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Original poster

What can I be signed off work with

154 replies

Rosebirdie · 30/10/2022 07:19

I am a teacher and due back at work this week. I had my first child last year and had no intention of returning but did. I don't want to go back, the panic/fear has already set in. I've spent all week sitting down to do planning for this term and just being incredibly unproductive.

The problem is my boss is amazing, she has done so much to make me feel settled,.constant check ins etc. She knows I have been struggling. But it's just not right and hate it every second I am there. I am medicated for anxiety but feel that's not touching the sides.

My question is, what can I be signed off for? I don't feel it's necessarily WRS in the typical way, it's I hate my job, I want to be at home with my little one, I can't focus on wr tasks.

I

OP posts:
dworky · 30/10/2022 10:29

misspositivepants · 30/10/2022 07:29

So you want to let your class down because you want to stay at home with your child and you hate your job?

you work your notice and you find a new one or give up work completely

Letting her class down?

Get over yourself, love.

Shinyandnew1 · 30/10/2022 10:29

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 30/10/2022 10:26

If she resigns now, she can’t leave till Easter. You have to give at least a full terms notice.

I know. But the OP said, The plan is to leave at Christmas so I wondered if she’d already resigned?

I sort of presumed she knew how the resignation period worked if they’d been a teacher since 2007?

BeautifulWar · 30/10/2022 10:32

Resign and stop trying to take the piss with tax payers' money and school budgets!

berksandbeyond · 30/10/2022 10:33

@Rosebirdie the problem with 'teaching their own child' during lockdown is that parents had to do it at the same time as their existing job, with no training and no support.

So you're a trained teacher, with a supportive manager and you can't hack it, but someone with no teaching training and another full time job was supposed to do it happily? Sure.

Quit if you want but you'd probably feel better if you stopped being so bitter towards others.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 30/10/2022 10:33

BeautifulWar · 30/10/2022 10:32

Resign and stop trying to take the piss with tax payers' money and school budgets!

🙄

Such compassion..

Winter2020 · 30/10/2022 10:40

Hi OP,
I'm sure some of these posts are very horrible when you are feeling low.

I would urge you not to make a hasty decision.

This is your career (and has been since 2007 for those that have not read the thread). Don't be pushed into a hasty decision.

If you do want to go part time the easiest route will be to do this in your existing role.
The school/governors would find it difficult to decline if it is due to your health.

Take the time you need to gather your thoughts. Don't panic about deadlines. If you need to be off then be off. If you want to go back part time do that. If you want to leave do that but on your terms in your own time.

You have nothing to prove to any one on mumsnet.

Your health, your family and your career are what matters. Probably in that order as you can't look after your family or career well until your health is managed.

BeautifulWar · 30/10/2022 10:41

Such compassion..

Lots of us have had to return to jobs we don't really want to after having a baby. The choice is either resign and tough out the notice period or get on with it.

Making up excuses is not on.

Mum4MrA · 30/10/2022 10:41

Sorry you getting such a hard time on here. I can relate to how you’re feeling. With the symptoms you describe, you could be signed off with anxiety and depression. Please contact your GP and be completely honest with them. I hope your mental health improves quickly. 🌺🌸🌺

seymoursmyman · 30/10/2022 10:42

Agree with all the posters recommending going back to the GP. You've said a few things through you posts that are showing you most likely need a medication review.
I would also check with your employer if they have some kind of employe assistance programme as you could possibly get counselling through them.

And be kind to yourself. Having thoughts of crashing your car on the way to work is not just not hating your job.

Allsnotwell · 30/10/2022 10:43

I sort of presumed she knew how the resignation period worked if they’d been a teacher since 2007?

She clearly states she has until the end of play tomorrow to resign for Christmas.

Do you know how it works?

Original poster
Rosebirdie · 30/10/2022 10:46

berksandbeyond · 30/10/2022 10:33

@Rosebirdie the problem with 'teaching their own child' during lockdown is that parents had to do it at the same time as their existing job, with no training and no support.

So you're a trained teacher, with a supportive manager and you can't hack it, but someone with no teaching training and another full time job was supposed to do it happily? Sure.

Quit if you want but you'd probably feel better if you stopped being so bitter towards others.

😂

OP posts:
OrangePumpkinLobelia · 30/10/2022 10:46

BeautifulWar · 30/10/2022 10:41

Such compassion..

