Work/mental health/any HR/Union advice PLZ

[dollybooo]

Just wondering if anybody can advise regarding this ....

Been in long term employment, almost a decade same job. I now Suffer with anxiety & have been on medication for it for 3 years. Mostly I manage it ok, I work full time & I know my triggers.

Have had time off sick in the past due to anxiety issues. Have now realised / I'm feeling that the job I do is contributing to said anxiety as I can feel my anxiety levels creeping up whilst in work but out of Work anxiety is much better. Job is working in a fast paced demanding environment & I'm struggling with doing job now & I've stressed to my manager that I don't want to go on long term sick as I want to function & work, which I can do but I feel that the job I currently do is too much with my mental health/anxiety issues.

I have made manager aware of my decline in mental health & stress levels & I have stressed that I want to be productive & function as normal as possible.

I found out from colleague that my work did have a 'basic role' within my department & they had been/ will be soon interviewing for it in the next couple of months. I made manager aware I was interested in 'basic role' due to recent decline in mental health & I would gladly take the pay cut & manager has said that can't just happen automatically as that job role would be open to everyone & I would be interviewed just like everyone else & basically not just 'given' the basic role job.

Manager has offered to help me do my CV so I can apply for other jobs (outside of the company) as maybe ' I'm just not suited to the role anymore ( my current role that is) which I guess is true to an extent but Wouldnt a big company like this would want to help retain me as an employee given the cost of just recruiting someone new?

Manager is reducing my duties to a less stressful job short term, but I feel that this will only be a short term solution to a long term issue that I'm facing.

Currently awaiting occupational health report where I stressed all of the above. This will be reported back to my employer shortly.

Can anyone give me any advice on where I stand? I work for a HUGE UK company, very well known brand, think thousands of UK employees & offices all over the country.

All I want is to be placed in a less stressful role ( willing to take pay cut ) but it appears manager is now trying to edge me out of the door with the CV talk & talk of roles with other outside companies.

I'm not a difficult employee, I don't want to be smothered or treated any differently, I just want to be able to function & cope better with my job ( told manager this ) and a basic role would help me to work better with the anxiety issues.

My medication has been doubled upon advice from doctors so I've tried that, but it's just hit me that I think it's my job that's now the issue as when I'm at home I rarely suffer with the anxiety.

Legally where do I stand with my company placing me into a less stressful role for the sake of my mental health? Like I said huge huge company, not just some small office.

Will the report from occupational health help me be placed into this supposed 'basic role' that I want so bad?

Thank you for reading 

They might have a capability policy, can you find this? It will say what their approach is to making adjustments to your role where ill health prevents you from doing it. That will tell you whether they're following the process they say they will.

It sounds like they have made adjustments to your role and are awaiting the occ health report which should make recommendations for any further adjustments that can be made.

They haven't done anything wrong so far and don't have to automatically offer you the other role because they're trialling adjustments to your current one. They should consider other vacant suitable roles before dismissing you but it doesn't sound like that's on the cards yet. If they are trying to get you to apply for jobs outside the org purely due to your health, that could potentially be construed as constructive dismissal - but it sounds like a clumsy manager trying to be helpful rather than actual poor practice. I would apply for the other role but if you don't get it and the selection process is fair and equal then there's not much you can do at this stage (maybe just keep a diary of what happens in case things do turn sour). Other than that you might need to give the current changes a go and if they are temporary, they should look at other options if and when that temporary period ends.

Just want to advise that the anxiety is my only mental health issue. Made manager fully aware anxiety is getting worse with current job role.

Wouldnt a big company like this would want to help retain me as an employee given the cost of just recruiting someone new?

Presumably the role has to be advertised out of fairness to other company employees who might want that role. I know in my last place of work every role was advertised internally even if someone had been earmarked for the role.

While the role may suit you, I doubt company policy will allow you to parachute into the role without going through the recruitment process.

Have you identified what the triggers to your anxiety are?*. It may be difficult for a line manager to hazard a guess at what to give or not give you to work on if they don't know what they need to avoid or do more of.

It would be worth you finding out if your employer offers an Employee Assistance Program which gives you access to a course of 5-6 sessions with a counsellor who can work through this with you and identify coping strategies.

• the triggers could be environment, work content, relationships, skills challenges, communication etc.

It doesn’t sound like anyone’s said you can’t have this role you want so badly though?

Your manager has simply said an open process needs to be followed. Is there any reason you can’t apply along with everyone else? Then if they decide you are the best person for that job, you’ll get it.

The fact that you have mental health problems which are impacting your ability to perform your current role doesn’t automatically entitle you to be handed another job.

You mention several times about wanting them to ‘place’ you into this role, presumably without any selection process. Is filling in an application form and attending an interview going to present you with difficulties?

Make sure you read any policies your employer might have around internal recruitment, redeployment, ill-health capability. All of those might contain something helpful in terms of priority being given to people in circumstances where ill-health is impacting their current role.

They are following the right procedures by advertising for the job to make it fair to everyone. The job might interest someone else for other very good reasons too. Go for it, they might too want to give it to you but can't tell you before interviewing.

If you don't get it, and the candidate is external, I would become suspicious that they just don't want you in the team any longer and focusing on a job outside the company might be your best move.

Whilst they may be hinting about you moving on, to a role outside the company, they are probably just thinking about their needs for their comparatively tiny area of the overall business, which sounds like it's a massive multinational employing 000's of staff. They aren't focussing their attention to your longer-term career, but that shouldn't stop you from considering your next steps and do what's right for you.

There's nothing to stop you looking at other vacancies within the business and applying for something suitable, as you then get to retain your continuity of service. You have to drive that, your current manager won't! You will need to keep them onside to support any move you secure though.

Also remember that you have employment rights and they don't necessarily have the final say whether your employment terminates. If you aren't successful in 'the basic role', then they can't just declare you out of a job. It would be worth talking through that scenario with them and also keep options open as to other opportunities.

It sounds like there's no reason you can't secure the basic role, give it your best shot, you'll surprise yourself!

Thanks for all the replies, at least I know where I stand now.

Have been offered counselling through work, will be taking that up.

Forgot to mention manager is cold & dismissive towards me which is fuelling anxiety now too. Several times I have been told off for what I think is minor misunderstandings which could have been rectified in a more professional manner.

I'm just going to have to man up & keep checking the internal jobs board to see if any more suitable roles come up.

Anxiety is a bummer, if manager was nicer to me like manager is to rest of the team it would ease the anxiousness a little.

I do know that there are other more suitable roles coming up ( unsure of date etc ) I'm just hoping manager gives me a glowing report ( which I deserve as I work hard ) which will edge me towards securing said roles I guess.

Sorry didn't mean to drip feed.

I just know that manager isn't really interested in me but is to a certain level as it's part of managers role to have a duty of care. But I guess that's just part of work/office life I guess, very rarely these people are your actual friends, they are just your colleagues, so I get that.

Will man up & do what I can & wait out for new more suitable roles to be released.

My anxiety used to be crippling, although it's not nice I manage it better now, so that's a plus I guess.

Just want to reiterate, be kind to others in work as sometimes you have no idea what others are going through

Not sure if I should move this to the mental health board?

”I'm just going to have to man up & keep checking the internal jobs board to see if any more suitable roles come up.”

You’re talking as though this particular job you want has gone? Any reason you can’t apply for it?

”Not sure if I should move this to the mental health board?”

Depends what you’re looking for. In your OP you wanted advice on where you stood in regards to redeployment for health reasons. This is the place to come for that.

If you want some broader support for your mental health, the mental health board might be a good idea, but I’d start a new thread rather than moving this one.