over the past few months work has been well not the best, I dont really want to work for them anymore, and its quite clear that they dont wont me. things have come to a head with the continual stress resulting in being admitted to hospital on sunday morning and finding myself strapped to a heart monitor and oxygen tank. it kind of puts things in perspective as to what is important in life…..so should as i think take this as a clear sign and resign?

If you want to stick it to them then go off sick and get them to fund the time you take to get a new job? Downside is new employer may query your sickness record.

If you resign you'll get reduced benefits.

difficult choice, I don't envy you, but clearly you can't carry on there as you are.

Keep getting signed off sick until you find a new job.

Two questions.
How long have you been there?
How is it manifested/how they dont want you there?

If your doc can diagnose workplace related stress and you have records of bad practice, then sickness and a court case for compensation (under the Health bit of the 74 act) can be undertaken. This is the nuclear option if your reference is important then choose carefully depending on your job market size and how good your employers current rep in it is.
Get well soon.

How easy to get another job? can you learn to cope with the stress? How skint are you?

How long have you been in the job?

Want to screw them over( might cause more stress than its worth) or just get out?

Big company with proper HR or small company?

No job is worth your health tho.

I did resign from a job that stressed me out and felt loads better the moment I put the letter in. However I only have myself to support and I knew another less stressful job could be got easily.

yes

thanks for the input guys, pretty sure what the decision is going to be, have to see the doctor again in about an hour to get some results and advise etc

Voluntary redundancy an option?

No job is worth putting your health at risk but would you be more stressed if you resigned and had no income ?

Short term solution is definitely to go sick and look for another job. Good luck

Irish_AL – Member
over the past few months work has been well not the best, I dont really want to work for them anymore, and its quite clear that they dont wont me. things have come to a head with the continual stress resulting in being admitted to hospital on sunday morning and finding myself strapped to a heart monitor and oxygen tank. it kind of puts things in perspective as to what is important in life…..so should as i think take this as a clear sign and resign?

If you need to ask you need your head examining as well. 😐

one word:

Constructive Dismissal.

That's two words, isn't it? 😉

al_f – Member
That's two words, isn't it?

Its three as one is abbreviated "isn't it" ? 😛

cynic-al – Member

one word:

Constructive Dismissal.

Certainly worth considering. Document everything you can and get witnesses if you can. Get real advice on this and remember that awards can be low ( if you get another job quickly) and it can be stressful to make the claim.

I'd be thinking about looking for redundancy and using the threat of a constructive dismissal claim to get a decent payoff

There's quite a bit of info on constructive dismissak on the web, eg
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/RedundancyAndLeavingYourJob/Dismissal/DG_10026696
http://www.compactlaw.co.uk/monster/empf8.html

– but AFAIA it's generally hard to prove.

It's just another form of Unfair Dismissal (typically breach of contract in some way) and, as TJ wrote, awards are low – basically it would just cover your loss of earnings from leaving the one job to starting the next.

If you *do* wind up being signed off for stress, make sure you own up to it at the next job if asked..they may be less than happy, but they'll be even less impressed if you're economical with the truth. Eg a mate's sister-in-law had been signed off for stress (as a result of bullying) for several months, didn't let on to the new employer…when they found out, she was straight out the door.

Or are you stressed because you are crap at your job, or lazy, or…

The best advice I can give at this point is to not make any hasty decisions. Get as much info as you can about your various options you have and try to balance what is best for you. Take a week off sick anyway and get your head clear – then decide.

Once you've got to the point of deciding you care so little you'd be happy to resign you no longer need to.

I hated my last job so much I dreaded getting up in the morning and it was making me depressed. Leaving was the best thing I ever did, though I did get a new job while I was still working their.
Do as TJ says take a week off sick and have a good think though no job is worth putting yourself in hospital.

I recently took a redundancy package that involved speaking to an employment lawyer. He said that constructive dismissal was hard to prove and would mean resigning first then bringing the case. If you've been there a fair while then you could try for a voluntary redundancy package. Freedom is brilliant.

Voluntary redundancy? Suggest any such thing and I'll give you 2 words… 'managed out'. Sounds like it's already happening, so be very careful.

Have fun, have a ball, the worst they can do is fire you, which plays right into your hands.

sue them

Ask for a compromise agreement?

If its a professional job and a professional company then you need to take the doctors advice and take what action is immediately important to your health – that is the first priority.

If that is a week or two off work make sure they are told the simple medical facts why you are off. And nothing more.

Meanwhile get your thoughts together, what are your REAL alternatives.

I have been a similar situation a few years ago, it did not need medical treatment so not as bad, but pretty bad. I talked to the most senior person in the company who agreed an action plan.

3 months later the plan had not been acted upon, and after several more conversations myself and wife decided resignation was the best option.

Be very clear, this is not redundancy, you are not entitled to it.

However if you wish to pursue constructive dismissal that is a route that is open to you, but not without heartache and hassle.

The option I took is more common in professional arenas and we agreed a compromise agreement, this is where you and the company agree a (usually tax free) termination payment. The minimum is your notice but you can ask for more if the issues run deep and it would be hurtful to both parties for bad mouthing to go on.

Yes

Jesus, yes. If I ever found myself in hospital because of work I'd sign off sick immediately. If the company want to argue about it that's just fine, there's plenty of splendid lawyers who will happily pick up the cause.

written only to lighten your mood:

resulting in being admitted to hospital on sunday morning

FAIL! sunday? WTF were you thinking? only be sick on company time man!

no constructive help at all, i know, but all the best.

wwaswas – Member
If you want to stick it to them then go off sick and get them to fund the time you take to get a new job?

This is what my wife did in colusion with her line manager who was going off ill to have a knee op.
The department was being run down(no longer exists)and it was dog eat dog situation.
She got another job, 2 promos later is in a better position(in charges of national data base/s) than most of her previous bosses who were either re-located(out of Edinburgh)or "retired".

Her old line manager then took maternity leave, went back to work for a min period, left and emigrated to Canada. Where I will be for 3wks this summer 😆
All of above caused some serious office disruption btw 😈