Coping with Mental health problems in Covid

oxoman

Seeing as the world has gone mad with media and Covid frenzy,s recently, I thought I'd put things into perspective.
Lots of people suffer from MH issues in different ways and unlike the past it is more socially accepted. People worry about anything and everything nowadays as everything is sensationalized in the media. Current news being rammed in peoples faces include the following, Covid, Refugee camps, terrorism, endangered animals, social media, racism, etc. Prior to Covid it was just as bad but people could take it or leave it as normal life got in the way, during lockdown people couldn't get away from it. Some coped better than others, but a lot have become stressed because there's no let up in it. My own experience is that having worked all the way through lockdown I get a new manager, this manager made a flippant remark about being sat on our butts. What actually happened is we pulled of a huge amount of non essentials engineering work undermanned and struggling for the basic parts and PPE due to lockdown. Refusal to do said work doesn't come into it as its better working than not. When confronted his comments were unreal, his words were I quote be thankful your working. Said manager has reduced myself and several other guys to gibbering wrecks, when he's on plant they keep him away from us as he's likely to get a good smacking. In nearly 40yrs I've never come close to this. Apparently according to the company shrink this is normal. I've had to put up with OH working from home, youngest off school in his most important yr and eldest on furlough and under threat of redundancy as a 2nd yr engineering apprentice along with 2 relatives dying of Covid or attributed to it. So I think I am capable of managing my MH issues pretty well and making decisions as I see fit. Now I am being told, lambasted or made to feel guilty for disagreeing with others over XYorZ. Cakestop is a social media stage in a way and as such people do go OTT, please think a little bit before posting comments will this affect someone. I know people on here who have recovered from Covid and also suffer MH issues and i respect their views but i dont abuse these. Just remember cycling has more than one function. Thankyou essay over.

fenix

Can you get away from this manager ? He sounds awful and clearly no good for anyone's mental health.

oxoman

Unfortunately not easily, early retirement possibly but not ideal at this time. Another guy I work with is retiring through this guy. Huge loss of an experienced engineer. Another was recently sacked for venting his spleen on social media implicating another individual and the company. The one good thing at the moment is new guys action is being investigated, as is the stand in guy who insisted on non essential work being done during lockdown. Senior board members not happy as they stated publicly only safety and security coverage on sites during lockdown. Turns out several plants worked through similar to ourselves whilst not producing. OOPS

pblakeney

Things may have changed but it used to be that apprentices couldn't be made redundant. They may be let go at the end but at least they have skills to put on their C.V.
Maybe a mild consolation?

Pross

Been there, all it takes is the wrong person to come into an organisation at a high level to make your working life unbearable. After over 15 years happily working for a company it happened with me. I'm usually very relaxed and don't get stressed too much but for the following couple of years I would feel sick driving to work on a Monday morning and started suffering with IBS. If I could have afforded it I would have got out at any cost and taken a more junior role elsewhere or even looked at changing career but unfortunately wasn't in that position so ended up with very limited opportunities to escape. I got out initially to a place that was marginally better before finally moving into my current role and in the last 3 years I've had no repeat of the health issues. Do you have a Union? If so, it would be worth speaking with them. If not, all you can do is follow the company's grievance procedures and hope that someone higher up the chain understands their responsibilities properly. Keep a record of anything you would class as bullying behaviour and try to keep a note of anyone who witnessed it.

As for comments on this forum, and I appreciate I may be one of those you're talking about, just take a step back if you find people disagreeing with you is affecting you. People will disagree, sometimes more robustly than they should, and you are right that we don't know what else is going on in other people's lives. I've recently deleted all my contacts on Facebook other than direct family as I was finding myself getting fed up with some of the views I was reading and the reaction I got if I challenged them. It's been very refreshing, I only kept the account at all so that I can keep up-to-date with several organisations I'm involved with.

morstar

Morons do sometimes get found out. Not always but sometimes.
I got absolutely hounded by a manager in a job once. I assume I was perceived as a threat or it was just plain dislike as my work was good and I had progressed in the company.
My exit interview took about 2 hours listing all the things he had done to force me out.
As I walked out, he came to shake my hand and wish me luck. I just looked down at him with a look of disgust and put him right (verbally).
He properly got it in the neck after I’d gone.

coopster_the_1st

On your manager, there is way more to life. What about getting yourself signed off with 'Stress because of the manager' for a few weeks. Would heap lots of pressure on said manager and senior management, and give you an escape.

Also, if retirement is an option, that is another route out. Better to have your sanity. You sound like a good employee so you could always get a job in a supermarket so you don't have to wear a muzzle while the plebs do

oxoman said:

Now I am being told, lambasted or made to feel guilty for disagreeing with others over XYorZ. Cakestop is a social media stage in a way and as such people do go OTT, please think a little bit before posting comments will this affect someone. I know people on here who have recovered from Covid and also suffer MH issues and i respect their views but i dont abuse these. Just remember cycling has more than one function. Thankyou essay over.

