Dreading going into work and long notice period

LegacyUser

This topic might suit the Work Problems forum better, but I wanted to go unreg for this.

I work for an American company and over the past months things have gone so bad that I wake up filled with dread in the morning, and at this point I am actually concerned about my health if I continue working there.
The cause of the problem is not based in our office, it's with one of the mainland Europe Head Offices, where people are actively trying to undermine and sabotage our work(withholding critical information, changing contact details with customers so that we do not receive documents, ....) That's coming on top of a job which already has a huge work volume with very tight deadlines.
The issues is known to the management, and I am constantly being told that things will get better eventually. That has been going on for almost a year now, instead of getting better things are getting worse, and now I reached the point that I am so stressed that I cannot sleep properly at night.

My main issue is that I have three months notice period (I know, I know I signed the contract), which could leave me potentially unemployed if I hand in my notice without having secured a new job. Because from my experience, most employers do not want to wait that long. Pretty sure the company I currently work for would not wait that long.
Now that being said, I also do not want to take the p*ss and just stroll out of work, I would be fine with giving 8 weeks/2 months notice, obviously I would also provide training. I am not working alone in the specific department, there are 4 other people with me, and it is not a senior or management position.

The only reason the notice period is 3 months is because the company has a high(ish)volume of people leaving.
Also the 3 months notice period only extends to very few employees, the others have two months, and as I said I am not in a senior, management, or a niche position where it would be extremely hard to find a replacement.

I am aware that not honouring my 3 months period would be a breach of contract, but at this point I am more concerned about my health.

Paddy Cow

GoingUnregForThis wrote: »

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I am aware that not honouring my 3 months period would be a breach of contract, but at this point I am more concerned about my health.

What would the repercussions be of not giving 3 months notice?

If you are so stressed out in a job that it's affecting your health, then you should definitely start looking for another job. The company couldn't give a sh!te about you. You are simply another cog in the wheel and you have to look after yourself.

I've never had a proper career, so this has never been an issue for me. My sister though has been in your situation where she hated the job and wanted to leave. When she found a new one, she simply told her employers that she had a family emergency and had to go and look after a sick relative. She gave reasonable notice and no questions were asked. Some might say it's not ethical/moral but feck that. It's not reasonable to expect someone to give 3 months notice.

Unless your job is very specialised or you are very high up and it would take them a long time to replace you, I wouldn't feel guilty about looking for something better. You are in a sh!tty situation, they know this and aren't doing anything to make it better. Why should you be loyal to a company that couldn't care less about you?

LegacyUser

I'm nearly in a similar situation to yourself OP.

I took on work as a childminder but things have changed considerably since I started. Hours and pay, etc. I eventually woke up to the situation where I found myself doing the work and hours of a nanny without getting paid as such. I get a weekly sum of not much more than what the dole is whether I work 20 or 60 hours a week. It was something that I fell into. I'm not happy. My own home life gets neglected and I have many financial stresses and I get exhausted easily. I could write so many stories about the couple I work for booking me for a Saturday to go out. On top of a full work week and another work week looming come the Monday. Then having me there on the Saturday morning and not coming home until the Sunday. So, they have me there during the week so that they can go out to work and then they feel entitled to go out and have a social life on top of it all. And I'm left there minding the children. Not only that housework, laundry and cooking meals have been dumped on my back too.

I'm not happy and I want to leave so bad in search for something better. A minimum wage job in a factory or restaurant or shop or chipper or whatever would pay me more of a wage and have me work less hours too no doubt. If there's over time, I would probably get paid appropriately too.

I feel like I'm in a similar situation to yourself OP.

I feel like I need to pack things in and to be free of the place to get other work. But then I also feel, I need to have something lined up to leave. I can't live off fresh air and I have no savings to live off. As dreadful as these people are that I work for, I feel like I need to give a reasonable notice because one of their children has additional needs. What future employer would wait around for me for 2-3 months? There's no body.

Right now, I'm thinking up of reasons to leave the place but my mind is coming to a blank. I feel like I need to have a reason to leave. A very good solid reason to leave too for that matter. Like a sickness or whatever. The woman I work for is sulky and whenever I do decide to throw in the towel, she won't take this well and will do everything in her power to sweeten things up for me, work around things and encourage me strongly to stay. I know her far, far too well. I wish I had the courage to just walk.

Sorry, for piggybacking of your thread but I'm in a similar situation and I will come back to this and read replies to you. Hopefully might fall into place for us.

Xterminator

Hi Op

i recommend you go to your doctor and explain the stress situation. Get a sick note for work, based on stress.

then contact your manager and HR and explain you are are out sick because of stress and would like to leave with a mutally agreed shortened notice period.

If they agree, your sorted. if they decline, tender your resignation and keep going to the doctor for sick note, until you feel better, or your notice period is served.

X

LegacyUser

Something else to add,

I'm into work shortly and I'll lucky if I'm out by 9/10pm tonight. I got a few hours off this morning because I was there for the whole entire weekend.

I find myself more often than not, doing two weekends a month. This is like going in on a Saturday morning, staying the night, sleeping with one eye open and rising early due to one of the children having a disability and needing care.

People might be thinking here - why am I accepting the the extra at weekends when I'm not happy. Believe me, I tried declining many times but I feel pressured into accepting. The woman I work for sulks and spins sob stories about how this and that is so important to her and she never would have asked me if it wasn't so important, etc, etc, etc. I hate it to say the least. She's a selfish, spoilt tramp whose children are way down her list of priorities and I'd say no one ever said no to her growing up.

LegacyUser

@Paddy Cow, thanks for your reply. And no, I am not very high up in the company, just a normal agent in the department, and I wouldn't say that my role is specialised.
Everyone across the department does more or less the same, with a few country specific differences, but in general the processes are standardised.
The only thing is that I am there the longest, but that being just a bit longer than a year, that's more an issue with the company in general.
I think that's the main reason for the long notice period, they are having problems holding employees and try to deter them from quitting with extended notice period.
In my previous job, not even the manager had 3 months notice period. And as I said, I wouldn't leave without a proper handover and training.

I started looking for new jobs actively and that already made me feel a bit better, just having a plan. I have worked in demanding jobs before, but I have never felt like that before
and it has been going on for far too long with no improvement at all.

@Noname.memeber, yes we do seem to be in a similar situation, and it seems that people you work for a totally taking the piss with paying you so little and demanding more and more work from you.
I hope you find a solution quickly.

Paddy Cow

Noname.member wrote: »

Right now, I'm thinking up of reasons to leave the place but my mind is coming to a blank. I feel like I need to have a reason to leave. A very good solid reason to leave too for that matter. Like a sickness or whatever. The woman I work for is sulky and whenever I do decide to throw in the towel, she won't take this well and will do everything in her power to sweeten things up for me, work around things and encourage me strongly to stay. I know her far, far too well. I wish I had the courage to just walk.

I was in a situation similar to yours. I wasn't childminding but where I worked really took the p!ss. I was working long hours, often at short notice which wasn't what I agreed at the start. I felt trapped and wanted to leave but didn't know how. Eventually I got fired because I needed time off to go to my aunt's funeral. I've been out of that job now a good while and looking back, I can't believe I let it get to the stage I did. I did everything for them but it was never enough. The woman was mean and eroded my self esteem but I couldn't see it at the time. Now I work for someone who is great. I know exactly where I stand and there is no bullsh!t. I do my work and actually get thanked for it. The difference is like night and day.

For your own mental health, you need to leave. They don't respect you and would drop you like a hot potato and simply get someone else. You are worth far more than how they treat you. Hand in your notice and don't look back.