How do you keep your morale up, when you are stuck in a dead end job?

DrJazzTap

So I'm on the cusp of walking out of my current job.
 I've literally had enough for various reasons. I work with a woman who has the mental capacity of a potato on a stick and the working environment is god awful.

I am actively looking for a new job, but I just want to walk. I've had a proverbial belly full. 
I've been told by several people to just hang on and wait until something else comes along etc..... but man it's so frustrating.

I appreciate this is first world problems, I'm lucky to have a job etc but it's all relative. 

I'm trying to channel my anger into something positive - fitness, looking for a new job etc. It's just frustrating to keep it under control.
 Just thought caring is sharing and all that. And hopefully somebody else can shine some thoughts on it. 

stimpsonslostson

By stealing stationary. 

It's a tough position to be in. Sure you're lucky to have a job and to be being paid but, & it's a Kardashian sized but, you spend (conservatively) 35hours a week there & that's a long time to do something you have come to hate.

If I were you I'd be searching for other jobs but hang in there until something else comes up- what you want to avoid is quitting and then being unemployed and broke, that's an even worse situation.

Good luck.

mikeyrob73

Sometimes walking out is the only option, i done it a few years ago from a shitty job i detested. It gives you the FEAR though, suddenly you HAVE to find another job 

Edited 

of course i am not saying this is the correct course of action for you ! 

DrJazzTap

stimpsonslostson said:

By stealing stationary. 

It's a tough position to be in. Sure you're lucky to have a job and to be being paid but, & it's a Kardashian sized but, you spend (conservatively) 35hours a week there & that's a long time to do something you have come to hate.

If I were you I'd be searching for other jobs but hang in there until something else comes up- what you want to avoid is quitting and then being unemployed and broke, that's an even worse situation.

Good luck.

thanks mate I need to dial back my aggression though. I've calmed down a lot but last week I bust open a confidential filing cabinet to get to my contract.
My boss had a word with me yesterday, and chances are I'll be getting a disciplinary for that.
 I explained to him I was pissed off. Basically a lot of stuff gets dumped on me and I wanted to find out what I'm actually contracted to do.

I am very fortunate that my girlfriend works in HR and she's been brilliant. Really boosted my confidence. I know that if I walk it could make things a lot harder to get another job. As it indicates that I just quit when things get too hard.

Which is not the case. I've had five managers in three years, the company is so badly run. If anybody makes a mistake or messes up, nothing happens. My dim co worker has had nearly 30 days off sick in the last eight weeks. And yet nothing happens.
 I also suspect that my job role is going to outsourced next year. So effectively they are making things as uncomfortable as possible to avoid paying redundancy.

Heartfeltdawn

Break it down into chunks. My job isn't great but I've broken it down into stages. Work there until the end of the holiday year (Feb 28th), see how the land lies with regard to the job itself and the academic stuff I'm doing outside of it. If I can cope with another six months, then I'll go on with it. 

DrJazzTap

Heartfeltdawn said:

Break it down into chunks. My job isn't great but I've broken it down into stages. Work there until the end of the holiday year (Feb 28th), see how the land lies with regard to the job itself and the academic stuff I'm doing outside of it. If I can cope with another six months, then I'll go on with it. 

Thanks.  I've said I need to be gone by November the twentieth (we have a stock take a month after that and I know it's going to be awful. Has been the last three years).

impmann

If there is a chance of redundancy, I'd smile and take it.

Put it another way... if they are making things difficult to make you leap, they obviously are worried about how much money they may need to pay you as a package (have you been there a while?). Whilst that cover-all thing of "anything else you are asked to do" bit of every contract gets brought out whenever you challenge extra responsibility, you can quite legitimately sit down with your boss and highlight areas where you are being set up to fail - you need to give evidence of this, and you need to be really sure of the *facts*... keep emotion out of it. If you get that thrown back at you, then you have a case for corporate bullying - ask me how I know.

