Hi hi , i am currently working in a public sector agency & just cross my probation. Right after probation, the workplace felt like war & people dont seems to understand me as i have many thing on my plate but it keep adding on even tough i mention i am overwhelmed. Now the manager is telling me that my work performance have been very poor. I have breakdown a few time already after work & i have put cheerful mode when facing members of public for events.
I really dont know what to do & i fear i would lost my job because of this.
Hi @user1012, I’m sorry to hear you are facing these challenges right after your probation. It’s concerning that your workload keeps increasing despite expressing your overwhelm. Communicate openly with your manager about your struggles by sharing specific instances and inquire about resources to improve your performance. If needed, try to talk to HR privately for additional support. Prioritizing your well-being is crucial, and addressing these concerns proactively may help find a constructive solution. Hope things will get better for you soon. All the best,
I can imagine how chaotic and overwhelming things can be. Speaking to your manager might be hard so I wonder if you’ve had a chance to check in with your peers / team members? Might be good to hear different perspectives to better understand what your manager’s working style and expectations are.
Thanks for serving the public with a smile despite handling all of these feelings!
@Jaws have tried speaking to my co-colleague. They wont that useful & they were adding to my plate even more. Furthermore i am the only guy in that department. They were even disencouraging me to drop my own personal volunteering commitment outside of work which give me confront & joy which i have done for many years even before joining the agency.
@Positiva thank you will try to schedule a meeting with them soon & see what they can offer.
Thanks for coming on and sharing about your workplace struggles in your department after probation. I hear you finding it hard to cope with the workload to the point of breaking down; it’s also affecting your current performance and making you anxious - I think what you’re experiencing is valid given the circumstances.
It sounds that you took proactive steps to mention to colleagues/manager about the workload but the outcome doesn’t sound positive. I wonder in your other experiences dealing with people, what would work for you in this situation other than the actions you’ve taken or how it can be different than what you’ve tried - especially with getting your needs heard in a way that is assertive and allows negotiation for a win-win situation (instead of current arrangement) for all parties. Could there be someone else you can speak to about this - perhaps a person that you trust and is supportive, like a higher up or someone from HR Dept - in an open discussion where you get your needs heard clearly and without judgment or appearing pushy/demanding.
I also hear you mentioning your volunteering commitment - that sounds like something that is aligned with your values, I wonder what you find satisfying in that role (perhaps the sense of connection with people or sense of achievement from helping others)? Maybe you can harness that energy to seek out a constructive arrangement that works for all parties.
In the meantime, you can bolster your distress tolerance by trying out:
engaging in deep breathing and being mindful to modulate your stress levels
being kind to yourself to yourself as you go through a difficult time
I see, that must be really disappointing. Did they suggest that because they feel that your volunteering commitment is affecting your work performance?
If it’s outside of work then I think you should continue to hold on to what makes you happy. But communication is very important so you’ll have to articulate that you volunteering has no negative impact on your work performance.
If you’re in a public sector agency, maybe you’ll get access to an Employee Assistance Program too - that may help you if you’re feeling too overwhelmed and need some immediate help.
