Been on long term sick leave due to bullying - now going for dream job

LegacyUser

Hello.

I'm not 100% sure what to do in my situation.

I experienced bullying and mistreatment in my work place to such an extent that it eventually made me suicidal. I had a break down and have not been back to work since. It has been 7 months since that day and I have not been back. I have been fighting depression the whole time and trying to gather my strength to return and go through a battle with HR to try and seek some justice or a resolution.
I am still employed by them, but am not getting paid. Things have been in limbo for awhile now.

However a job opening in an area I have always dreamed of working in became available recently. Working up the nerve to apply for it has picked me up from the hole I was in and I have an interview tomorrow. As far as my CV is concerned, I am still working on my old place as indeed I am still employed by them.

I do not want to mention that I am on sick leave as I am worried that any potential employer will red flag someone who "claims" bullying and has been off work due to "depression" for so long.

I'm being told this is the right thing to do, but I'm also worried if it is or not.

Getting this job means the world to me, I would be going for this even if everything was going great in my current place. I want to do the right thing. I don't want to mess this up!

Any advice?

Mrs OBumble

First question: has your doctor indicated that you would be fit to work again in a fairly short time (eg notice period)?

LegacyUser

Yes, they see this as the best thing for me. Getting a new job and putting that old place behind me.

Mrs OBumble

Great.

I would do the interview, and not mention anything - unless they explicitly ask. Practice (in front of the mirror - I'm not kidding) giving answers that are honest but perhaps are economical with the truth. Don't lie - you can get fired for that. But tell the story appropriately.

At the same time, engage a solicitor to negotiate with your existing employer. One possible objective for them to give you a reference and not mention your period of sick leave, in return for you not taking action over the health and safety breaches. But you need to think through what you want, and what you want to achieve (revenge vs moving on).

Good luck.

ForstalDave

I wouldn't say anything but prepare an answer as to why you want to leave your current job that doesn't mention to much about the details, you don't want to out right lie but don't want to say what fully went down, I would also agree with the solicitor idea as you want an agreement with your current employer before any offer would be made and references checked(this also gives you a reason not to talk about it during the interview process), although it illegal to give a bad reference it is quite easy to imply one with out giving any details.

Best of luck with getting the dream job

InReality

Some good advice / thoughts here.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057221594

I'd say stay focused on telling them why you would be good for the new job.

If they ask why your leaving its just a routine question to them.
If you have your answer already worked out in your head as per the advice in the 2 threads you will be grand.

Best of luck.

Also , as I've gone though something similar , don't over pressurize yourself about having to get the "dream" job. It will have pros and cons like everything

Eoin

InReality wrote:

If they ask why your leaving its just a routine question to them.

Exactly right. If you're asked why you're leaving your role, it should be all about why you want to work for them, not why you want to leave the current place - that would apply to candidate. You've said that you'd love this job even if everything was fine where you are at the moment; so channel that, not the negativity.

Just try and be prepared for questions that might indirectly bring it up; e.g. "what projects are you working on at the moment?", or the HR type questions "How would your manager describe you?" etc.

Best of luck - hope it works out for you.

ForstalDave wrote: »

although it illegal to give a bad reference it is quite easy to imply one with out giving any details.

It's not illegal; they just have to be able to back it up. But you are correct that a less than positive one can be very easily implied very easily.

Stheno

Be careful here, although unusual, it's not abnormal for some companies to require background checks where they not only contact referees, but do an entire five to ten year check.

This can include contacting your current and former employers once you give permission for the check (and the check is a term of you being employed) and asking why you left.

So if the employing company just check references they can be fine, if it's a more rigorous check you may struggle

That aside, a bad reference is as easy as a current employer being asked if they would hire you again, and them just hesitating and saying "possibly"

sparkynash

Hope it all works out for you,the very best of luck.....

LegacyUser

Hello again. Thank you all for the replies, I do find it so difficult to find advice on all of this.


My situation has become a lot more complicated since the last post.

The interviewer had to change the day at the last minute until later this week. But the issue is my job is now looking to step things up with me and find out if I'm well enough to go back to work.

All the medical people I've been seeing all agree. I'm not well enough to work for them or deal with their bully processes but a I'm well enough to work somewhere else.

Getting a job somewhere else is part of the healing. But I cannot go back to my old one and face those people.

It looks like I may have to resign in the next week. Which is causing a lot of stress and worry for me as I keep hearing how its easy to get a job if you still have one.

I'm worried that telling potential employers I had to quit my last job might kill my chances of being hired. Being on sick leave is one thing, but quitting the job is not something I can avoid questions on.

I just went to get well again and get back on my feet but now all this is happening at the same time and I am unsure what to do.

It really feels like being bullied and mistreated in a job makes 'you' the bad guy in terms of how companies see you. It makes me feel so hopeless.

Eoin

bumping this, as it took me too long to approve the last post; sorry about that.