Job woes

Our "VPS Survey" (internal feedback for the year) came out yesterday and it's just making me want to leave my job even more. They really put us in the shittest position possible. They ask us "to be honest" but they don't actually want honesty as they've asked the line managers to cascade some information about the survey down (and it apparently ended up being most of them trying to convince people to give positive scores only and to "think twice" before giving a low rating because we "wouldn't want to punish our colleagues"). I have a very good relationship with my line manager so I feel, effectively, backed into a corner. My options are:

1. Answer honestly and leave feedback to show that it's not my line manager I'm unhappy with, it's the business as a whole. This will give my line manager poorer scores than I feel she deserves as she's one of the best line managers I've had and is far better than the other line managers who's teams will give them top marks just to shut them up about scoring). Unfairly the majority of the question are about line managers directly but they confuse things by addressing the question about "the business" but they don't really care about your feedback for "the business".

2. I can choose not to respond to the survey at all in protest because they don't care for my honest feedback. This will also impact my line manager because they won't be able to tell who submitted what survey, but they can tell which area the surveys have come from and my line manager is given KPIs in her goals including percentage of people completing the survey.

3.(which is my top choice) I can fill everything in with a 5 and then add descriptive comments that say this isn't how I truly feel but I feel the business only cares about top marks...and then follow up with actual helpful feedback. I need to make it as nondescript as possible because upper management will be trying to figure out who's submitted what results and they will punish people even if they pretend they won't (I know my line manager wouldn't rat me out but the point is that they will completely spend far more effort trying to figure out who said what and making their life miserable than just fixing the bloody problems we're unhappy with).


The problem with option 3 is that  one of the senior manager's a**-lackey is sitting on the bench today and she heard us chatting about what a waste the survey was etc. and she could probably help identify us as people who MAY be the one submitting the results....The survey itself is just really not helping my attitude towards staying in this job.

Husband's line manager's roles were frozen so he couldn't hire me but said he's let my husband know if any roles happened to open up again that he could put me forward for. I'm just so done. I either need a proper PM role or a pay rise (whether internally or externally) OR I need to move somewhere with a much more creative atmosphere because at least that would help me feel I was enjoying my job as the last few months I've just been exhausted and miserable with barely any redeeming qualities beyond having a good team around me in the office.

I got told today overtime was cut. End of no more. This was the only benefit of my job taking home a few extra hundred per month.

TBH I think the situation you describe is pretty common across the board and affects British people as well as expats. My husband was in a terrible job for years where he was overworked, stressed, unappreciated, and had no opportunity for advancement. He finally managed to find another job that seemed like it would be better, but it's the NHS and their budget is constantly under threat, people keep leaving and not being replaced, etc.

I am lucky to have work that I love, but for the past 1.5 ish years I had a fantastic job that paid well and was so low stress, great colleagues, it seemed too good to be true... because it was. The whole shebang was closed down by the American corporate office a few months ago and now I'm doing the same work for much less money, more hours and more stress

I know, I should feel lucky we both have employment I guess it’s just not where I saw myself ten years ago. I love my colleagues it’s the only thing that’s kept me tied these past two years. They’ve become my closest friends.

I’d be happy if I just had  a decent pay rise. I get the top marks for bonuses each year but that’s only once a year.

I guess to put it into perspective, I may £1,000 more than new starters and I’m sitting right under management. I fill in when they are on holiday so it’s just frustrating.

Big hugs!

What is your company's maternity pay policy?  If it's not enhanced maternity pay, then no *real* point in staying as you'll qualify for maternity allowance, which is the same amount as statutory pay.

Just something to keep in mind. 

I feel like I've been trying to climb to the next rung of the ladder for years.   

I know they offer more than the minimum statutory but not sure how much longer they extend it.

It’s difficult isn’t it? Sometimes I feel like I can’t juggle and I only have one kid. Sometimes ( I know I shouldn’t compare) I look at my younger brother who is ten times more successful than me and I just get defeated. But I think we’d be in a different situation if we lived in the states. OH works for a American company that my cousin used to work for and said his jobs go for starting rates if 80K.  Definitely don’t get that salary here.

But end of day I have to be thankful to have a job.

It’s difficult isn’t it? Sometimes I feel like I can’t juggle and I only have one kid. Sometimes ( I know I shouldn’t compare) I look at my younger brother who is ten times more successful than me and I just get defeated. But I think we’d be in a different situation if we lived in the states. OH works for a American company that my cousin used to work for and said his jobs go for starting rates if 80K.  Definitely don’t get that salary here.

But end of day I have to be thankful to have a job.

Everything would be different if my husband had come to the US, but his aging family is here (and there have already been times we were ready to go to theirs the next day from health scares) so that is why I'm here. I've been trying not to think about that too much because it just makes me (more) sad and defeated!

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Everything would be different if my husband had come to the US, but his aging family is here (and there have already been times we were ready to go to theirs the next day from health scares) so that is why I'm here. I've been trying not to think about that too much because it just makes me (more) sad and defeated!

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I know. It’s not good dwelling on the what ifs. I moved here for a reason too, husband moving to me was not an option at that time.

 Feeling a lot better today, just trying to let everything go and focus on the day at present. I think I just let myself get overwhelmed by the crud. Not to mention, I had to be over the moon for my friend at work who got an interview for a position I did not. She’s more than deserving but if you’ve ever had to be happy and let down all in one it gets to you.




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