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What's Up in February?


Janet

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As for me, my grievance letter has arrived and I have the Managers all running scared. :smile: While I have some compassion for them, as their behaviour has and is mostly due to stress, it is not an excuse, for I know if I had spoken to them like that I would have been shown the door, or at he very least given a severe dressing down. 

 

Just after 10am yesterday, my Line Manager, who has been the main culprit, called me into the meeting room for a chat where I found the Head Housekeeper (her informer) sitting with a pen and paper. There had been a complaint about one of the rooms earlier, so I asked her whether it was about this and she said no, that it to do with a letter they had received - I didn't need to ask which one. She then proceeded to ask whether there was anything she could do to help. I replied by stating that she could not as procedures needed to be followed in the correct way, to which she said "I doubt that, as M (the |Business Manager) has asked me to come and see you and she knows what the procedures are". I replied by stating that I was pretty sure I was right, but I could phone the Union and check if she wanted! I then said that I was not prepared to say anything without my Union Officer being present and got up and left the room. I immediately phoned said Union Officer who confirmed that by doing this they were acting outside the law, thereby giving me even more to add to my grievance. When you are in a hole though really should stop digging ....

 

Today though being my day off and the fact that it is tipping down with rain, I am going to start work on my opening statement, bringing in as much spirituality as I can muster, while at the same time making it clear what a bunch of idiots they really are. I have one or two work colleagues who although they have not witnessed these incidents directly, have nevertheless agreed to write statements saying what I have told them and what they have seen (with of course dates which I can supply them with - one for example found me crying in the staff room over one of the incidents). When I return to work this weekend, I need to ask them to prepare these sooner rather than later, so I am prepared. Nothing is likely to happen until after I have left, since my Line Manager is on holiday next week, but given that my last day is soon after that, time is of the essence.

 

A complaint about three Managers, who make up the entire Management team is though potentially very serious indeed, as I am sure they know. It has taken a lot of courage for me to do this.

x

I'm glad you're doing allright in dealing with them. Good luck!

Today I have had an unexpected blood test, where I went to make an appointment for one and the nurse carried it out there and then. :o I should see how my thyroid is behaving next week, as I have a muddle of things going on at the moment.

 

I have helped put a chainsaw together, unfurling the tangled chain on it to enable a swearing husband :censored:  to put it together.

 

I have also collected loads of knitted squares from my elderly neighbour that I will be posting next week for a charity making blankets for Syrian refugees in Turkey. I will be including 2 of my own. :blush2:  I am slow at knitting and crocheting, whereas my neighbour (at 93) is doing a square a day.

x

I hope your test results will be good. It's not nice that it was unexpected, that's difficult to deal with. Good luck with the knitting, it's very admirable you're doing it for charity imo :)

I think I am coming down with a cold. Bad timing as I am a trainee for another 4 weeks. Work 5 days a week. No time to have a bad cold. So I am hoping it will turn out to be nothing. 

 

The big annual book sale begins in Sweden on February 25th. Looking forward to that a lot.

x

I hope you'll won't feel too bad! Have fun with the book sale, it sounds very nice :).

 

Our internet hasn't been working well for a while, lately the DNS server is having DDos attacks so often I can't browse most of the sites. This has been annoying me a bit, since I can't always do what I planned to.

 

I just did some cycling on our home trainer and am exhausted now, both physically and mentally.

 

I've had some busy days, I went to visit my grandparents and my aunt and uncle came to visit here. I also worked a lot at cleaning up the attic (still a lot more to do). Yesterday evening I had a bad headache, it feels better now though not gone, I hope it won't come back.

 

My brother is back from his ski-trip, it sounds like he had a lot of fun.

 

I've been writing a bit on my book about books - to be, which was fun. I've also been playing around with the structure, adding some things etc.

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Thanks everyone. The boyfriend is fairly positive. He's not sure if he wants to stay in IT so is going to look around and see what he fancies. Hopefully a bit of a blessing in disguise!

 

We've had a busy weekend. A friend's birthday party last night which was lots of fun, but I'm not used to staying out that late anymore! Today we went to Jamie's Italian for a late Valentine's meal which was really good, if a little more expensive than what we would normally spend on a meal out.

 

Athena, I like the sound of your book. And it's good you're enjoying writing it.

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Athena, I like the sound of your book. And it's good you're enjoying writing it.

Good for you, Athena. I also need to do some cleaning. 

And that book sounds interesting.

x

Thanks, both! I'll certainly let you all know when it's finished.

 

Lucy, I hope your boyfriend finds a nice job :). Raven, that sounds very nice.

