Originally Posted by
Unbreakable.
Do you have a union rep you could talk to? That doesn't sound legit.
Would any of your chronic mental or physical conditions allow for you to be furloughed?
I don't unfortunatley. I've never joined the union because I have never had an issue as big as this before.
Anyway, since I last posted things have escalated. This is an essay so i'll add a TLDR version at the end.
Basically I am now off sick for a week because of my Area Manager. Lets call him Bob.
On Friday it snowed heavily where I work. Like, worst snow in that area for 10 years bad. I'd driven to work in my car that morning but as the snowfall got heavier, upon being allowed to leave work early due to said snow and arriving to see my car under 6 inches of snow and no way for me to get my car out without poteentially crashing it, I decided that for my own safety I would leave my car near work overnight and get the train home.
This caused a problem as I was supposed to be working at another shop on sat, which required me to drive there as there is no public transport between my home and this workplace. Therefore I thought it would be sensible of me to go back to work, ring Bob and tell him that I felt unsafe driving and was leaving my car where it was which meant I couldn't get to the other shop.
Now the thing is, Bob was working in an area that had recieved snow that had already melted. It was still snowing where I was. He was not happy that I was refusing to drive and told me to get my car home or else. (Did not know at this point that it was illegal to make someone drive in their car if they feel unsafe.)
So Cat, being Cat and not liking confrontation, went back to her car and got her car so far out of the car park before it got too slippy and I couldn't move it any more. Had to call out the AA. They helped me get my car moving and I managed to get out of the car park and on my way home.
This is where the main issue happens. Because lockdown means less traffic, it means the grit on the roads isn't as effective as usual, so the road out to the bypass is still dangerous to drive on. I was driving slowly, but going down a hill. As I was coming to a stop due to a traffic light being red, I skidded on some ice and into the back of the car in front of me. Luckily it was a 1mph impact. And the guy in the car in front was more concerned that I was ok than his car.
Anyway, got home, was ok, until I went to bed and realised how much worse it could have been. This led to me being up all night having panic attacks and me realising if I had said nothing to work/hadn't been going to another shop, this wouldn't have been a problem.
By the time it came for me to set off to the other shop I realised I wasn't in a fit state to drive. Especially as I knew the further north I went to work the worse the snow was going to be. So I rang the shop I was supposed to be in and told them I wouldn't be coming in. Turns out they were already not expecting me because of the weather!
Anyway, at the same time I consulted 111 because I knew that the amount of panic attacks I was having can be a precurser to a full blown crisis and I wanted to avoid that. They suggested getting in touch with my GP on Monday and to self certify for a week while I get on top of my mental health.
Rang my boss at work to explain all this, and who was at work, but Bob. She put Bob on and basically he was more concerned about me being at work than the fact I was saying I was self certifying to prevent myself from having to take more time off in the long run by ignoring my mental health in the past. He basically told me to contact my manager on Sunday and that was it. I just agreed and let him go because I'd had enough of him at this point.
Ended up ringing head office and asking to speak to Betty- the boss above him, who has also known me since I was 15.
She contacted me and I told her all of the above and she said Bob was in the wrong, he should have listened to me and that she would speak to him about how he deals with staff with known past MH issues that are asking for support to prevent a MH cirsis. She also told me to take the whole of next week and to keep in contact with my manager about it.
So yeah, i'm off work for a week all because Bob didn't care about my physical and mental wellbeing. I am debating taking this further/speaking to CAB but because it was all verbal communication, I don't think I could take it much further.
TLDR: Bob the area manager made me drive in snow which caused me to crash. This in turn has started a potential MH crisis which I was medically advised to take time off. Bob tried to deny this request. I contacted Betty his boss and she is backing me.
So yeah, I've learnt that from now on if snow is forecast I am getting the train to work and never taking my car.