You can also plant the seed with your boss... if you are convinced of up coming redundancy, front it out with him. Express your concerns about the the role going into the future and ask him to clarify the company's position - and subtly slip into that conversation that you understand the bigger picture on all this, and would welcome any consultation on the future of the role. By doing so, you have effectively stated that you would enter voluntarily into a consultation about redundancy - you are more likely to get a better deal that way than if you just let them pre-pack it behind your back and "spring" it on you later.

Redundancy sucks - but if you know its likely to happen you can prepare yourself financially and emotionally for it. I had six months of realising it was going to happen before it was announced and then a futher three months of working 'under threat of redundancy'... meaning I could pair things back on financial commitments, and plan for the future.

If your job sucks that much... find a way out. You spend more time working than anything else, so it needs to be something you want to do OR the pay packet makes it all better.

Hope that ramble helps, mate. Been there... it's shit, but there is an end in sight.

octatonic

Life is too short to work in an unhappy work environment.
Find a way to change the situation or find a way out.

lloyd

Your job doesn't define who you are, so try to not let it beat you down.

Easier said than done of course.

If you're actually looking for other work then let that be your focus.

I hate my job, but I'm aware that for a host of reasons, it's allowing me to do other things that long term will mean I don't have to do it anymore.

If you can afford to drop wages why not just walk out and do something else, low paid, menial or voluntary?

Fuck letting it affect your mental health.

Jalapeno

If you can put up with it, do stuff you enjoy away from work - I started learning jazz first time I was unhappy, 2nd time built a greenhouse and grew chillis & tomatoes, right now I'm putting together partscasters and doing repairs - and all times re-focus on playing.

I've decided on a reward when (not if) I get another job !

Panama_Jack666

Hand shandy in the disabled bogs every now and again.

Blaendulais

impmann said:

If there is a chance of redundancy, I'd smile and take it.

Put it another way... if they are making things difficult to make you leap, they obviously are worried about how much money they may need to pay you as a package (have you been there a while?). Whilst that cover-all thing of "anything else you are asked to do" bit of every contract gets brought out whenever you challenge extra responsibility, you can quite legitimately sit down with your boss and highlight areas where you are being set up to fail - you need to give evidence of this, and you need to be really sure of the *facts*... keep emotion out of it. If you get that thrown back at you, then you have a case for corporate bullying - ask me how I know.

You can also plant the seed with your boss... if you are convinced of up coming redundancy, front it out with him. Express your concerns about the the role going into the future and ask him to clarify the company's position - and subtly slip into that conversation that you understand the bigger picture on all this, and would welcome any consultation on the future of the role. By doing so, you have effectively stated that you would enter voluntarily into a consultation about redundancy - you are more likely to get a better deal that way than if you just let them pre-pack it behind your back and "spring" it on you later.

Redundancy sucks - but if you know its likely to happen you can prepare yourself financially and emotionally for it. I had six months of realising it was going to happen before it was announced and then a futher three months of working 'under threat of redundancy'... meaning I could pair things back on financial commitments, and plan for the future.

If your job sucks that much... find a way out. You spend more time working than anything else, so it needs to be something you want to do OR the pay packet makes it all better.

Hope that ramble helps, mate. Been there... it's shit, but there is an end in sight.

Wisdom for definite

TTony

DrJazzTap said:

 I also suspect that my job role is going to outsourced next year. So effectively they are making things as uncomfortable as possible to avoid paying redundancy.

If your job role is outsourced, that doesn't automatically mean that you get made redundant, although it may give you an opportunity to take a redundancy package if that's what you want.

The TUPE regs cover situations like that - essentially your employment is transferred to be with the organisation that contracts to provide the work that's currently done in-house, by you in your current role.  TUPE doesn't cover every situation (IIRC), but your HR g/f should know the details.

