unhappy at work but love my job too much

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

hissycat — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:33:27 GMT

We don't get any time off for doing our 12 hours but we do at least get an hours lunch. Also do 12 hour weekend shifts with no time off after. I am obviously looking for a different job I have seen this with a few pregnancies in practice, no consideration for family friendly hours. I must say i would really be hoping to be out of the profession or working a nine-five before thinking about having kids, it must be awful to have the stress of work on top of everything else.

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

Emma Forde RVN — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:35:30 GMT

Hi hun,

Sorry you are having such a rough time at work. I so know how you feel as I have just had a baby and had to leave earlier than planned as the physical side of the job was just too much.

In regards to requesting a meeting. If you put this in writing your employers are legally obliged to answer your request in writing within a set amount of days. I know it seems a bit much to go writing official letter and all but sometimes its just the way it has to be done to get anywhere.

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

Heather Christie — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:10:36 GMT

It doesn't sound like you get a lot of respect there, given what you're expected to do. And 12 hours with only half hour lunch break, is that legal? I got longer breaks at McDonalds!!!! It's disgusting that you're being given nursing responsibilities and then it's being implied that you're not good enough to do them. If i was you i might be looking for another practice after the baby is born.

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

natalie mcniece — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:12:09 GMT

i get a day and half off, is not ment to be 12 hour shifts its ment to be 8:30 till 7:30 but the boss is always running an hour late with appointments (which is another issue). i dont mind the hours to much its just stressful to be there all that time and be treated with not respect. we only have 2 trainee nurses that are new to us, 2 animal nursing assistants (me included) and 2 vets, 2 part time reception, no head nurse no manager, things are just mad anas doing lots of nursing which we dont mind we love it and enjoy the learning, but we not reconised for this later in the day (when nurses are around ) we are told to go an clean as we are not a nurse. we do nursing then get no help the whole place is so disorganised and not managed correctly it is mad, i dont see it lasting much longer.

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:50:14 GMT

The practice vets do 8.30pm till 7pm, but only work 3 or 4 days a week, and that feels long enough! Wow - 12 hours - really? Do you work long days but get days off in the week? (All my nurses work 7/8 hour shifts!)

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

hissycat — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:55:39 GMT

We do 12 hour day shifts as routine in our practice, also 12 hour night shifts. I am doing four this fortnight. Agree it is not good but should be a big no no when pregnant!

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:33:17 GMT

[quote user="natalie mcniece"]i get 1/2 an hour for lunch on a 12 hour day[/quote]

In my opinion noone should be working a 12 hour daytime shift unless it is for an emergency. That is a ridiculous amount of time to try to concentrate for - you must be shattered. And it is certainly far from ideal for a pregnant lady. I am all for 'pregnancy is not an illness' and carrying on regardless - but you do have to take care of that little bubba! How often are you working such long shifts?

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

les punton — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:57:19 GMT

have you asked for an appraisal? i think some senior staff just dont see what they have in front of them! keep pushing for what you want and hopefully they may take you seriously?! We dont get support from our management either iv been qualified 4 years but have worked in practice 12yrs (in between college etc), along with the vets and nurses I work with we have a good team, however my bosses dont see it! They wont even let us run nurse clinics - something we have pushed for years and there has always been some excuse. This just shows me how little they think/know we can do. Try not to let it get you down especially just now

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

Mrs Dot Dot — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:53:57 GMT

You might not ask for more but you have to do things for yourself and your baby..... your practice needs to do a risk assessment for you.......you can't carry on doing such long days without a high risk for yourself and your baby.... there have been other threads on here about work and pregnancy with conflicting views, depending on which side you are on...employer or employee... but at the end of the day it's your life, your body and most of all your baby that are being out at risk thru g/a's, lifting, long days, stress etc and you really need to get your boss to talk to you... you are worth more than that and deserve more respect and consideration.

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

Mac Feather — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:53:34 GMT

You gotta look after yourself and 'junior'- but Im sure you dont need me to tell you that.

Take care and ley us know how things are going.

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

natalie mcniece — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:45:40 GMT

thats the thing i dont use it as an excuse as other have in the past, i still operate, lift, do xrays clean the tanks ect, and get no thanks and no respect for this, i dont even ask for extra breaks, i get 1/2 an hour for lunch on a 12 hour day but i dont use bein pregnant to get out of things. i think i may just have to ask her again, the whole team are upset but its never the right time to talk to her she is always busy busy we have no head nurse and no practice manager to help or talk to.

thanks

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

Mac Feather — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:41:52 GMT

Is there anyone senior at your work that could talk to your boss for you?

Sorry I wish I had more suggestions for you.

Re: unhappy at work but love my job too much

Mac Feather — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:31:32 GMT

I really dont know what to say other than Im sorry to hear things are getting you down.

Do you think your boss would take the idea of having a meeting more seriously if you wrote a letter asking to have time set aside for a meeting?

How are you coping being pregnant at work?