When to initiate a grievance?

Hannaho

Still working for same health related service. I was moved out of Department I was in and post I was in due to excessive demands by a clinician/boss - some of which were actually dangerous to patient care. One of the people previously in my position left because of this person's behaviour, another requested to be transferred and refused to return. As mentioned before, there is also a poor management culture - when derogratory comments were made to me before re being a single mum - my manager (not the clinician) laughed and wouldn't address them as the colleague who made the remarks was his friend. Also, though I had emailed him several times re the excessive demands being put on me and the danger to patient care, he never responded until my G.P. wrote me off with stress several months later. When I emailed above my line manager re bad practice and my concern for patient safety and the risk to the service of being sued/corner's inquests, I was told never to put anything about bad practice in writing. My Union Rep also told me never to put anything about bad practice in writing, even if I had already discussed it verbally with someone and got no response.

When I came back to work after being off with stress leave, I was moved to an office, and told there was nothing currently for me to do, that they couldn't find a role for me - there are 26 nursing vacancies in this company and it is very short staffed. When I asked for a caseload, my manager - the same one - said he coujldn't give me a caseload as he didn't know how long I would be in this position. When I offered to go to another department where there would be no caseload - he said I couldn't go there as my specialist nursing position demanded that I have a caseload! So everyday, I just sit in an office and bring in my postgraduate study - I'm embarassed as the other nurses are asking questions. I've been told also that I can't get involved in their work, as that would require to be in this new department permanently - and my manager can't say how long I will be there - I feel its all quite demoralising!

Also, my manager has taken to being derogatory towards me - he told me that in his view, I needed further rehabilitation after being off with stress, though the Occ Health doctor told him that I was fit to go back to my old job, and was actually very annoyed with my manager that this did not happen and he went against her advice/instruction. He also said that he thought I was always a very stressed person - my Occ Health doctor didn't agree with this either, nor did my G.P. who has known me for 20 years.

HR is aware of what's happening, and we were supposed to meet next week, but my manager reportedly told HR that everything was fine and cancelled the meeting. Meanwhile the clinician in my old job found out that I was off with stress due to her excessive demands and has threatened to sue for damage to her reputation, and now is refusing to permit me to return to work under her - though Occ Health said she cannot do this as she is not directly employed by the Company.

I have asked to return to my old job, since there is no work for me where I am now, and will be according to my manger, despite all the vacancies and the fact that the nurses there are rushed off their feet. Any email I send to my manger re returning to my old post is not replied to. My manager had also said to me why did I have a problem doing nothing as I was being paid.

Also, I have been offered a new position at same grade in another healthcare facility - though this job is subject to funding being available, and that isn't on the table yet. Nevertheless, this new company has sent for my references. My manager and the manager above him stated that they never got the reference forms, though they were sent out three times. Eventually, I reminded them that they had said in front of a Union Rep at a meeting that my work was always excellent and there had never been any problem with my attitude towards others at work - eventually they told me they sent the reference, but I haven't heard back from the new company whether they received it yet or not, or whether they thought it was satisfactory.

I am not back in the position where I am not sleeping again, and feel really stressed by the whole think. I don't find the Union particularly good - I think a common thing in nursing - the Union Rep is a good friend of my manager. I'm now thinking of going down the grievance route and wondered would others advise this.

davo10

OP this is yet another thread you have started on the same issue, how many is that now? Have you taken on board/acted on any of the advice given in the previous threads or are you looking for the same advice again for the umpteenth time?

Wanderer2010

OP, have you considered looking for a new job? You have an enormous number of issues with your current workforce and co-workers making comments, moving departments, emails ignored etc etc, and I have lost count of the number of threads you have started on it. Have you taken on board ANY of the advice given to you in the past? Because you have now hit the stage where nobody is going to take your seriously because of your constant moaning about the same old issues. You never seem to reply to people who suggest you look else where and to me it seems you just revel in being a victim of your own circumstances and have no desire to change them.

This will be my last reply to you OP, so all i will say is if you really find it that bad there, and it seems by now you have burnt every single bridge you had, then look around elsewhere and try and find different work. Good luck.

Stheno

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

OP, have you considered looking for a new job? You have an enormous number of issues with your current workforce and co-workers making comments, moving departments, emails ignored etc etc, and I have lost count of the number of threads you have started on it. Have you taken on board ANY of the advice given to you in the past? Because you have now hit the stage where nobody is going to take your seriously because of your constant moaning about the same old issues. You never seem to reply to people who suggest you look else where and to me it seems you just revel in being a victim of your own circumstances and have no desire to change them.

This will be my last reply to you OP, so all i will say is if you really find it that bad there, and it seems by now you have burnt every single bridge you had, then look around elsewhere and try and find different work. Good luck.

Agree with this poster, you've been told what action to take multiple times and done nothing. One thing that strikes me here is that the only constant here is you, issues with multiple managers, union reps , have you considered that you are part of the problem?

Doom

Stheno wrote: »

Agree with this poster, you've been told what action to take multiple times and done nothing. One thing that strikes me here is that the only constant here is you, issues with multiple managers, union reps , have you considered that you are part of the problem?

Ah..go easy for Gods sake. People in stressful environments are often afraid to put advice into practice, often a random piece of info will do the job.

Stheno

Doom wrote: »

Ah..go easy for Gods sake. People in stressful environments are often afraid to put advice into practice, often a random piece of info will do the job.

I wasn't trying to be a bully but op has essentially had this problem and posted about it for months and despite lots of good proactive advice repeatedly comes back with a variant of the original issue having done nothing to address it.

Stheno

As others before me and I said, op needs to do something and consider their part in this, I'd consider that helpful whereas posting about the same issue for months on end and doing nothing is futile

Gone West

Everybody else in her job seems totally amoral, corrupt & mean. They seem like bullies and the OP is the victim. Right? That's what she wants to hear from the good posters here at Boards.

OP, here's a pro-tip. When everybody else is "the problem" it actually means that you are most likely the problem but you just can't see it because you are "inside".

Doom

Fuzzy wrote: »

Everybody else in her job seems totally amoral, corrupt & mean. They seem like bullies and the OP is the victim. Right? That's what she wants to hear from the good posters here at Boards.

OP, here's a pro-tip. When everybody else is "the problem" it actually means that you are most likely the problem but you just can't see it because you are "inside".

How do we know that she's not telling the truth...she in fact may be describing the people and place as it is, plenty of workplaces are not full of happy people.
Since the economy took a nose dive, people cannot move jobs when their unhappy, they stay become unhappy, bitter and even turn into bullies and poison the whole place...it is very like that were I work..80% of the people want to leave but can't.

pharmaton

Health service industry specifically tends to have a history of this kind of work morale. Its practically part and parcel of the job as far as I am aware. I can't advise on the work issue op but I would suggest looking for ways to relieve the related anxiety either through counselling or finding some kind of helpful form of therapy be it meditation or seminars on dealing with conflict and using it to focus on more positive goals and opportunities. best of luck