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Work making me unwell

5 replies

ThatPeachSnake · 05/03/2024 15:52

I started a job just over a year ago that required me in the office 2-3 times a week. On the days I was in the office, I had a nice desk and some natural light. The office is tiny and only has one panel of windows at the front - so you can imagine, the further toward the back you go, the darker it gets. It’s dingy and not the nicest of spaces.

Company has been doing really badly and therefore paused our benefits. I understand and was on board - the most important benefit to me right now was the flexibility of working from
home.

A few months ago, the company CEO asked everyone to come in at least 4 days a week. So, no benefits and in the office more. Since everyone else agreed, I felt like I couldn’t question it so have been going in at least 4 days.

To make more room for all employees to be in more often, they’ve moved me and my team down into the basement. No natural light and I work directly with people high up in the company who have been stressed to high heavens (because the company is doing so badly) and create a bad atmosphere. We are in silence 9 hours a day with no natural light, no benefits, no/limited WFH. They had to get rid of the only person doing HR in the company so I can’t go there (he wasn’t very good anyway, but still!) to cut costs.

I am constantly told by the CEO that things are about to get better. They are waiting for a cash injection and then we can renovate the office and also he plans to have us go back to working from home 2-3 days a week. However, the timelines and goal posts keep moving for this and I’m becoming increasingly anxious - I hate going into this office. They also had to skip my pay review (for obvious reasons) and I know I am worth more.

What’s more is that I work with a woman who is very nice but she can be condescending (telling me how to do very obvious parts of my job, that I am fully capable of owning/she is not my manager and is not part of my role!). She barely does anything all day but text off her computer and types so so obnoxiously loudly. Every time I look at her screen, she’s texting (I know I shouldn’t be looking, but her constant loud typing is awful).

I don’t know what I’m asking for really but some advise would be welcome. I like the actual work I do (most of the time) and would like to give this place a chance before I look at leaving but my health is starting to suffer. I have not been able to take time off since last April. I am just drained.

OP posts:
endofthelinefinally · 05/03/2024 15:55

You need to look for a new job asap. It sounds awful.

TwigTheWonderKid · 05/03/2024 15:56

Tricky as if you rock the boat and they are looking to get rid of staff you could be first.

What was their rationale for the increase in in-office days and why have you had no time off in almost a year?

ThatPeachSnake · 05/03/2024 15:59

TwigTheWonderKid · 05/03/2024 15:56

Tricky as if you rock the boat and they are looking to get rid of staff you could be first.

What was their rationale for the increase in in-office days and why have you had no time off in almost a year?

That’s exactly my concern. The industry I’m in isn’t doing well across the board so I just want to tread carefully.

I should have mentioned, I’m not in the uk. The country I live in has very different laws around annual leave. So I don’t get much anyway, plus if I’m honest, I just haven’t had the time to take it off. It’s been bonkers at work and I have no one to handover to.

OP posts:
ThatPeachSnake · 05/03/2024 16:02

And office days I believe was a concern with productivity across the company. But no wonder everyone’s losing morale, it’s been really really tough

OP posts:
bctf123 · 09/03/2024 06:37

I've worked in an office with terrible physical environment
One of them
5 departments crammed into one room, tiny desks, no space for paperwork, no space to move around . I left within 3 months and the mgmt was crap too
The other I had a massive window with a great view for 4 years. Then we moved to a custom built place. The manager kept joking I liked sun much and was get going to get put in a dark corner. Anyway we got there and the front of the building had about 9 decent windows-4 in the canteen and 4 in the office. I was the only one without a window for some reason. I had windows either side but no light naturally hitting me. I left within 8 months and I think the lighting played a massive part

Your management team does not sound concerned about morale and seems to have an erratic approach. Id move on
Banning wfh sounds like the spotlight is on and well paid people are panicking

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