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Feels like I have been away for months. Another assignment down and 3 to go and I think I've eventually go the hang of this studying thing again. I can't believe that I haven't read a book in February, I need to remedy this ASAP.

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With only 2 more working days to go until I leave my job, I am yet to hear back from the District Manager with a date for my grievance. I know he has got it, because of what happened on Valentine's Day, and I am pretty sure that he has been investigating, as I have seen around the home where I work at least twice this week. In the meantime, the Manager has been walking around with a face like the back end of a bus (nothing new there), but has been ultra polite to me (a sure sign that something has been happening).  :giggle2:   She had to go to a meeting at one of the company's other care homes this afternoon, which I suspect may have been to do with this.

 

I tried to get hold of my Union Officer this afternoon before their office shut, but she was not there, so I will have to call again tomorrow, as something now needs to be done. If they think I am going to go away then they had better think again.

 

In the meantime, word has got out about where I am going, and the Head Housekeeper who was also interviewed for my new job is not happy. She told me that she had been offered it but turned it down, but she is only saying that to wind me up, as I can read her like a book. It isn't going to work, in fact it has the opposite effect, as it all it does is reinforce why I am going.  

 

2 more working days to go :D

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Came down with a flu Monday. Still ill and home resting. Mom probably spread the flu to me. She's also home this week, but got ill a week before me.

 

Tea and sleep has not helped anything. I have found that a bubble bath and sparkling water with a touch of lemon is the best thing. 

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Feels like I have been away for months. Another assignment down and 3 to go and I think I've eventually go the hang of this studying thing again. I can't believe that I haven't read a book in February, I need to remedy this ASAP.

It does feel that way! I wish you good luck with the studying and hope you get some enjoyable reading done some time :).

2 more working days to go :D

x

Woohoo! Good luck :)

Came down with a flu Monday. Still ill and home resting.

x

I hope you feel better soon, emelee!

 

Yesterday I had an urge to buy some books but I've resisted it so far. I've been cleaning up at the attic and found some nostalgic things from my childhood. I've also been doing research / structure planning for my book.

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There was an email waiting for me from the District Manager when I got in just now with a date for my grievance - Friday 28th at 1pm. I am waiting for the Union Officer to confirm her availability before emailing him back to confirm.  

 

They are holding it at my place of work, where all the problems took place - what a bunch of idiots, as this is going to go round the home like wildfire !

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Had a nice day at home today, although not quite as I intended … got my sewing machine out to try today, after having done all the prep work yesterday, only to find that the presser foot won't come down, so it's unusable (serves me right for expecting it to work after having been sat in the cupboard for about 18 years :roll:).  Had got myself all geared up to settle down and learn all about my machine and how to use it properly, and then ended up not being able to do anything on it at all. :D
 
Then, this afternoon, I got caught up in the cord for the bathroom light, and the extra tug on it must have just been too much for the end which I know now was frayed and it came away with me!  Fortunately, I just had to go and get a new cord, but need to wait for OH to get him to replace it as I don't do ladders and heights! :giggle2:

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Going for my college assessment test today.  Not worried about the English part but geez, the Math sample is killing me!  I'm sure I'll just get a basic score.  Nervous!  I want to take a fun English course for my first so I have to do well on the assessment, to test high enough to not have to take a basic class (like I will have to do with Math- yuk).

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The annual book sale in Sweden started today. Bought 4 books on today's round. 

My flu is almost over with, thankfully. Just some lingering cold symptoms left, but feeling much better. 

2 more workdays and then 10 days off, free to do whatever I want. Going to enjoy every minute. 

 

Preparing a series of classes for one group in English. I think they will write fairytales and make an illustration for it. It's fun coming up with assignments for students.

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I finally finished my toxic job today - although not before I shed a few tears. I will miss the residents and at least some of the staff, as they are not all bad, and was really touched by some of the comments made.

 

In the meantime, I have my grievance hearing on Friday, where the District Manager will decide (probably not on the same day) whether I have been a victim of bullying by the Managers and decide what if anything to do about it. My friend who works in the laundry has her own grievance a few hours earlier, on the same day, and we have agreed to help each other by writing statements.

 

The Managers have all kept out of my way since they realised what I have done, which has been mildly amusing to say the least. Most of the staff there are not aware that I have done this, but when they see me back there on Friday in a meeting with the District Manager with a Union rep in tow, they will soon work it out, and it will not be long before it gets round the home, not that I care. They should have thought about that before they did it. 

 

I have then 2 days off in which to finalise my case. I then have the weekend off before starting the new job on Monday, which I am thoroughly looking forward to. Once it is all over, I will breathe a very big sigh of relief - and so I think will Coran. :)

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Celebrating the news of another Swedish princess being born

x

That's nice :)!

