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!

I'm delighted to read this update (not that you're off with work stress, more that you're looking after number 1 for a change and not going to work yourself silly).

More power to your elbow!

Respond with "As I'm currently signed off work, I ensured that X could edit the file before I left on Friday. If there is an issue with permissions on the file, can you please raise this through the IT Service Desk (assuming there is one) as I can no longer be of assistance here"

Then I'd mute her conversation. You'll still get the messages but you won't get the pop up notifications in WhatsApp.

I've had another one from my line manager, this time it just said "Hi, could we have a weekly catch-up?" No x at the end like normal. I thought that was odd, then I got an email from her line manager acknowledging the sick note I sent on Friday with the usual going through the motions suggesting I use the wellbeing website our organisation uses (ha) then said she'd like it if I could have weekly catch-ups with my line manager, I assume to check on my health/wellbeing? Hence the cold text from my line manager asking for weekly catch ups that her line manager has clearly told her to do rather than being for the good of my wellbeing.

The WhatsApp messages are still on unread and I'll reply to email declining the weekly catch ups. I'm not coming back so it's pointless, I don't get on that great with my line manager anyway so it'll be of no benefit to anyone.

My point exactly. The whole lot is going, staff will be transferred to various private companies who take over so all this urgently of all these people needing training is pointless and very much a box ticking exercise.

Again on this I would reply to each of these people with a fairly bland response saying "Thank you for your message. I'm currently on leave and unable to respond to your query at this time. Please contact X who can follow up on this query".

I wouldn't specify what type of leave you are on, just that you are out of contact now and the X would be your manager (or better yet your manager's manager). Leave them to flounder as you're not planning on going back to them and they can't fire you at this point.

So you are signed off until you leave in just over three weeks? And they are asking for weekly catch ups??? Are they not very bright??? Surely they understand that you won't be coming back....ignore and block them and focus on rest and recovery before you start your new job

@TeaMistress it's so insincere isn't it because they don't actually care, they're just going through the motions like a robot on autopilot.

You are well rid of them. Ignore their messages and emails and block them so they can't continually harass you. Once you've left I wouldn't be surprised if that sparks a mass exodus of people doing the same thing. You might get a few that hang on for retirement ( understandable if they are coasting towards retiring ) or hanging on for redundancy but most people would want to be out of there as soon as the writing was on the wall.

I suggest that you text back and tell them you have spoken to your GP and they suggest having work calls with them will derail your recovery. Thank them for their concern but explain you will not be engaging any further until your sick note concludes. At which point, I would imagine you will be starting your new job.

Last night I went on my files to make sure it was set so they could edit the PowerPoint (to be fair that's not something IT can do) and thought right that's it, they can definitely edit/view it etc so that's that. I've now had another WhatsApp this morning asking me to share the Sways with them and the embedded forms. FFS! I've left it on read. Feel like I'm still at bloody work! Now I'll feel guilty all day which they know I will!

You need to mentally disengage. Why haven't you archived the chat yet? Drop the rope, walk away.

I think you're going to have to bat every single one of these requests back to your manager for the time being.

A straightforward message of "I'm currently on leave and will not be responding to messages while on leave. Please direct your query to Manager. Thank you" and where I have the word manager in the response, put your manager's email address.

You will have to mute the conversations/contacts one by one as you do this so that the notifications come in but you're no longer required to respond to them.

Do you have any IT equipment from this organisation because what I would do is gather it all up, drive in, leave it in a box with security at reception for the attention of X person in IT or for the attention of your manager and then you no longer even have a way to check up on any of these requests.

I've sent an email to her manager saying:

"I've had a nervous breakdown due to work so my gp has advised any work calls or messages will derail my recovery so to not respond. I'm finding the WhatsApp messages from line manager to do with work related issues is doing just that. It's nothing personal, I just need to focus on my recovery. I've ensured the X PowerPoint is available to edit but further than that I just can't look at anything to do with my job."

I've muted my line manager on WhatsApp and will block if I get anymore, although I doubt I will now because she'll be pissed off I went to her line manager. My line manager always needs everything NOW, has no respect for people's time/availability if she wants it NOW. She's not taking my breakdown seriously so fuck her.

If you get any more unwanted messages / emails don't respond to them.. Delete and block them. I would hope they will stop messaging you now as surely they are now harassing you and you've made clear that their work issues aren't your problem anymore

OP you don’t work there anymore, you’re never going back. Archive the chats on WhatsApp and don’t log in to look at any files.

In your next job, do not give anyone your personal phone number and do not add them on WhatsApp.

They talk to you by email and Teams, or not at all.

This. You’re leaving - don’t be a mug. Stand up and say no. You’ll do your contract hours.

Edit: I see things moved on. Hope you feel better soon.

Her line manager has responded to my email to say please leave this with me, I shall make sure she doesn't send anymore messages. So her line manager doesn't sound happy about it!

To send work requests via WhatsApp, to a colleagues personal phone at 8am yesterdayand today (my start time), whilst they are off sick, not just off sick but off due to a nervous breakdown from work! It's fucking awful the more I think about it and has set my recovery back about 4 days! I'm not great at just saying fuck it, ignore, because I feel guilty like I have all day. Now I'm just pissed off.

I will feel better, but it takes a few days for me to wind down from stuff.

Incidentally IT absolutely could have changed permissions on that file. They may not know how but that's not your problem.

Tomorrow please make sure you have WhatsApp itself disabled, maybe have a digital detox day? You don't work there any more. It's over.

I well done OP this is unacceptable. Take care and get well

Just checking in with you @Healingsfall to make sure that you're doing better this week and that your former manager hasn't reached out to you since you sent that message.

Hope you're on the road to recovery and that your new job will be so much better and less toxic than the previous place was.

Thanks @LookItsMeAgain, I'm doing much better. Not heard anything from line manager, but her manager emailed to check on my wellbeing which was nice and has arranged for me to receive the 3 days outstanding holiday pay (which would usually be lost if you don't take it).

I'm worrying now though because my DBS still hasn't come through for my new job! It was put in on October 23rd but has been stuck on stage 4 since October 31st 😟 I read you can't chase it until 60 days. My worry is if I can't start my new job in December I won't be able to cover my January bills.

Check with your new employer if they would let you start without your DBS? Or if you have one in your current role if they would be happy with that until your latest one comes through. Sometimes if you have moved a couple of times in the last five years and it has been in a couple of different Police Authorities, this may slow it down as it has to be reviewed by each Policing Authority. Many years ago I had a student on a reading scheme, who lived between Moscow, NY, Zurich and London... that broke the system!

I know from my role as a safeguarding governor in school, we have on occasion assessed the risk for staff members and allowed them to start as we either accepted a previous DBS or decided that the risk was negligible.

Thanks LatteLady. I've been in contact with HR and can't start until DBS is through. I asked about my current one but it's not transferable as it isn't on the update service (I'd not heard of that before) and my last dbs is 9 years old. I've been at my current address for 9 years and have never moved from the County I live in since birth. It's so frustrating as it should be a straightforward search as there's only one police force to search!

"Many years ago I had a student on a reading scheme, who lived between Moscow, NY, Zurich and London... that broke the system!"

😅😅