I'll address this as I have received this treatment for over 4 years now. The losers really didn't like Brexit . It's an attempt to cancel or drive out opinions the woke don't like. Everyone has to agree with their view otherwise they try to be attack dogs but come across more like poodles.

The way I deal with it is to mirror them. They really hate their obnoxious approach mirrored back at them and then get all stroppy. Eventually they all get hoisted by their own petard

Stevo_666

Good suggestion by Coopster about trying to get signed off. Mind you, sounds like you'd have this problem with your manager COVID or not.

Pross

Stevo_666 said:

Good suggestion by Coopster about trying to get signed off. Mind you, sounds like you'd have this problem with your manager COVID or not.

The problem with this for many people is that they'll only get paid full sick pay for a short period (I think it's 10 days in a rolling 12 month period for me) so unless you're fortunate to still have a contract offering full pay for a long term (a previous job had full pay for 6 months and half pay for the next 6 months - it was changed, ironically, after several staff used it to the full due to stress!) it only provides a short term respite before you start getting the stress of having to pay your bills without a decent income instead. It might make the senior management take a look at the situation but if they are already aware of the issue and are turning a blind eye to it then probably not. For some reason a lot of employers overlook their duty of care in this area as it's easier to ignore it than have an awkward conversation with their staff.

First.Aspect

Another issue with being signed off is that, like it or not, there is still a near career ending stigma in many workplaces to mental health. It really doesn't matter what the company itself says on the issue. Not much has changed unfortunately.

Now, if a group of employees were to be off sick for the same reasons at the same time, or request redeployment, that might be different.

Just sayin.

oxoman

Cheers folks, the comments I made weren't aimed at anyone in particular. I know one or two on here who have problems and it was just to highlight it's alright to be not ok at times.
PB, your correct they aren't supposed to be made redundant, luckily they've had a reprieve and aren't at risk now. Bean counters discovered they would have to repay training grants etc. Sadly no new apprenticeships this year and final year apprentices might struggle to find permanent positions as they come out of their time. However the bean counters have insisted that all apprentices work on production lines as assembly ops regardless of what they we're training for. No end date for this either, 3 months furloughed followed by x months lost on production means no apprentice training or experience gained. Being looked at by union again on training grant repay etc. Global UK company 100 plus engineering apprentices / graduates taken on each year. Plus own training academy.
Regarding my issue, whilst I'm ready to plant someone I'm not ready to go off with stress as its like giving up and taking the easy option. I see others doing it but it's not my style. TBH it's more beneficial to see new guy being hassled from above and kept out of my way. The odd occasion he has had to speak to me or some others he's been surrounded by others to ensure no problems.
Pross I can emphasise with you as my OH suffered for a long time with IBS until she left for a new company. She still gets the odd flair up when stressed, usually year end accounts and keeping her employer going through Covid.
Coopster, whilst early retirement is possible I really wanted to keep going for a couple of years more. Looking to move next year and don't fancy supermarket. Possibly engineering CI and Safety implementation advisor role on part time basis for a friend. He does the HSE side and frequently gets asked how to physically implement new safety standards into existing processes and equipment. Who knows what will happen.

rick_chasey

Depending on how amenable HR is it could be something to raise with them?

I mean, if the way a boss talks and treats you is really harming your health and productivity, they should listen.

But I totally appreciate all HR functions are different and some would not take well to hearing that.

kingstongraham

Sorry to hear you're having a bit of a time of it. Sounds like you are talking to a medic which is good - is there any chance of a referral for some talking therapy? Might help.

oxoman

Cheers. Luckily one of my previous managers has gone upwards quite spectacularly and having had a previous breakdown and managed to get the company to put something in place. The company has a core of MH trained people that we can call anonymously and they can refer us to more specialist help if required. As regards HR they've had more leader's in the last year than I've had hot dinners. So don't hold out much that way, although directors are not happy with regional managers plant management during lockdown. Might see action that way, current management seem to be stabbing each other repeatedly in the back at the minute.

pblakeney

Mid management blaming others for problems, never!

rjsterry

All sounds grimly familiar from my wife's time in a large corporation: middle management chasing their quarterly targets and to hell with the collateral damage. Being charitable, I imagine they were under a lot of pressure to meet these targets. She ended up signed off with stress and only then HR swung into action. It was abundantly clear that they were there to ensure the company's ar*e was thoroughly covered and nothing more. After that she went freelance although I recognise that may not be possible in your field. If the next tier of management keep hearing about problems relating to this one guy it sounds at least as though there is some possibility of them doing something. Hope you get a resolution sooner rather than later.

Stevo_666

Oxo, just watch that film 'Evil Bosses' to see if you can get any bright ideas