Tag: work

Yelly Writes

Furlough FAQs

Yelly

Before I start, my caveat is that I started writing this on 25 April. It’s now 6 May. But I’ve checked and the website links are still up to date!

It is, thankfully, Friday.

And it is Day 5 of being on furlough. Really, I should stop counting because it’s going to be a very long wait. The furloughing, according to the letter I received from work, might be up to 3 months. It scares me to think of what 3 months of not doing anything will look like for me. I try to tell myself that I’ll find something to do other than bingeing on TV boxsets. Only 5 days in and I’m losing the ability to communicate!

What I’m afraid the most of is the inertia that seems to fill me when I have no direction during the day. I’m writing in my journal a lot because it’s the physicality of having to sit at a desk and actually DO something that helps me feel not so useless. Of course there are quotes and memes about being kind to yourself at this time, or forgiving yourself for the inactivity, or accepting that these are exceptional circumstances and we’ve never been in this situation, so whatever you’re doing, however much or little, is enough. I get that. In my head that makes sense. But there’s also that whiny inner critic that goes, “well, you’ve got things that you said you would do, that’s on your list, so do them instead of just wallowing in the anxiousness that you can’t explain!” I’m really conflicted.

Also, my body clock is out of whack. Completely. I’m wide awake until about 2:30 in the morning and then I feel horrible during the day. I’m going to make sure I go to bed at around 10PM and stay in bed, even if I’m not sleepy. I really need to discipline myself. The only problem is I’m so jumpy and anxious and I can’t settle.

Anyway, in case you’re like me and you like knowing things (in other words, you’re nosey), and you’re not yet on furlough and you’re wondering whether you or your employer can qualify for the government’s job retention scheme, I’ve added links below to a few helpful sites that might provide you with answers. I’ve tried to make sure these are either proper professional bodies or government website links so that I’m not advertising incorrect information. I hope these links help someone else!

Check if your employer can use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (Gov.uk link)

If you’re self-employed can you apply for a grant for assistance? (Gov.uk link)

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Furlough FAQs – where you can download the guide about what furlough is. There is also text that you can read through and a helpful video explaining what is furloughing. When I read it, it was written to apply to an HR person’s perspective, but it does answer a lot of the questions that I had (what is furloughing, how long can they have me on furlough, what about the usual benefits, etc.).

What does it mean if I’ve been furloughed? – This is a BBC explainer and helps put things into perspective and I think the one-liners help simplify things. It explains the realities of what being on furlough means in a language that is accessible.

Covid-19 Guidance for employees, employers and businesses (Gov.uk link)

Hopefully these links help you. Of course if you’re reading this outside the UK, unfortunately, you will have to read something that is more local as employment law will have different provisions in different countries.

Thanks! And I hope you’re all keeping well, staying in and staying safe!

Yelly Writes

Back to the salt mines!

Yelly

I had 10 days off work.  1o days!

It was a struggle to go back to work this morning and the day sped by so fast I nearly got whiplash!  But, that being said, after 10 days of not being chained to a desk (and my determination to keep my desk as paperless as possible), today was a good first day back at work!

Today was actually a really good day.

WUKABKR

Yelly Snaps

Clean desk Friday…NOT!

Yelly

At work, on Fridays, we have an unspoken rule that when we leave the office at the end of the day, we leave our desk as bare as possible so that the cleaners can dust our desks.  I try to make sure most of my desk is clear so that they can spray Pledge and dust when they do our area.  Not that they actually dust.  But I live in hope.  One day, I shall come to work and my desk will have the lingering smell Pledge and I will plonk myself on my office chair and smile.

So this weekend will be my birthday…my 40th birthday.  Looking at my desk today, I think making sure I adhere to the Clean Desk Friday policy will be a bit of a challenge and will require an extra 15 minutes of clearing up!

CleanDeskFriday

Yelly Writes

Sometimes you just need rest!

Yelly

I have been quite stressed lately…and I think it’s because I’ve been working too hard and I’ve been dealing with…issues.  I’ve had a reflective look back at my life and during the most stressful situations, I’ve noticed that I read a lot of books, fiction mostly.  And during the past 12 months, I’ve been reading up a storm!  My fiction reading is directly proportional to my stress levels (15 books in 6 months is a lot – more than a book every 2 weeks!).  I think I’m this close to a burnout.  I’ve also been reading loads about stress coping strategies and burnouts and how to spot them.  It’s not helping though because I know intrinsically, something’s got to change.

What I really need is a change of place, a change of pace, and…a change.  But tonight I’m going to go to bed and just rest!

nuh-night!

Yelly Writes

Surviving hump day!

Yelly

It’s only Wednesday and I am completely shattered!

I told myself the fatigue was probably because I’ve allowed myself to go full throttle this week on the work front.  I have been taking it slightly easier than usual at work because I’ve been recovering from a nasty throat infection (which I ignored at first because I thought it was hayfever!).  Monday morning was my last dose of antibiotic and the prescription meds seem to have worked.  My tonsils don’t look so huge now (I did say at one point that my tonsils were so big they needed their own post code!) but every now and then I still feel a twinge of pain and I must admit, I am worried that I haven’t quite kicked the infection yet.  I must remember to book an appointment to see the doctor again, to just check.

