Discussion & help on depression & mental health related issues

[Sunderland afc]

Have they said why things can't be moved on quickly? It's usually HR dragging their feet for no apparent reason. Keep on at them, they'll get fed up of you and do something eventually. Also, what @hallamblue said. It's £8k for an extra month. Do you have leave you need to take before you leave- that could bring forward your leaving date.

While we were going through the review process, HR suspended redundancy scheme and changed the goal posts. We've now been told that the old scheme is in review, with the proposal to change it and reduce the payouts.
The request was made that anyone who was in the review process should be excluded and given the original vr figures. That has been turned down and we have to wait until the union have balloted the members on the new scheme.
No leave date can be given until we are given our figures, which they now won't give us until end of January. (Maybe )
It just goes to show they don't give a monkey's about the staff. I'm speaking to the union and I really think I would win any tribunal case as the scheme was the old scheme when we began to process and every decision I've made was based on the original figures.

 

[anjelikaferrett]

While we were going through the review process, HR suspended redundancy scheme and changed the goal posts. We've now been told that the old scheme is in review, with the proposal to change it and reduce the payouts.
The request was made that anyone who was in the review process should be excluded and given the original vr figures. That has been turned down and we have to wait until the union have balloted the members on the new scheme.
No leave date can be given until we are given our figures, which they now won't give us until end of January. (Maybe )
It just goes to show they don't give a monkey's about the staff. I'm speaking to the union and I really think I would win any tribunal case as the scheme was the old scheme when we began to process and every decision I've made was based on the original figures.

Oh my goodness. That is dreadful.

 

[COYBL25]

Oh my goodness. That is dreadful.

They obviously value their employees highly !

If anything, the attitude of the company towards the staff tells me that things are only going to get much worse for the employees that remain after the cull.

@Sunderland afc you are doing the right thing by leaving mate

 

[Sunderland afc]

Oh my goodness. That is dreadful.

I honestly expected the outcome today to be that the scheme was in review etc etc, but the handful of people going through the process would be excluded and given our dates and figures. I can leave if I take Statutory redundancy which is the 8k difference. Hit me like a brick today when I was told and have to be honest it took a lot of strength not to walk out.
I've worked there 27 years and never known anything like it. Hopefully the union can get me the legal advice I need but the unions in the past haven't been very good.

 

[Sunderland afc]

They obviously value their employees highly !

If anything, the attitude of the company towards the staff tells me that things are only going to get much worse for the employees that remain after the cull.

@Sunderland afc you are doing the right thing by leaving mate

It a local authority and a labour one at that. And cheers.

 

[COYBL25]

I honestly expected the outcome today to be that the scheme was in review etc etc, but the handful of people going through the process would be excluded and given our dates and figures. I can leave if I take Statutory redundancy which is the 8k difference. Hit me like a brick today when I was told and have to be honest it took a lot of strength not to walk out.
I've worked there 27 years and never known anything like it. Hopefully the union can get me the legal advice I need but the unions in the past haven't been very good.

You might be better going outside the union and seeing a decent employment lawyer. Most of them will do the first consult for free. Even if you didn't use them, it'd give you an idea where the land lay so to speak ?

 

[anjelikaferrett]

I honestly expected the outcome today to be that the scheme was in review etc etc, but the handful of people going through the process would be excluded and given our dates and figures. I can leave if I take Statutory redundancy which is the 8k difference. Hit me like a brick today when I was told and have to be honest it took a lot of strength not to walk out.
I've worked there 27 years and never known anything like it. Hopefully the union can get me the legal advice I need but the unions in the past haven't been very good.

Redundancy is a minefield. Most contracts don't include redundancy policy, the Staff Handbook usually has the terms and conditions of any enhanced redundancy packages. Unfortunately staff handbooks are not considered part of your contract. However while the terms were not contractual, and so could be changed, the fact that they were contained in a "redundancy policy" means that they are deemed to apply unless a new policy is issued. This then leads to the matter of what the company is comfortable in doing, given that the group concerned tend to be long serving employees. So if there is a long standing policy of offering a standard package then they would need to tread very carefully in changing it. However, if it was simply that the last lot who went got it, then the company are free to change the terms of the next redundancy exercise. There is a very strong argument for custom and practice- folk making decisions based on what has always happened and in your case what was on the table at the time.

If more than just you is affected and the others are Union members too, get the union to put in a collective grievance on your behalf

 

[Sunderland afc]

Redundancy is a minefield. Most contracts don't include redundancy policy, the Staff Handbook usually has the terms and conditions of any enhanced redundancy packages. Unfortunately staff handbooks are not considered part of your contract. However while the terms were not contractual, and so could be changed, the fact that they were contained in a "redundancy policy" means that they are deemed to apply unless a new policy is issued. This then leads to the matter of what the company is comfortable in doing, given that the group concerned tend to be long serving employees. So if there is a long standing policy of offering a standard package then they would need to tread very carefully in changing it. However, if it was simply that the last lot who went got it, then the company are free to change the terms of the next redundancy exercise. There is a very strong argument for custom and practice- folk making decisions based on what has always happened and in your case what was on the table at the time.

