What would you advise (work)?

This is a public forum allowing posting as a guest.
Message
Author
Postinghere
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

What would you advise (work)?

#1 Post by Postinghere »

(posting here too for more traffic)

I'm at a bit of a crossroads.
I work for a charity and my job here is middle management (supervise a team, below the manager). My job is responsibility for a particular area of work that receives state funding. It is highly highly audited/inspected (this has been recognised as a problem nationally but I doubt anything will change). We receive regular audits which are stressful. The aim of the funding is to provide a particular service, but due to the extremely heavy paperwork burden people are not interested in it - they are "interested" but when they find out what is involved they leave. This is a problem nationally too, but is particularly acute in my area. I am getting pressure over this.
Even if we do move things on I work in fear all the time in case I make an error which can have huge implications (or if we are audited as we are regularly, which are really stressful). I have to do front line work and manage the programme also. I have taken time off with stress in the past, but issues that have caused this have never been dealt with.
I am doing all this in a non-supportive environment. My manager (of the Company) puts all the responsibility on the manager of the area, so if I go for help it's put back on me as part of the job. They do not respond to me. They have agreed something verbally and then back tracked on it as I have no proof. So I email things now which go unanswered until they bump into me in the office and say "Oh I saw that etc.etc." but still won't put anything in writing. Any problems that emerge are put back to me to sort.
An issue with the Company is preventing me from doing part of my work but nothing is being done about it.
Favoritism is rife, at a gross level.
Work is insecure; it is dependent on us (well me) to apply for our area of work and being awarded the contract for X number of years. However I am paid well (but I would want to be). The area I work in has a high turnover of staff nationally. As it's just me and my children I do think about the instability.

The pros are I am 20 mins drive from home, my salary is good, I can be flexible and I work with some lovely people. Job prospects are not that great around here and for anything I would have to commute.

Three weeks ago I started a Cert. in Training as I was offered it on a really reduced basis and people have often commented on how well I communicate verbally and do my "small" training within my role. It's acknowledged here that I have excellent skills in these areas (I got into this work because of this and my people skills - little of which are used now). Colleagues will often comment that I should look into working in this.Sadly my people skills are what got me into this line of work, but they are not the skills I need now (particularly dealing with the level of manipulative situation-ing that goes on).

A maternity leave position at a lower grade than me will be coming up, but with work that suits my course and that area (direct experience). I could apply, take the drop in salary and stress and work towards an exit, gaining experience. I don't gain anything from extra status here (except for a rise in salary). People have stepped in for maternity leave before and their old job held open for them (but may not be allowed for me as this very much depends on how favoured you are).

There is a State job in the local city that I could also apply for - office hours (i often have to work evenings here), permanent, pensionable, fits my skills. But would mean drop in salary (which I might be glad of if things got precarious here). A pension too is attractive.

I could do both I guess and keep my eyes open?
Don't know if any of that makes sense or maybe it's just useful for me to write it down.
Any advice?

apache
Posts: 10966
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 12:52 am
Has thanked: 35 times
Been thanked: 29 times

Re: What would you advise (work)?

#2 Post by apache »

I think that I would make a list of what your goals are in order of priority. Then I would match them to the three options available to you to help you to make the decision.

From your post, I think that I would look at the public service job to see if the hours would suit your childcare needs.

mumtoa
Posts: 5232
Joined: Thu Sep 18, 2014 2:13 pm
Has thanked: 22 times
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: What would you advise (work)?

#3 Post by mumtoa »

A friend recently left the charity sector as she just couldn't take it anymore. From what I read in your post she would have had similar responsibilities- she left, got another job with a lower salary but absolutely loves it and has less stress and less demands on her.
Don't undersell yourself. Maybe talk to a local recruitment agency and see what they would could offer you.

User avatar
molls
Posts: 6118
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 4:02 pm
Has thanked: 89 times
Been thanked: 71 times

Re: What would you advise (work)?

#4 Post by molls »

Just watch out if you are factoring in a pension from a state job that, depending on your age and salary, you may not get any pension over the social welfare payment.

Post Reply

Return to “Advice/Anon”