Had a nice day at home today, although not quite as I intended … got my sewing machine out to try today, after having done all the prep work yesterday, only to find that the presser foot won't come down, so it's unusable (serves me right for expecting it to work after having been sat in the cupboard for about 18 years :roll:).  Had got myself all geared up to settle down and learn all about my machine and how to use it properly, and then ended up not being able to do anything on it at all. :D

 

Then, this afternoon, I got caught up in the cord for the bathroom light, and the extra tug on it must have just been too much for the end which I know now was frayed and it came away with me!  Fortunately, I just had to go and get a new cord, but need to wait for OH to get him to replace it as I don't do ladders and heights! :giggle2:

x

Awww :(. I hope your OH can help! 

Going for my college assessment test today.  Not worried about the English part but geez, the Math sample is killing me!  I'm sure I'll just get a basic score.  Nervous!  I want to take a fun English course for my first so I have to do well on the assessment, to test high enough to not have to take a basic class (like I will have to do with Math- yuk).

x

Good luck with the assessment :)

x

The annual book sale in Sweden started today. Bought 4 books on today's round. 

My flu is almost over with, thankfully. Just some lingering cold symptoms left, but feeling much better. 

2 more workdays and then 10 days off, free to do whatever I want. Going to enjoy every minute. 

 

Preparing a series of classes for one group in English. I think they will write fairytales and make an illustration for it. It's fun coming up with assignments for students.

x

I'm glad you're feeling much better :). I hope you enjoy your books, and your time off!

I finally finished my toxic job today - although not before I shed a few tears. I will miss the residents and at least some of the staff, as they are not all bad, and was really touched by some of the comments made.

 

In the meantime, I have my grievance hearing on Friday, where the District Manager will decide (probably not on the same day) whether I have been a victim of bullying by the Managers and decide what if anything to do about it. My friend who works in the laundry has her own grievance a few hours earlier, on the same day, and we have agreed to help each other by writing statements.

 

The Managers have all kept out of my way since they realised what I have done, which has been mildly amusing to say the least. Most of the staff there are not aware that I have done this, but when they see me back there on Friday in a meeting with the District Manager with a Union rep in tow, they will soon work it out, and it will not be long before it gets round the home, not that I care. They should have thought about that before they did it. 

 

I have then 2 days off in which to finalise my case. I then have the weekend off before starting the new job on Monday, which I am thoroughly looking forward to. Once it is all over, I will breathe a very big sigh of relief - and so I think will Coran. :)

x

I wish you lots of strength for the hearing, I really hope you win, it's no more than right. I hope your new job will be enjoyable and that you can relax more once the hearing etc. is all over.

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Am off work ill today. It's a nasty cold, which I wouldn't usually take time off for but I was almost constantly coughing at work yesterday and I didn't have antibiotics in the cupboard to take. (I have a chest condition which means I should always have antibiotics handy in case I get a chest infection). Feeling better today, but don't know how much that is down to mee being able to sit down rather than racing around all day!

 

 

I finally finished my toxic job today - although not before I shed a few tears. I will miss the residents and at least some of the staff, as they are not all bad, and was really touched by some of the comments made.

 

In the meantime, I have my grievance hearing on Friday, where the District Manager will decide (probably not on the same day) whether I have been a victim of bullying by the Managers and decide what if anything to do about it. My friend who works in the laundry has her own grievance a few hours earlier, on the same day, and we have agreed to help each other by writing statements.

 

The Managers have all kept out of my way since they realised what I have done, which has been mildly amusing to say the least. Most of the staff there are not aware that I have done this, but when they see me back there on Friday in a meeting with the District Manager with a Union rep in tow, they will soon work it out, and it will not be long before it gets round the home, not that I care. They should have thought about that before they did it. 

 

I have then 2 days off in which to finalise my case. I then have the weekend off before starting the new job on Monday, which I am thoroughly looking forward to. Once it is all over, I will breathe a very big sigh of relief - and so I think will Coran. :)

Good to hear you are out of there!

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Thank you - it was nice to have a lie in this morning, knowing that I no longer have to work there. Of course it won't really be over until Friday. My friends hearing has been put forward from 10.30 to 11am the same day, as Sheila from the Union (GMB in case anyone who is wondering - they really have been brilliant, and I wish I had joined years ago) has a dental appointment at 4pm and needs to finish early. She said she didn't know what was worse - having her teeth pulled out or meeting my bosses ! It helps to have a sense of humour. 