If the outsource company will be providing the service from a remote location, then that could trigger a redundancy opportunity for you if it would be unreasonable for you to commute from that new location.

Don't do any more daft things like breaking open locked confidential cabinets either.  Getting sacked is not a good way out of the situation!

spark240

Dude, until something crops up you need something outside of work to be your main focus like eluded to in other posts.

I happen to like my job, but still like to get home and  get in the studio !

jellyroll

Focus on looking for a new job. 

DrJazzTap

Thanks again guys, I know what I need to do. And in fact the more time I spend in that place, the quicker I want to move on.

I was in vehicle admin for 12 years, and that job ended messily (I was about to be fired, internal politics and bs). That job combined with a horrible ex gf really affected me. I had no money, I was stressed with relationship issues etc etc. It wasn't a nice time in my life. I ended up scoring this job.

When I was interviewed I was promised I would be doing XYZ. For the first year it was frustrating, but you solider on don't you? Well no you don't have to. I know that now, so I can start somewhere else.

Certain things happened, staff left, a rotation of managers, two warehouse moves, an introduction of a god awful pc system.

Around two years ago, they set up another warehouse up north. And it's been a mess since day one. My boss left two weeks ago and we had no information from the powers that be as to the grand plan. We were then told that three new members of staff had been employed at the other site. So it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together to realise that's the end game.

@TTony the trouble is , we have no HR department. We have individual drivers who have had twenty disciplinaries! We have staff who have rung up managers whilst under the influence and verbally abused them ....and they are still employed.
People who regularly cost the business thousands of pounds because of basic errors. In the last month or so, I've started to think "what's the point in me doing my job properly?" ...Which isn't the way to think I know. I'm guessing I'm gonna have another chat with the centre manager. I'll explain my grievances, and what made me snap. If he takes it down the disciplinary route then it is what it is. I know I acted like a knob, I've admitted it. So yeah the sooner I get a new job the better.

littlegreenman

Harsh thing to say here, but I'd be prepared for the "bust open a confidential filing cabinet" thing to possibly being more than a slap on the wrist at a disciplinary.

In my line of work, for the Home Office, that'd be criminal proceedings and an instant dismissal! Hopefully yours isn't quite so sensitive!

TTony

DrJazzTap said:

@TTony the trouble is , we have no HR department. 

So you're already one-up on your employer because you *do* have an HR dept (your gf) who will (I'm assuming) be aware of the legislation and the how-to and how-not-to manage people and handle redundancies, etc.

DrJazzTap

littlegreenman said:

Harsh thing to say here, but I'd be prepared for the "bust open a confidential filing cabinet" thing to possibly being more than a slap on the wrist at a disciplinary.

In my line of work, for the Home Office, that'd be criminal proceedings and an instant dismissal! Hopefully yours isn't quite so sensitive!

Yeah I know mate, in any other line of work the thought wouldn't even cross my mind. This job has just pushed me to the limit. The red mist descended. We had another driver swear at one of customers....still in a job (same guy whose had eighteen disciplinaries).
We are now working in an office which I know is not suitable, far too small. The chap I had my talk with knows my intentions, he knows I've worked my nuts off for that place. He knows I've gone above and beyond. I just snapped

DrJazzTap

TTony said:

DrJazzTap said:

@TTony the trouble is , we have no HR department. 

So you're already one-up on your employer because you *do* have an HR dept (your gf) who will (I'm assuming) be aware of the legislation and the how-to and how-not-to manage people and handle redundancies, etc.

Well she works for the MOD, she did her degree in HR. So yes she is up to date with legislation and know's how badly I've been treated.

She is staggered at the company I work for, cannot fathom how they are treating the staff. If it does go pear shaped (if they want to go down that route), I can have her in as a witness and she will tear them a new one.
I don't want that to happen and I don't want to get her involved in that sense. But she has been my rock.

Axe_meister

I'm not a fan of unions but this might say be a situation where a union may be able to help.