else. It's impacting my remaining maternity leave. The extra 2 days I had off in the week meant a lot and I do activities with my child that I'll now have to cancel - which is really upsetting me. I feel like it's going to impact my work-life balance significantly. It'll also be a nightmare with childcare and I'll be forced to spend extra money on nursery fees.

My family have a significant mental health background. My mum has diagnosed bipolar which work related stress was a catalyst for. My auntie (mum's sister) suffered depression and ultimately committed suicide as a result.

I don't want to go down the same path but feel utterly devastated with change to my working days and can't seem to get out of this negative thought spiral.

Any suggestions, thoughts, opinions or just a hand-hold would be appreciated.

@pitchfever, unfortunately not. I'd have to pay back my maternity leave in the short term if I don't work for at least 13 weeks. Longer term, we'd struggle with just one wage. I also think I want to keep working for my own financial security/pension etc.

I've considered leaving the profession but don't know what I'd do. Ever since I was young I wanted to work in this field; my degree is specifically in teaching. There's no part time teaching roles at other schools locally so I'd be no better off in terms of work-life balance going elsewhere.

I was in a similar position when I returned on maternity a few years ago. I had a horrible timetable suggested to me for example one day I was required to be in school for one hour!! Really?!

I Would look at the timetable. Is it possible to make arrangements to change it. If primary can you speak to partner teacher? If secondary can you speak to others in your department. In my situation I looked at timetable of whole department and swapped a lesson with another person so that I could work 4 days instead of 5 (still not the 3 days I wanted but it was better). The following year I requested 3 days on the grounds of childcare costs and others in a different department had that working pattern. This was approved.

Ultimately teaching ruined my mental health and I left for many many reasons. I urge you to think carefully- is it the timetable or is it the teaching? Good luck

Depends a lot on your contract really but I hate that schools claim flexible working then assume you’re theirs 8-4 Mon-Fri and they’ll decide when they need you!

you do have the right to return from maternity on the same conditions so might be worth looking at that? Are you dealing with timetabler or headteacher? Does the flexible working policy have anything useful?
pregnantthenscrewed may be helpful to contact

@Opal24, I'm primary not secondary so dealing with a headteacher @Mary7241

It's not a standard set up and I'm actually part of a unit team rather than class job share. There are 3 full time teachers and me for two classes. Because there are more teachers than classes, we work in smaller groups for core subject areas, which is why they've moved a majority of my hours to the mornings. I completely understand the rationale but it still feels like I'm being 'robbed' of that extra day and all of my planned activities I do with my child then. I feel like the half days will still feel like a full day so despite me asking to cut back my hours, I feel like they've lumped more on my plate. It would mean I get to to school pick ups for my eldest though. I'm just not happy at all with only having 3 days to myself.

To be honest, @Opal24, I'm not sure if it's the job or the fact that I'm worried for my work-life balance. I'm just feeling so overwhelmed and can't seem to shift the negativity I'm feeling.

@Mary7241, my contract states my set days but has a flexiblity clause saying they can change them, so legally they can do what they please. I've also taken the full year (or will have by the time I'm back) so there's less rights for me in terms of having the same job when I return.

I have contacted my union and have a representative to deal with my case but they've not been all that helpful and I've not really had much contact from them following my inital phone call (which was a couple of weeks ago now).

Sorry for the jumbled reply. I think it reflects how I'm feeling to be honest and how my mind is a mush of everything right now.

I appreciate you both taking the time to reply though. Just getting things off my chest is helpful 💜

Is it worth thinking about other aspects? If you’re having to work the extra bit of the day could you ask for a small hours increase and work the full day? Mornings are better imo to have in and then leave but make sure too that it’s genuinely keeping your hours the same. I’m sure you know you should have a directed time calendar which is then tailored to your hours

As there is a huge shortage of teachers I'd assume that you can go elsewhere and get the hours that you'd like so I'm surprised to hear this is not the case?

I’m afraid it’s not up to us to pick and choose hours ….maybe look for another job that is advertising hours you want but we would all like to pick and choose ….I think it’s more about anxiety as I suffer it to you must first get help to control it I had talking therapy through the drs after being diagnosed with GAD it really helped me good luck

@Mary7241, I've never seen a directed time calendar in the 8/9 years I've worked there! 🙈

I could increase my hours to work the full day but it wouldn't be worth the extra stress, especially as it'd cost around £50 more in childcare for both kids for an extra 1.5-2hrs pay.

@Princessfluffy, unfortunately there's not many vacancies in/around my area for primary schools (there are a few for secondaries) and even less for part time positions. I feel like I'd be out of the frying pan and into the fire if I left purely because of the change to my shift patterns when it wouldn't be an improvement to my hours.

@Nicetobenice67, while I appreciate what you're saying, I'm not asking to pick or choose anything. I'm simply expressing my stress/disappointment/anxiety at the school (out of the blue) changing my contracted working days. Given that, as I say, it's very unexpected and I'm on my maternity leave, I really don't think I'm the one being unreasonable.

I'm already trying to seek support but waiting lists are long in my area.

Getting union support and challenging is a good step. Can you find reasons why what they’ve proposed is not as good for the school, children or other teachers? Or counter propose something which is better for everyone?

Whilst it’s understandably hard at the moment, can you try and make a list of all the positives you can think of (no matter how small) of the new arrangement? So four afternoons a week not at work means 4 days where tea/bath/bed has plenty of time. Also 4 days a week where you can pick the kids up from school as they get older.

Bless you I totally get it I suffer GAD and I got myself into a real state with anxiety that’s why I got help pretty much straight away…I hope you do not have to wait to long did they recommend talking therapy

OP why don't you post on your other threads instead of continuing to name change and making the details slightly different each time? Why not try to make the best of the situation instead of catastrophising and letting this take over your life? It's not a bad working pattern and you can try it and look for a new job if it doesn't work out. I'm sure if the school had unlimited money they would let you have the hours you want but they simply can't afford it.