I'm leaving and suddenly the world of work needs to be done

[Healingsfall]

Just need to vent and get through the next 5 weeks.

Organisation I work for (public sector) are closing in next 18 months due to, basically, no money. Cuts on resources like everywhere have gotten worse over the last year, and it's become intolerable. People are jumping ship left right and centre, some are holding out for redundancy and/or retirement, no one knows what going on/decisions haven't been made or kept quiet and to put it bluntly, it's a complete shitshow.

My line manager left in July due to uncertaintyof job security, she wasn't replaced so I was left with someone who is chaotic in her approach to leading a team. I'd been looking for a job as I can't hold out for redundancy, I'm a single mum and have a mortgage to pay (I know everyone needs their job but I mean I couldn't hang around waiting for redundancy/job uncertainty). Found a new job, leave in 5 weeks.

Since then, people don't seem happy for me (I guess because they are worried about their own position) and suddenly I've been given a shit load of work to get done before I leave, to the point the next 5 weeks will be hell. And because I'm owed 3 days annual leave still which has to be taken before I leave (as won't be paid for untaken leave instead) I've been told "oh can you take some mornings off instead of whole days so you can get the work done".

I know they probably feel like I've left them in the lerch but I had to do what was best for my family; have job security. They are making me feel bad for handing in my notice. Just need to get through next 5 weeks!

@Healingsfall Take your leave in whole days. Unless you need to save them for your last 3 days so you get a 5 day break before you start your new job.

If you are presenting the same sessions to 4 groups are the sessions already written etc. or do you still have to write them?

If they are already written, great, say you will present 2 and train someone who can present the other two. This gives you back 8 afternoons. Say it’s business continuity for when you are no longer here.

If you need to write the sessions as well, then refuse. Say you will do two and someone else does the other two. Again point to business continuity.

If the entire public service is going to stop in about 18 months, I wonder who is going to be missing out. Is this a vital service?
The only thing you can do is work your contracted hours, take your full days holiday (or maybe just take them at the end and leave 3 days earlier than planned?) and not care too much. If the work isn’t completed, it’s not your problem. Your office is clearly understaffed as people start to leave. What is the actual impact of you not completing the work? Probably not much in the grand scheme of things.

The sessions are already written, it's just delivery and the organisation/admin to do. Unfortunately there's no one to train, the organisation is closing down so they aren't replacing anyone and our team in particular has gone from 5, to 3, then when I leave 2.

I do feel a bit better today, I've organised the sessions, Sent out the links to join, and during the last 4 weeks when I deliver, if someone doesn't turn up I'll put a note on the spreadsheet saying they didn't attend and the people higher up can deal with it. I'm not going to be chasing people, they have the link, all the info to attend etc and that's all I can do.

What are they going to do if you don't finish all these tasks? They can't fire you, you're already leaving. Do what you can with the time you have. Take your annual leave the way you want to take it. Don't stress or lose sleep over this, you'll be gone soon.

It is a vital service but private contracts are starting to take over, we are non profit whereas obviously private contractors are about profit. We have around 1600 staff in the organisation, the private contractors will have to take on the certain staff whereas the office staff and area managers (who are to the bones) will be made redundant.

If you have skills that no-one else has got but you're leaving and you won't have time to fit it all in then that's definitely a "them" problem rather than a "you" problem.

I know and it's so silly because in a month this won't matter! I think I just care because I like to deliver the best to our staff and endure they are equipped well. I'm gonna just do what I can and that's all I can do!

I would send out an email saying that these will be the final training sessions and will not be repeated so if you're going to miss any don't start.

But personally I'd actually say tough shit. There isnt enough time to do the trainings at all. And be off for 3 weeks.

1 month to go! It feels like hell everyday. The usual scenarios of those at the "top" not listening to those on the ground actually doing the job. You don't know how tempted I am to go off sick for the month!

@Healingsfall

just go on the sick with stress!

youll never look back and feel a fantastic sense of relief

what to do is tomorrow take everything you need from work so you don’t have to go back!

then put a sick note in next week

This! ⬆️

Once my references had been done I'd be doing as little as possible. Why not?

Id wait till you’ve done the majority of the sessions, compile a list of everyone who hasn’t completed and let them know your consultant day training rates is £1000 a day. Take a couple of days holiday from new work in December to deliver it. Have a lovely new years holiday 😂

What the first post said

This is what I'm going to do. I'm so burnt out I have nothing left to give. It's all about numbers to those at the top, they don't give a fuck about the people below. I'm so unwell I can't go on in this job

I'm so unwell I can't go on in this job

Please prioritise your health here @Healingsfall
Look after number one as no-one else certainly is. Your first priority is to yourself and your family and you need to be fit enough to start your new job and make a success if it. Don't jeopardise all that, go to your GP and get signed off with stress. None of this is your problem so don't risk ruining your health.

And good luck in the new job

I find it unbelievable that this organisation you work for is going to fold in 18 months and so many people are just sitting there, waiting for the axe to fall before they do anything! That's a fine approach if you don't really need the money, or if you have enough savings to tide you over while you search for something else, or if you're planning to retire when the job finishes, but I'm amazed that more aren't taking the initiative, as you have done, and finding a new job.

@WeNindow thank you 😊

Gp has just signed me off now until I leave. He's put "work stress" as the reason. I can already feel the eyes rolling when they read that with the notion "we're all stressed" attitude.

Least I can focus on my health now and not go into my new job stressed as hell.

@cheezncrackers some will be taken on by the private companies, the support staff will likely be made redundant. To be honest most of the support staff are on the upper end of 50 and 60s, so will either retire or take the redundancy and get something else, most are married too so can go to one wage for a while etc. There are also quite a few senior managers who have been coasting until they can retire for quite sometime, it's very typical public sector scenario full of dead wood.

They can lump it, frankly.

What are they going to do - sack you?

Really glad you've been signed off @Healingsfall . Time to put all this in the rear view mirror. Onwards to better things.

When I email the sick note over should I write anything else? The note literally just says work stress.

I would just follow your sickness reporting procedure. If that's an email to your line manager I would just say 'I am unwell and attach a sick note from the GP to confirm this'.

make sure (in writing) what the risks are and what you are prioritising. Make sure you get a read receipt or reply

Do what you can, don't burn out because of their lack of planning / foresight.

Can you take your 3 days at the end of your notice period so you have a small buffer of leave to decompress? It's my understanding (but i could be wrong as i am not in the UK) that you can tell them that you're leaving, you have 3 days leave owed and therefore your last day of work/tech handover will be on X date.

Well done on prioritising your health OP. Feel the weight lifting from your shoulders and get some rest before you start in your new job. Hope they pay you the leave you are owed in your final pay.