Yesterday was the straw that broke the camel's back for me...

My current employers are relocating to the other end of town. My ten minute commute to work would now take an hour. My department is due to move in five weeks' time...

Now, the majority union and management have been arguing over the additional travel expenses for the last six months and at the time of writing, still haven't come to an agreement. At present, I can walk to work for free. The additonal monthly cost for me would be £90.00 for a monthly bus, tram and rail pass.

I spoke with my manager about claiming the excess travel costs last month but she told me that the company would possibly offer 33p a mile. The new offices have been built just six miles away. So I would be offered £3.96 a day for the return trip. On an average 20 working days a month, this equates to £79.20 - a deficit of just £10.80 but a deficit all the same and over the course of the year, £129.60. In addition to this, the expenses would be paid retrospectively so I'd never recoup my initial outlay unless I left (because the prior month's expenses would always be used to pay the next month's expenses).

Well, I wasn't happy with this and spoke with the union, stating that I wanted the EXACT amount refunded and for it to be paid ahead of the actual initial outlay. We're due to relocate prior to October's pay-date, so I wanted the additional expense in my September's wage. The union agreed that I'd be out of pocket but couldn't guarantee anything more.

So I emailed all the union members in frustration, asking them for their opinion on the situation. This would be about 400 or 500 people within the company. And I got told off by my manager!!!

She said that I'd "abused" the email facility by using it to air my own personal opinions!!! What I'd actually done was to discuss union matters with fellow union members. I didn't send it to any colleage whom isn't in the union.

I was told to recall my email but this wasn't before most everybody had read it and about 100 people responded, congratulating me for standing up to the union and managers.

Yesterday afternoon, I saw the Departmental Manager, so walked over to her and asked if she'd have a ciggy with me outside. She said that I was obviously "stresed" to have sent the email and she advised me to take the rest of this week and next week as a holiday....

Now, last month, I went for an interview and was offered a job elsewhere for less money, but I turned them down about three weeks ago. I contacted them yesterday afternoon; they phoned me this morning and have re-offered me the job. I've accepted and the contract will arrive in the post tomorrow.

I've got an appointment with my doctor next Tuesday. I'm going to ask for a sick-note, citing stress and hand it into work with my resignation letter. There is no way I am going back to that place to work my notice.

I'm so happy. I should have left years ago. It's been making me feel ill for ages.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

Love you!

You know what though, since writing the above, I've had a phonecall from a coleague, telling me that our manager has today had a promotion and the only person she wants to take with her to an unspecified new project is... me.

I'm all conflicted now. I wonder what the project is? It might be something really interesting, less monotonous and with more money.

I'm going to have to back into work, aren't I?

Justin1972UK said:

hey, why not check it out - you haven't signed the contract with the new place yet. do what's best for you in the long run!

Justin1972UK said:

First up, well done on standing your ground. Secondly, can't you contact her outside of work to find out some specifics?

Either way, you have some options so do your best to find out as much as you can, weigh up both choices and don't look back. Peace of mind is priceless, also. Sorry to hear your job was causing you such problems with your health.

Fauxie said:

I started off as an analyst, then I became a Team Manager; but due to work being outsourced, my department disappeared overnight and I was shunted to a telephony-based job taking escalated complaints. It's not the sort of work you can due long-term without it affecting you sooner or later. It's very de-motivating. I was told it would only be temporary until they found a position which matched my skills and experience, but that was last November.

I might phone my manager for a chat. I don't know. I'm going to my mum's for lunch in thirty minutes, so I can't really think about it at the moment. Sometimes, too much choice is as bad as none at all.

Justin1972UK said:

Sounds rough. I can understand why that would become stressful pretty quickly. I fell apart after a few months just dealing with a class of 6 year old children after I was given 10 minutes notice before a lesson that I would no longer have a Thai assistant. That and being frozen out completely in the office and never spoken to.

Yep, don't think about it for now, try to take it easy. Come back to it when you feel up to it.