I'm working nights at Sainsburys, been doing it 17 months and its soooo hard doing nights.
FFor 12 months i did 5 nights a week, and since september i've been doing 4 nights a week.
Since June i've had over 2 months off sick, most of that time for mental health reasons.
I can't afford to drop my hours anymore, but i can't carry on doing the hours i'm doing because i keep crashing and end up getting signed off.
I've got my first disciplinary now and i know its only a matter of time before i have to have more time off, which means more disciplinary action and then BAM i'll lose my job.
The HR manager, its a well known fact, even managers have told me, she did not want me to start because of my mental health issues...i have requested to do 3 nights a week at 10hrs shift and she has refused.
Apparently their is no day work either, although one colleague who was on nights handed in his notice, he had enough, and oh look what happens, he gets put on days instead!!!!
The reason i want 3 nights is because i have such a messed up sleep pattern and the fact i have immense trouble sleeping, means i am in a constant state of jet lag, my immune system is low and i keep getting physically ill, my anxiety is through the roof about many things, i almost cut again today at work, and i'm getting thoughts again of suicide. I seem to be getting signed off almost every month now, was signed off in june, then october, then decemebr, then january and have had numerous other times off when i have been too ill come in.
Having that extra day off i'm hoping will help me, but they won't let me.
I can't afford to go part time, i can't even afford to go to days if i wanted to because of my nightshift premium which is a big part of my pay.
I'm not qualified to do anything skilled, and there are no jobs that are suitable that i have come across. I have tried to go to college to do joinery to get a skill, i paid 1500 quid for the course, but after 4 months i've had to give it up because i'm always so exhausted to concentrate, i keep crashing mentally and getting physically unwell so i've missed so much time off i just cannot catch up.
Even on my days off i'm so tired because my sleep is all over the place i can't enjoy it or do the things i want to do, my social life on nights is so crap as well.
Nights is affecting every part of my life and i can't carry on with it but the HR manager ain't listening.
I have arranged an appointment with the store manager at 10.30 today to see what she says, my gp and therapist have agreed to write if need be but my my therapist is off and is her last day tomorrow before she leaves the team, my GP is fully booked :(
If i get no joy from the manager, what else can i do?
Hi! I can't say I've been in a similar situation as I've never worked nights or had a manager like yours but I did used to work and I found it very tough doing 7.15-4pm with an hours travelling either side. I also went off sick twice but luckily my manager was supportive. I was given reduced hours and that really helped but I had to leave in the end. If you are finding it too hard to work have you talked to the professionals about you stopping work for a while? You might be able to get benefits like me? Good luck!
Have you put in a formal request to switch departments? I don't know about Sainsbury's but at another supermarket, I know you are entitled to do that, and they have to move you when they can. Not sure if it's the same for you. Also, keep applying for other supermarkets if you haven't already!
I hope you get something sorted out. Nights are supposed to be really hard. Good luck xxx
I worked somewhere where they did night shifts (though I never did) but you had to sign a medical declaration form for working nights, saying you were okay or something, and I was under the impression this was some legal protection for those with disability/illness/MHissues who's condition might be worsened by nights, in which case the situation had to risk assessed.
Would you feel better if you worked days, and if so, could work accommodate that? If yes to both, then I believe they are obliged to offer it to you.
It doesn't matter where you come from; it matters where you go.
No-one gets remembered for the things they didn't do.
We won't all be here this time next year,
so while you can take a picture of us.
We're definitely going to hell,
but we'll have all the best stories to tell.
I don't want to stop work entirely, done that before and ended up being off work for 5 years, it was only by a really pushy manager that i got the job, cause the HR manager as i've said didn't want to know.
I've thought about switching to days at Sainsburys, but then apparently there are no day shifts even though the other guy got days, and that was after i asked. Also, it gets very busy and stressful, i don't like being round lots of people, or in busy environments so it'd probably make me feel worse.
I did sign a form if i remember rightly but i think it was just like phsyical conditions and if i take any regular medication for anything that had to be taken at a certain time, but i really can't remember exactly what it said or anything.
I did go to speak to the manager, she was unable to offer me 10hr shifts, she said the company are stopping it or something, and that all nightshift workers in other stores who are doing 4 x 10hr shifts are going to be made to 5 x 8hr shifts, so there will be no 10hr shifts anywhere. Plus she said if i have mental health problems or medical problems and shes seen to put more hours on me then it'll make it look like they're not looking after me...
The only option i had was to do 2 days on, 2 days off, 2 days on, 1 day off...but that would make the whole thing even worse because the issue is with the lifestyle and sleep, not the amount of hours i work if that make sense? OR drop to 3 nights...
I can't afford to drop to 3 nights really, but i can't carry on the way i'm doing or i'll just feel worse and worse, keep getting ill, signed off etc and then lose my job and then i'll have no money whatsoever! So i'm dropping to 3 nights and try and claim housing benefit who CAB told me i'm entitled to when they did a computer check thingy. With the other days free i can hopefully find a part time job elsewhere which should then hopefully open up a full time door, then i wave goodbye to nights all together. Plus i can do some voluntary work, which i really want to do.
It feel the right thing to do, i know when enough is enough and when things have to change. I'm seeing this a gamble in one sense in terms of finance, but i also feel like their are big changes ahead, good changes might i add and so i'm going with what i believe and what feels right.
Fingers crossed i can find a part time job soon so i can boost my hours back up!
I'd phone the human rights and equality commission. At my last job I was discriminated against and fought them. It isn't easy but the commission may support you. Basically by failing to make reasonable adjustments you could go to an employment tribunal if you lost your job because of it. You need advice though, but sometimes knowing the key words and even taking it further if necessary is enough.