If more than just you is affected and the others are Union members too, get the union to put in a collective grievance on your behalf

There has been 1,000's leave with this scheme since the cutbacks started in 2011 when the council culls began. By offering a better deal it meant they could say that no was made redundant as they all left. But i can see why they need to change it as it must cost them a fortune. I get it. I just don't think they should change the goalposts while we are going though a review. I understand saying from 1st April this is the new scheme etc.

Think there is only five people involved as no other reviews are going on.

 

[anjelikaferrett]

There has been 1,000's leave with this scheme since the cutbacks started in 2011 when the council culls began. By offering a better deal it meant they could say that no was made redundant as they all left. But i can see why they need to change it as it must cost them a fortune. I get it. I just don't think they should change the goalposts while we are going though a review. I understand saying from 1st April this is the new scheme etc.

Think there is only five people involved as no other reviews are going on.

I agree. Without knowing the full details it seems like you have a good argument based on the fact that you made your decision on the existing scheme.

 

[Jokerdan]

I've been developing this over the past year, it's horrid isn't it, i can't even concentrate whilst talking to friends anymore.. As mentioned I think it's called brain fog. Apparently a healthy diet helps it greatly. you could also try meditating too.

My better half had exactly the same thing incl. tinnitus/brain fog although she also lost quite a bit of weight and was very lethargic much of the time. Eventually tested for gluten intolerance i.e. blood test and an endoscopy (not pleasant but nothing to worry about as I have also had a couple to diagnose an ulcer) and it was established that she had coeliac disease. In essence, the villi in the large intestine (finger like protrusions) and which absorb all the good nutrients the body needs to keep healthy were practically non-existent. This is a consequence of being gluten intolerent.

As soon as the diet is addressed and gluten is removed - it is generally anything containing wheat or barley - then the villi return to their normal state and as a consequence mental and bodily health recovers. Do not think you have to live the life of a monk and will spend the rest of your days eating a drab, bland diet. My wife can eat a very tasty and varied diet incl. Indian meals (as long as she avoids Samosa or any wheat-based foodstuffs. Even popadums are okay as they are made from a non-wheat flour although you are advised to ask before ordering and ensure that they are cooked seperately from anything containing wheat flour but which most Indian restaurants do as a matter of course, anyway). Alcoholic drinks? It is possible to get gluten-free beer nowadays and, of course, most if not all wine is fine.

Not saying that the problems some of you guys are suffering is in any way related but I think many people just think that a mental state descends upon us and try to treat the symptoms and not the cause. GP's with very little experience of dietary allergies tend to prescribe medication rather than try to get to the root cause and the patient just then slips into an endless downward spiral of medication which does little to alleviate the underlying problem.

Having both researched into coeliac disease it is surprising how many of the population are affected and yet only a small percentage are ever actually diagnosed because the insidious nature of the disease and its associated symptoms are so vague that the general ethos is to treat the symptoms rather than the disease and diagnosis is then overlooked. Might be worth looking into?

 

[Tim's tourettes]

Anyone ever used mindfulness as a technique to cope with stress/anxiety? My sis in law swears by it. I am gong to research it as it sounds ideal for me at present. I have become totally obsessed with world events and am on news web sites hourly analysing events and growing more and more concerned. It's taken over my life at present! Only 3 weeks into citralopram so I am hoping this will help......

 

[hallamblue]

Anyone ever used mindfulness as a technique to cope with stress/anxiety? My sis in law swears by it. I am gong to research it as it sounds ideal for me at present. I have become totally obsessed with world events and am on news web sites hourly analysing events and growing more and more concerned. It's taken over my life at present! Only 3 weeks into citralopram so I am hoping this will help......

I've used it to help with anxiety. Mindful breathing I found particularly helpful

 

[COYBL25]

Anyone ever used mindfulness as a technique to cope with stress/anxiety? My sis in law swears by it. I am gong to research it as it sounds ideal for me at present. I have become totally obsessed with world events and am on news web sites hourly analysing events and growing more and more concerned. It's taken over my life at present! Only 3 weeks into citralopram so I am hoping this will help......

Hi mate.

I've tried it and it wasn't for me. I found it too difficult to control my thoughts on one thing.

However I know others who swear by it.

I'd deffo give it a go, what have you got to lose ?.

 

[Sunderland afc]

Anyone ever used mindfulness as a technique to cope with stress/anxiety? My sis in law swears by it. I am gong to research it as it sounds ideal for me at present. I have become totally obsessed with world events and am on news web sites hourly analysing events and growing more and more concerned. It's taken over my life at present! Only 3 weeks into citralopram so I am hoping this will help......

Never heard of it. But anything is worth a shot.

 

[jaycee]

Hi mate.

I've tried it and it wasn't for me. I found it too difficult to control my thoughts on one thing.

However I know others who swear by it.

I'd deffo give it a go, what have you got to lose ?.

Basically this reply,theres lots of different things you can do to help with the meds,different diets,yoga,meditation,exercise,even arts and crafts dont just rely on pills look up various sites and find something that appeals to you