 

I have a few finishing touches to put to all my paperwork before printing it out ready for the big day. One of the things that Sheila wants to press upon them with both meetings (she is also representing my friend) is that this is institutionalised bullying. My friends case has been dragging on one way or the other for 18 months now. Sheila has experience at dealing with similar things in other homes with the same company though and has seen this many times before. She says that all of their homes are like this, but the one I worked at is the worst of all. That is what I mean when I say that in some ways this could be seen as whistle blowing. This could have potentially very damaging consequences for the Managers concerned - but they should have thought about that before they did it.

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Am off work ill today. It's a nasty cold, which I wouldn't usually take time off for but I was almost constantly coughing at work yesterday and I didn't have antibiotics in the cupboard to take. (I have a chest condition which means I should always have antibiotics handy in case I get a chest infection). Feeling better today, but don't know how much that is down to mee being able to sit down rather than racing around all day!

x

I hope you feel much better soon, Lucybird!

 

Yesterday I fell into a window and ended up with a big gash on my leg. I was in shock for quite a while. It's not hurting much anymore now, gladly. After I had calmed down enough and was able to properly walk, we went out to the next town over. I bought a lot of books (supporting the local book shop that's in trouble) and I bought some fluffy clothes at Primark that I'm wearing atm. We wanted to go to this restaurant for dinner but unfortunately it had closed down (their site was still up and normal though, I checked before we left). We went to a different place instead. My body seemed to be allergic to some of the herbs used (and so most of my dinner went straight through me), but the upside of it is that I didn't gain much weight from it. It was quite an eventful day!

 

The next few days I plan to rest a lot to recover from my tiredness from the last while.

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Am off work ill today. It's a nasty cold, which I wouldn't usually take time off for but I was almost constantly coughing at work yesterday and I didn't have antibiotics in the cupboard to take. (I have a chest condition which means I should always have antibiotics handy in case I get a chest infection). Feeling better today, but don't know how much that is down to mee being able to sit down rather than racing around all day!

 

 

Good to hear you are out of there!

 

Rest is a great cure-all.  I hope you are feeling much better, very soon.  :empathy:

 

 

 

Thank you - it was nice to have a lie in this morning, knowing that I no longer have to work there. Of course it won't really be over until Friday. My friends hearing has been put forward from 10.30 to 11am the same day, as Sheila from the Union (GMB in case anyone who is wondering - they really have been brilliant, and I wish I had joined years ago) has a dental appointment at 4pm and needs to finish early. She said she didn't know what was worse - having her teeth pulled out or meeting my bosses ! It helps to have a sense of humour. 

 

I have a few finishing touches to put to all my paperwork before printing it out ready for the big day. One of the things that Sheila wants to press upon them with both meetings (she is also representing my friend) is that this is institutionalised bullying. My friends case has been dragging on one way or the other for 18 months now. Sheila has experience at dealing with similar things in other homes with the same company though and has seen this many times before. She says that all of their homes are like this, but the one I worked at is the worst of all. That is what I mean when I say that in some ways this could be seen as whistle blowing. This could have potentially very damaging consequences for the Managers concerned - but they should have thought about that before they did it.

 

I think you've done beautifully, it's a really difficult thing to go up against something like that. 

I'm glad you're out of there!  :empathy:

 

 

x

I hope you feel much better soon, Lucybird!

 

Yesterday I fell into a window and ended up with a big gash on my leg. I was in shock for quite a while. It's not hurting much anymore now, gladly. After I had calmed down enough and was able to properly walk, we went out to the next town over. I bought a lot of books (supporting the local book shop that's in trouble) and I bought some fluffy clothes at Primark that I'm wearing atm. We wanted to go to this restaurant for dinner but unfortunately it had closed down (their site was still up and normal though, I checked before we left). We went to a different place instead. My body seemed to be allergic to some of the herbs used (and so most of my dinner went straight through me), but the upside of it is that I didn't gain much weight from it. It was quite an eventful day!

 

The next few days I plan to rest a lot to recover from my tiredness from the last while.

 

Oh, Gaia!  That was a miserable day, except of course for the Retail Therapy.  :empathy:  :friends3:

 

It's good to rest.  I believe many people under rate rest.  They think they can keep on going like the Energizer Bunny.  They can't, and pay for it in the end. 

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x

I hope you feel much better soon, Lucybird!

