I lost my job yesterday.

[auldfuckingspinster]

Dismissed due to 'poor performance' as there was a particular aspect of my job I couldn't master. Had worked there since February 1998. Shell-shocked.

Gasp there's other people who's been let go for MH reason. They are supposed to be none discriminatory, there not.

I worked there 8 years first 5 it was a brilliant place to work for. Then it really went down hill.

One women got a disciplinary for being off when she miscarried. It was an IVF baby and she'd been trying for years

So sorry OPand mortifcado that's shitty

This all sounds most odd. Hope you are ok.

Thanks it was a long while ago now.

I didn't want the op to feel alone.

I've just started training for a new job today so it all worked out in the end.

What particular aspect was it that you had trouble with? And what are the transferable skills? Couldn't you get "transferred" within the firm, to some different role, different department?

Anyway, you might want to take a look at this textbook. I have a copy myself. "Network your way to your next job - fast". I recall it was pretty good, hands-on advice. What you mustn't do is send out applications to computer-based sites filling in forms and hope for the best. In my experience and opinion, those recruiting databases are a black hole, everything sent into them just ... disappear ... it seems. Here's the book: www.amazon.co.uk/Network-Your-Way-Next-Fast/dp/0070388830?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Thanks everyone. The procedure had been in place for about a year when this all started. I had a higher level of errors than other people and was put on an informal review. I was asked if I needed 'help' no practical solutions were offered. There are other sections within the organisation and I expressed an interest in a lateral transfer but instead of just moving those who wanted to go when a spot came up, our new boss insisted that a formal selection process take place.

I'm a fast touch typist, have excellent written and verbal skills, cash handling and financial reconciliation, prepared cases for prosecution, handled difficult customers both face to face and in writing, experenced in dealing with professional other gov departments and disseminating complexlegal and technical information in relation to the act that my dept was covered by.

Typing on my phone if the excellent written skills aren't in evidence above!

Did they know about the depression and anxiety and did you ask for any adjustments to be made? If they refused to consider adjustments then it sounds like you've got possible grounds to argue disability discrimination.

Whether or not you decide to go down that road, I'd ask for an agreement in writing about what they'll put in any future references for you. You'll need and deserve a positive one from them having been there so long. If you suggest disability discrimination they may be keen to agree to part company with you with a glowing reference providing you go quietly.

They knew about the depression and anxiety. I was also on a final warning for sickness as I had pneumonia at the end of 2015 and flu in March last year which took me over my trigger points.

My reference comes from HR, it won't mention the poor performance.

You could perhaps focus on getting a job in compliance, a compliance coordinator. Match your skills against this list, for example: hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices/recruiting-hiring-advice/job-descriptions/compliance-coordinator-job-description.aspx

A "fast touch typist" is that some sort of shorthand but on a machine, like Gregg/Pitman but notes taken on a machine, like you can see on tv, a stenotype? (I'm learning English as a second language so "stenotype" didn't come naturally to me).

Most people seem to come down with depression every now and then. Maybe you got it because of your job, that thing with the skill that you couldn't acquire (whatever it was), that must have been very stressful.

The cash handling and all that might not be a useful skill except if you would be able to land a job handling cash, such as in a shop.

Maybe you could work on two or three fronts, the long-term preferred job, and the stop-gap job that you might take temporarily just to have a pay check.

How old are you? Some people retrain later in life. I had a colleague who had retrained as an accountant at age 37.

Um... pay cheque.

Anyway, people are terminated from jobs all the time... I was terminated due to shortage of work, from a technically it was a civil service job I think... I was told on my very birthday... good that I didn't have any plans for that evening. I was without a job for two days or thereabouts, after two days I had secured a job, albeit a temporary one. I was in luck!

I'm an accountant. We have a few ex civil servants here (HMRC) either going through the qualification process or working in support roles. I know another who retrained as an IFA (started as a paraplanner when he couldn't bear the public sector any more). They seem to be doing well and prefer it to the civil service. You may be glad that this happened, eventually. If you're going to temp as a short term measure, try to get temp roles in financial services firms - then work hard, and make contacts.

It's nonsense that civil servants can't be sacked. Telll your mum that it's a myth.

And finally - I hope you feel well soon. Take care.

You have A&D and. Reasonable adjustments weren't offered to help you to do your job effectively and Now they've let you go. Surely you're covered by equality act 2010. This stinks of unfair dismissal to me. However I don't profess to be a expert.

Ahhh, take care of yourself Auld. I do know a couple of people who have been through pretty much the same thing. Two left early on as the pressure of the "reasonable" adjustments was just too much. The other fought it as long as she could, but eventually went too, due to il health (MH issues) . Got the three months in lieu of notice & years salary tax free. It has given her some 'breathing space' and now she's over that initial shock, she is starting to move on with her life & is better than she has been in a long time.

They kind of have you over a barrel & no matter how much you do, it's never quite enough & just exacerbates existing conditions. There has been so much change within our dept over the last few years, morale is at an all time low & anyone who can is leaving. They can't quite seem to grasp that they are shortly going to end up without enough experienced people to actually run the place - oops, getting kinda cross, sorry.
Hope it all works out well for you.

I'm 41. I saw an Occupational Health doctor who said I was covered by the equality act and that allowances should be made. The union guy I'm speaking to on Monday is very good so we can investigate that.

I'm lucky that I live in Edinburgh so there are lots of financial institutions and 4 universities.

I'm so sorry OP. I have a thread running at the moment about DH, not the same but similar he has been fired from civil service today, no thought given to his exemplary service since mid 90s. I hope you are OK.

Oh and I worked in compliance within my dept for a few years, was my favourite role.

OP as an ex trade union official-appeal. And then if you don't win that, go to ACAS, even if your union don't want to take it further than that. Nothing to lose.

I've actually had some good nights out with the folks from Acas at union conferences. My union rep has been on the GEC so probably has contacts there.

Ah! I was actually terminated from my sort of government job (it was with a financial institution) when I was 41. I was told on my 41st birthday. It was no surprise since the role had had less and less to do the last few years, and I had myself suggested a redesign. Forty-one is a good age to move on. Especially with the expanding compliance sector, booming everywhere. Just read up on "Solvency II" and you'll know why... But your first priority might be to - unless you're lucky - first get a temporary job for six months to a year, so not to drain your personal finances. After you've reviewed your CV in "compliance terminology" go and book appointments with the temp agencies. You might want to have an other CV if you address universities, though, it's a different business altogether. I happen to know this having worked at both places (universities and finance). For universities it's probably more of a jack-of-all-trades who also can manage accounting and student contacts. The pay level is different too.

One more thing, you might want to take a look at and address smaller firms too, those with fewer than 20 employees. Cold-calling directly to the CEO's, in smaller firms because they are the ones pulling all the threads and make the decisions themselves, on the spot, and there is no HR department involved usually.

I'm so sorry OP. It's a tough one because while it seems unfair it sounds like getting out of there and having a fresh start might actually be the best thing for your mental health. Yes, you can fight it but do you really want to keep working there? Easier said than done when you've got bills to pay of course.

I understand, I'm single, nearly the same age as you and also have long term mental health issues.

Look after yourself

I've spoken to the former union chair and he thinks I've got good grounds for appeal and that I've been treated appallingly.