Work stress out of hand - fit note from GP?

[JnJ929]

Hi all
FTM here, 22wks, due mid Jan.

The past 2 or so months at work have been getting more and more stressful. I only work a desk job but most of my role relies on other people completing things before I can do what I need to do.

To cut an extremely long story short, people don't listen to me, people don't read my messages properly, or simply just ignore me completely until I've followed it up 5 times, or people just do not prioritise things.

Each week gets harder and harder, I had high BP at my booking appt and follow ups, (only just in high), but it's because these appointments always manage to fall on days I've worked in the morning and got incredibly stressed. When I had my BP taken twice at the GP for separate things they were in normal ranges.

Work is stressing me out so much to the point I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks, a throbbing in my head, shaky hands etc

I'm due to be on annual leave from 22nd December and mat leave start on 2nd Jan, they expect me to train my maternity cover replacement in the last 13 days before I'm off , at the busiest time of year - which is impossible. I've told the department manager I need at least a month and he didn't listen.

I can't talk to my manager about this as she causes half my stress by not reading messages properly and therefore she will misconstrue almost everything I say, I have to explain things multiple times, she has no sense or urgency unless it affects her. I can't go to the manager above her as he's too soft to put his foot down and actually MANAGE, he's too polite qnd will just say 'how can the team help' the team can help by doing things properly when I ask them to do the things I need to do.

My HR team have swallowed a LinkedIn dictionary and speak in corporate code and will just refer me back to my manager to 'help out'

I have a 24 week appointment with my GP tomorrow (at 22wks?, ah well) as midwife said some of my checkups will be with GP not always at my hospital maternity unit. (Only 10 mins away from eachother so no biggie)

How can I get signed off for a few days for work related stress because I swear I'm actually going to have an aneurysm.

I didn't have any time off for early pregnancy related sickness, (was lucky enough to never have acrually thrown up) I have worked every day and even sometimes an hour or two extra, I work my ass off for absolutely no recognition whatsoever.

My ONLY concern with being signed off for a little while, is coming back to even more of a sh*tshow. Any time I have annual leave I have to spend 2 days fixing peoples F ups or doing the things I asked them to do that they didn't end up doing.

Desperate for some advise before my head explodes.

Personally I would stop caring so much. You have the evidence you have chased people to get the info across to you in a timely matter. If it doesn't happen, it's not your fault, and not your job to bend over backwards and work extra hours to get the work done before the deadline.

I completely understand, I also have a desk job, and it's a busy stressful pressured job. But ultimately you aren't responsible for other people not doing their jobs properly.

Same on the training - train your replacement as best as you can in the time they've allowed. If the work slides during this period, there isn't anything you can do about it. You'll be on leave and it will be for your manager and the new cover to sort out.

I agree with above reply. I am also in a job which can be stressful at times and after having a miscarriage a few months back, everything was put in perspective and I realised I didn’t have to care so much. At the end of the day, it’s a job and really not worth stressing over whilst pregnant. Now I am pregnant again, I have stopped staying behind to work unnecessary hours and I definitely feel less stressed. And if other people don’t do things properly, it’s not my problem.

Agree with PP's. I have three weeks left at work before mat leave and my manager today has decided to realise how soon I am going (she's known for months obviously) and is panicking. Inbox full of emails of questions about this that and the other. I'm also having to train my replacement in one week, whilst also having multiple antenatal appointments that week, because she failed to realise he had a pre-booked holiday in my last week. Will do my best and hard not to stress about it but to be honest me and baby are the most important thing and it will be down to her and my replacement to sort.