Work stuff

Have started having a hard time with my energy levels lately, and working fulltime still, don't think it's a lag from moving house either.

A few days ago I discovered I have a bit of 'time in lieu' owing and a little bit of paid annual leave as well. It occurred to me that it would be much nicer to use that to take a little extra time off, but as I realise it's a busy time of year and I am finishing in little more than five weeks anyway, that it could be a tight squeeze.

So I did what I'd done before, and just asked whether it was feasible or not, via the guy on our management team that build our rosters (among many other things). That was five days ago ! I expected it to take a couple days tops, but he has been run off his feet - and so I was told it had been passed on to my team leader to look at.

So at the end of the day I asked her what was happening, and she hadn't looked at it, and then said something to the effect of "And in future if you want to make this kind of request please check with me first"........ !!!!!! I don't think she was deliberately trying to be mean or anything like that, but I still feel like that kind of comment was unwarranted. She told me after that she'd get back to me "tomorrow". Tomorrow came, and still nothing.

So I figure, for something that was never meant to be a formal request, why is it taking so long to get an answer? I hate having to nag, as I have done a bit of it already in regards to other things (maternity leave paperwork, part time work after that etc), and would have thought they'd realise that me feeling tired and running myself out of energy would be bad for the company as well. I know I pointed this out to a degree when I first asked our rosters guy about it, but maybe I wasn't clear enough.

In a nutshell, all I wanted was an indication of whether or not I could take ALL of the leave I'm owed, some of it, or none of it. Anyway, wanted to have a chat with my manager about it as he has been SO much better about these things than my TL (again, in subtle ways)... but he's away til Monday !!

Brought it up today at midwifes visit though, and she's going to write me a letter basically telling them that I'm to finish on the 9th of June, rather than asking. Like I said though, I guess I worry coz I hate nagging, and didn't want it to come to something "official" as I thought they'd be understanding.

Maybe my expectations were too high, I don't know. I'm trying not to stress about it though, am using rescue remedy to help myself out a bit, but feel like even though I am doing things as well as possible (eating much better, sleeping as much as I can manage, taking vitamins etc), I am putting out more energy than I am able to recover.

Anyway, what a ramble ! Need to actually go look at writing a draft email to my manager, because despite him being away til Monday I want to give him the heads up.

Thanks for listening ladies *sigh*

Edited by jax

Now honey, what have you been saying to me the last few days about putting my foot down and saying something? (ok so maybe agreeing on a price for a second hand cot is different from this but you get the idea of what I'm going to say). I don't think you're being unreasonable. You've already had to take time off for preggy related issues, I know you have been sodding tired and I know that a call centre is no where near as easy as some might think.

It sounds like you have done everything you can to be reasonable and compromise but hun, i think it's time to look after you! It's great that you are being considerate of the company but you have to consider what state you will be in when bubs gets here. Now is the time to get the rest and not over tire yourself. Besides you will be no good to work if you are exhausted.

Using your leave owing all sounds reasonable to me as does your email to the manager.   Hopefully the midwife's letter will do the trick.

(and for the record my Call Centre Team Leader Hubby agrees!!)

Now - go nag!

I agree with the others 5 days is much too long. Another thing i was wondering is do you have an employment contract? When i worked (feels like many years ago now) My contract stated that once i had given notice of maternity leave i couldnt take annual leave within a 4 week period of that starting. Soooo if i had had to leave work earlier than i did (i didnt) i would have taken paid sickleave, Just a thought if you didnt want to loose your annual leave .

ps is their any chance you will be going back to work at all? Just that if you take or get paid out all your annual leave now and you do go back to work you wont have any in stock just to do stuff.

ditto from me too. Jax and I have traded a million emails on this topic and I personally think that the Team Leader deserves a good kick up the bootay for stressing out a heavily pregnant woman

I'm also looking at taking some of my annual leave before I start my official maternity leave then get paid out the rest. I've been very lucky with my boss - he's been really great! so fingers crossed the HR big wigs will agree too

I think my boss is so good as his wife is an Obstetrics Nurse, so he's well trained!

Either that or my hormonal scary moments are getting more frequent and obvious

Hi Jax, you fellow North Shorer, you.
Good letter. Don't feel guilty. You have been perfectly reasonable and done all of the right things. Your employer has a responsibility to act in good faith and not place you under any undue workplace stress. You have notified them of your desire to take TOIL and Annual Leave and your reason for it - they need to get back to you with a response. I remember working with pregnant employees and then when I was pregnant and working myself - as it comes closer to the leave time, you have a mad panic where you try and fit in 12 months worth of work into five weeks and then you work out that you are actually heavily pregnant, tired and need rest.
Take care of yourself - you need to, or the next couple of months are going to be nasty. And work is just work - there's lots of it around and family is more important.

And you need that extra week to soak in all of the great advice that Dr Phil and Oprah have to share with the world.....or sleep - watching those two and sleeping take about the same amount of brain activity if you do it properly

Good on you Jax, You go girl!

yay go jax

Well, I think I brought it up in reference to the (now redundant) possibility that I might not be able to take any extra time. However, as I mentioned I'm really over this whole working gig and am desperate to relax a bit more before baby comes, so will be finishing early and they will have to like it or lump it ! Mind you, if you could find some info to back that up for me Toni it would be great... not a big deal though.