Lots of us have had to return to jobs we don't really want to after having a baby. The choice is either resign and tough out the notice period or get on with it.

Making up excuses is not on.

wanting to crash your car to avoid work is pretty serious. OP says she does not think it is WRS but it is really clear just from what she is saying she is stressed to the max and it is also clear that it is not just about hating your job. It's way beyond that even if the OP is not recognising it herself.

2021mumma · 30/10/2022 10:49

Why don’t you apply for parental leave instead www.gov.uk/parental-leave/entitlement

my maternity leave has recently ended and the thought of going was back than the actual reality- finding our new routine as a family will take a few weeks/months I’m sure

2021mumma · 30/10/2022 10:50

*thought of going back was worse than the reality of being back

glassfully · 30/10/2022 10:56

I think asking about a shorter notice period on mental health grounds would be better. It leaves the head with additional money in the budget to find a replacement. It also means you keep your unblemished sickness record.

Original poster
Rosebirdie · 30/10/2022 11:00

Shinyandnew1 · 30/10/2022 10:29

I know. But the OP said, The plan is to leave at Christmas so I wondered if she’d already resigned?

I sort of presumed she knew how the resignation period worked if they’d been a teacher since 2007?

Show quote history

If I resign tomorrow, I can leave at Christmas.

OP posts:
Tippexy · 30/10/2022 11:03

Rosebirdie · 30/10/2022 09:38

Hi there, I am not planning on getting signed off indefinitely. I could get up to a year if I was milking the system. It would be until Christmas at most.

So you are resigning tomorrow then?

Original poster
Rosebirdie · 30/10/2022 11:10

2021mumma · 30/10/2022 10:50

*thought of going back was worse than the reality of being back

That's a good suggestion but I be been back since June.and I don't think I can do parental leave route now.

OP posts:
buttonsuptheback · 30/10/2022 11:12

If you are being medicated for anxiety by a GP prescription, and it's not touching the sides as you say, then it's anxiety you need to be signed off with.

If WRS is causing anxiety, then GP's will sign you off with WRS, contrary to what a PP said.

If you just hate your job and it's making you feel a little bit stressed or unhappy, then that's not really a good reason to be signed off and you really need to just resign and look for an alternative job.

Original poster
Rosebirdie · 30/10/2022 11:15

Just a massive thank you again to those giving constructive/supportive advice and those feeling they need to defend me in response to some informed, provocative or unnecessarily vile comments. That's enough internet for today.

OP posts:
Original poster
Rosebirdie · 30/10/2022 11:16

buttonsuptheback · 30/10/2022 11:12

If you are being medicated for anxiety by a GP prescription, and it's not touching the sides as you say, then it's anxiety you need to be signed off with.

If WRS is causing anxiety, then GP's will sign you off with WRS, contrary to what a PP said.

If you just hate your job and it's making you feel a little bit stressed or unhappy, then that's not really a good reason to be signed off and you really need to just resign and look for an alternative job.

Thank you, you've definitely considered all the options and I appreciate that.

OP posts:
StrataZon · 30/10/2022 11:18

@Rosebirdie I am an HCP and I would agree with posters saying don't make a hasty decisions about handing in notice.

You are not in a good place mentally at the moment and that is never a good point to be making major decisions.

As others have said it is easier to negotiate part time and additional adjustments if returning to your own job after a period of sickness absence than in a new job in future.

Of course if you've felt since you had your had your baby last year that you wanted to give up and be a SAHM then that's different.

FrownedUpon · 30/10/2022 11:26

You need to resign. Teaching obviously isn’t for you.

Shinyandnew1 · 30/10/2022 11:31

Rosebirdie · 30/10/2022 11:00

If I resign tomorrow, I can leave at Christmas.

Show quote history

Is that what you plan to do? Good luck.

Sadly, you are not alone-there are 100,000 members of that Exit the classroom Facebook page now. I don’t believe ‘teaching isn’t for them’, but do think that teaching has changed beyond belief (for the worse) and wonder if the workload and system could be modified, people would come back.

Lapland123 · 30/10/2022 11:41

having read your description of feeling like you want to crash car than go to work, you really should go to GP for urgent appointment, you should be signed off sick with depression/ stress/ anxiety

looking at a long term plan, working less than full time may be the balance that helps ( it made world of difference to me) and in a different role/ place

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