 

Yesterday I fell into a window and ended up with a big gash on my leg. I was in shock for quite a while. It's not hurting much anymore now, gladly. After I had calmed down enough and was able to properly walk, we went out to the next town over. I bought a lot of books (supporting the local book shop that's in trouble) and I bought some fluffy clothes at Primark that I'm wearing atm. We wanted to go to this restaurant for dinner but unfortunately it had closed down (their site was still up and normal though, I checked before we left). We went to a different place instead. My body seemed to be allergic to some of the herbs used (and so most of my dinner went straight through me), but the upside of it is that I didn't gain much weight from it. It was quite an eventful day!

 

The next few days I plan to rest a lot to recover from my tiredness from the last while.

 

Yikes, that's awful! Hope you're alright x

 

I'm doing okay, haven't been posting much the last few days because I haven't been reading but I'm still popping in and out, and have started a new book. I've actually just been totally distracted by rewatching Star Trek TNG and playing video games! I go through phases... I need to learn to dedicate a bit of time each day to each thing but I'm not very good at that.

 

I've had a strange invasion of tiny black bugs in my bedroom, lately. I have absolutely no idea what has prompted the invasion, or where precisely they're coming from. They're restricted almost entirely to the corner of my room that has no doors or windows, and they're only a bit bigger than a grain of rice, black, multi-legged like a teeny centipede or milipede type thing. Relatively slow moving. I've killed about 40 of them in the last 5 days - I suspect they may be coming in under a crack between the skirtingboard and my (wooden) floor, but that would still mean they're living inside the wall and just decided to start coming into my room! It's very odd. I've never seen anything like them before. Gonna get bug spray and routinely spray the walls and cracks by the floor - hopefully that will eventually deter them. I dunno what else to do really. It's not a particularly big deal, I just notice one or two on the wall every few hours, but it is annoying.

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Oh, Gaia!  That was a miserable day, except of course for the Retail Therapy.  :empathy:  :friends3:

 

It's good to rest.  I believe many people under rate rest.  They think they can keep on going like the Energizer Bunny.  They can't, and pay for it in the end.

x

Thanks, Kate :). I agree, resting is good to do. Sometimes I think I should do it (even) more often. 

I'm doing okay, haven't been posting much the last few days because I haven't been reading but I'm still popping in and out, and have started a new book. I've actually just been totally distracted by rewatching Star Trek TNG and playing video games! I go through phases... I need to learn to dedicate a bit of time each day to each thing but I'm not very good at that.

 

I've had a strange invasion of tiny black bugs in my bedroom, lately. I have absolutely no idea what has prompted the invasion, or where precisely they're coming from. They're restricted almost entirely to the corner of my room that has no doors or windows, and they're only a bit bigger than a grain of rice, black, multi-legged like a teeny centipede or milipede type thing. Relatively slow moving. I've killed about 40 of them in the last 5 days - I suspect they may be coming in under a crack between the skirtingboard and my (wooden) floor, but that would still mean they're living inside the wall and just decided to start coming into my room! It's very odd. I've never seen anything like them before. Gonna get bug spray and routinely spray the walls and cracks by the floor - hopefully that will eventually deter them. I dunno what else to do really. It's not a particularly big deal, I just notice one or two on the wall every few hours, but it is annoying.

x

I hope you're having fun watching Star Trek TNG and playing video games (which ones are you playing?). Because of my input problems I can't do most things for a long time. I'd love to spend a whole day watching something or playing video games some time, but there's no way I could do that. What I'm saying is, I already stop and start and do various things throughout the day due to necessity. There's nothing wrong with phases, but you could plan for yourself you spend part of your day doing X and another part doing Y (ie. video games and reading, or what you'd like to do). I don't know how good you are to sticking to a planning though, I'm good with sticking to my own plannings but some people find it hard to bring up the self discipline.

 

The bugs sound pretty yikes! I hope you can get rid of them, it's pretty odd the way they just appeared in the crack.

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I have my grievance hearing later on today (my friends is at 10.30am), and am nervous as hell. My tummy is in knots and I have been tossing and turning since about 2am. A cup of coffee has taken the edge off some of it, but the feelings are still there.

 

I am all ready though - Coran and I spent most of yesterday afternoon printing out all my evidence - a 40 page diary, plus statements from both Coran and my friend. I have also of course written one for her. One of the Senior Carers had said that she was also going to write something, but I haven't heard from her. I am hoping she may be there when I go in later on today, but if not, we will have to manage with what we have.

 

I will be bringing a present for my friend with me - my old copy of the TUC Know Your Rights at Work Handbook - she is going to need this if she is to stay there much longer. I have recently bought a new copy which is bit more up to date, but if my old one can help her, all well and good. It means an awful lot to have her support and also of course support from The Union.  

 

Depending on what time we finish, Coran and I will be going out for a celebratory cake afterwards.  :smile:

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