18 weeks thinking of quiting my job

[Nypie]

Needing a bit of advice/support. I work for a mental health charity that has very recenlt been take

Posted too soon 🙄. I work for a mental health charity that's recently been taken over by another charity. I currently have no line manager, no support, I'm so stressed I pretty much spend every day crying, no pregnancy risk assesment (hr have quit), I have history of poor mental health and I'm really worried what this stress is doing to both me and the baby. I'm going to speak to a dr hopefully tomorrow but if anyone has an advice or has been through a simmilar situation I'd appreciate some support!

Hi @Nypie, sorry your feeling this way. The only time I have ever taken sick leave was while working for a large mental health charity as ironically my mental health suffered.

If you were to resign now this would impact your entitlement to any enhanced maternity pay offered and your entitlement to statuatory maternity pay.

Have you flagged that this is causing you anxiety and what they can do to support? Ask for a pregnancy risk assessment and an occupational health referral. You also have the option of going on sick leave. Get your GP to sign you off.

Obviously your health is most important but I really think taking some time before you just resign would be beneficial.

Plan to take your maternity from 29 weeks, use any remaining holiday to leave a few weeks earlier than that, and let them know you're resigning.

You won't get enhanced maternity pay if that's something they offer but you won't be feeling as stressed!

That would mean you could potentially only have 9/10 weeks left at work.

And in my experience, the moment you've decided you're going things just stop bothering you as much!

If you stay long enough to start your mat leave I wouldn't resign until the point you want to start work elsewhere/you have exhausted the leave. You accrue holiday pay whilst on mat leave so might as well benefit from that - if you don't go back it will be paid out to you when you leave.

If there is a requirement to return to work to retain any enhancement, you might want to decline the enhancement and ask them to pay stat only. You can just say you're not 100% sure what your plans are post mat leave.

I’m going to PM you.

Thank you all! @Sallyh87 it"s very ironic how badly you can be treated whilst looking after others mental health. If I resign I would need to give two months notice which will take me up to my qualifying week, I would need to confirm with whats left of HR but I am bit worried that they'll make me leave sooner which tbh would screw both of us as Im the only worker in my service. My plan is to speak to my dr and get some sort of letter of support and send this to hr asking for a risk assesment and if that isn't sorted get signed off. As I said I dont have a line manager I have spoken to SM but dont feel like I'm being taken seriously.
Thank you @eggboxontop this makes a lot more sence and @Sunshinegirl82. I think I'll try and go with this take very early mat leave use up my holiday and explain that I'll need to take it easy.

Sorry to hear you are going through a difficult time. You absolutely could talk to your doctor about being signed off. You can start maternity leave from 29 weeks. You will continue to accrue holiday while you are employed and on leave so either ask to take the years entitlement before you go and resign (with notice leading up to the date you left for mat leave) or take mat leave at 29 weeks and then resign at the end of mat leave and get paid for the holidays accrued.

Thank you @Jasper2021 🥰 I'm going to try and hold on for this and not be dramatic. I just need to get them to address my work load and lack of support.