Bit of a work problem

[SelstonCanary]

Hi all. Suffered a stemi with cardiac arrests April last year resulting in 3 stents, 12 weeks off work and now see the world very differently with a much better perspective on things in general.

In the main, work have been quite supportive. I now work 4 days a week and start later to avoid the rush hour traffic both ways. I’m a team leader in a busy call centre and recently, our team sizes have increased to well above what would be the norm for this type of centre.

Bit of an odd conversation with my manager yesterday who when I mentioned that our teams were too large and that mine was no smaller despite working 20% fewer hours was told that it was never agreed that I would have a smaller team! Now for me, I would say that it’s quite a reasonable assumption as I can’t do 5 days work in 4, especially as the hours reduction was to help me manage stress and avoid becoming fatigued.

Just wondering if any of you good people have experienced anything similar and how you handled it.

Thanks for reading.

[Maisie2014]

From my experience of call centres and other businesses it sounds pretty much par for the course. They sound supportive at the same time turning the screw. I loved working. My husband always said watching me work was like watching the spinning plates routine on the stage. I had lost both my parents when they were fairly young so tried to do everything before I died. Then one day I knew it wasn’t worth the effort and I retired. The last 7 years, although hectic in other ways doing what my family and I want to do, they have been the most rewarding. The day I handed in my notice I stopped biting my nails! Something I’d done all my life! I was aged 61. I still had a heart attack at 68 but I could quite easily have had it a lot earlier. Maybe you need to step back and look into your work life arrangement and see whether or not this job is for you. Good luck. You will get there.

[SelstonCanary in reply to Maisie2014]

Thanks for your response. Retirement is a little way off yet unfortunately but I will certainly take a look at any other options I can find. All the best.

[SelstonCanary]

Hi Gunsmoke. Many thanks, I don’t really let it get to me fortunately but I will certainly take a fresh look at things generally. Take care.

[Maisie2014]

I remember a number of years ago working for one firm of Solictors. They offered me promotion and working 4 days a week. I thought this was great and I was all for accepting the job when I asked what the pay was. I would be paid the same rate of pay but 4/5. In other words less! I told them to stick their promotion along with their job and gave notice to quit.

[Shar28]

Hi, have you checked your actual HR policy or spoken with a HR advisor about part-time working and reasonable adjustments for health conditions?

I worked for a large company in a call & processing centre and found actually checking the HR policy pages on the Intranet and speaking with HE directly very useful. Working 80% of full time equivalent (FTE) means 80% of full time pay so it stands to reason that your targets & team size should reflect that. Ie be 80% of full time expectations. And don’t forget that when it comes to any regulatory reading, internal comms, team meetings, training etc that takes say, 60 minutes per week, that’s still 60 minutes not 80% of 60 minutes so you have to work at a faster pace to achieve 80% of FTE.

Also, you have a medical condition and they have to make reasonable adjustments to workload as well as time at work.

Have you reduced to 4 days on a formal part-time or flexible working contract? If so, check the details to see if it says anything about targets/workload.

Can your GP give you a fit note specifying 4 days per week with workload pro-rated accordingly?

Alternatively are you in a Union?

I hope you get something sorted out that suits you soon.

[SelstonCanary in reply to Shar28]

Thanks Shah28, that’s really useful information. It’s a contractual change but doesn’t say anything about workload, I’ve said to my manager that it’s quite simply obvious that 4 days equals 4 days work and I have made it very clear that I shall be doing 4 days work and no more. I hadn’t thought of the medical condition point, I will bear that in mind. Thanks again and all the very best to you.