I got home slightly late today because a teenager stupidly drove his motorbike through the railway.  Just as the train was passing through.  He wasn’t hurt but was obviously shaken.  I think he was thrown from his bike.  Because when I looked out the train window, his bike was lying VERY near the tracks and he was about 3 feet away from said motorbike.  He also looked very afraid.  Afraid enough to yell at the driver, in a very worried voice, “I’m sorry!”  Even through the closed windows and doors of the train, you could hear the tremor of fear in his voice.  He suddenly looked very young, ringing his hands and his face flushed bright red.  The poor thing.  It makes you shake your head really.  Why do kids do stupid things like run a motorbike through a railway track?

In other news, I have broken the unofficial baking embargo by baking tonight.  It will be coconut and jam slices.  I am excited!  I am baking again!

Yelly Writes

All done!

Yelly

I’ve been working on a secret project for a few weeks now.  It’s been quite frustrating because I couldn’t really blog, tweet or post anything about it on Facebook.  I’ve been wanting to be able to vent my frustrations but because of the nature of the project, everything had to be secret–and until now, there are elements of the project that still have to be kept secret.

I’ve found myself literally sitting on my hands to stop myself from talking about the project online.  There were days when I needed instant validation and wanted to take to social media to ask for people’s opinions.  I didn’t and that in itself was quite the achievement!  I’m not really good at keeping secrets…I will eventually let a secret slip somehow.  I’ve been quite pleased with myself really because I haven’t talked about it much.  I’ve only let my family know and of course, Alan, who has been helpful with ideas and suggestions.  It felt really good to be able to talk out my frustrations about this project.  We all need a good sounding board to bounce ideas off of.  Thank God for blessings like these!

Even without going into detail, I’m quite pleased that it’s finished (even though I can’t really talk about it!).  I’m quite pleased with the way everything’s turned out.  I am, to be honest, also very proud of myself.  I’ve actually started a project and finished it on time, and the result is exactly how I envisioned this when I was planning everything!  The discipline that I forced myself to stick to while working on this project is definitely going to be something that will help me in future.  I learned a lot about feedback and constructive criticism and taking the positive from every comment received.  The critiques reminded me of a Repertory Philippines workshop where we were taught that in everything, we had to learn to take the positive and not to let the negative affect us.

Working on this project has definitely bolstered my confidence!  My brother has indicated that what I had done was a winner and that’s always a good thing.  Family, while they will always fight your corner, can be your worst critics because they know what you are able to achieve.  I’m just hoping that other people share my brother’s enthusiasm!

I’m so sorry for all the vague references.  I will, eventually, be able to talk about all this and post pictures.  But I hope you’ll humour me and wait patiently with me (I will draw patience from y’all because I will probably fail this particular marshmallow test!) while I wait until I can talk about this!

Oh and keep your fingers crossed for me please! 🙂

Yelly Writes

“Taken out of context, I must seem so strange!”

Yelly

It was all very strange.  I think I may have applied for a job last night.

Someone who I follow on twitter posted that they had a long-term admin position available to someone who had the necessary experience in event management.  It was apparently an immediate start.  So I said yes, I was interested and I got a direct message asking me to give the person a call.  I thought that was a bit strange because this person hadn’t asked to see my CV first.  But I thought giving this person a call was worth the punt.

And that’s where it became slightly weird.  I called the interviewer and it was nicey-nicey in the beginning (all of the first 20 seconds, I think).  But there was a niggling feeling that I was already at a disadvantage before the interview started.  30 seconds in I think the interviewer had already decided I wasn’t suitable and that I was looking for something to tide me over until I found THE dream job because of something I said.  I think she thought I was only interested in the glamorous side of the job.  What I think I wasn’t able to put across was that I understood how hard it was to run a trade exhibition.  I understand the hard work that goes into managing an event.  I understand the elbow grease involved in the pre-event preparation, the work involved in managing everything behind the scenes during the event and the post-event wash up work.  I think I allowed myself to be too excited at the prospect at working in the industry that the interviewer worked in.  I don’t think I was able to express effectively that events management was what I did for a living, that I worked in customer services and most of the work I used to do centred on coordination.  I was excellent at my job and people told my boss so.

In hindsight, I should have probably asked more questions about the job, what it was about, what the salary was like, what the working hours were like and what the employer’s expectations were.  But I’ve never had to interview the employer because I always thought that the whole point of being interviewed was that I was going to be asked questions so that the employer could decide whether I was suitable.  I had this feeling that the whole conversation was back to front; that I was expected to ask the questions and say the right things at the same time.

But hey, it was a novel experience.  It’s something that will allow me to expand my interviewing experience.  I also realised something: I’ve always been interviewed in a traditional settings and most of the interviews I’ve had followed the expected formula.  I learned that there are times when an interviewee has to take control of the situation, so that she (or he) is able to put herself in the best light possible.  I didn’t do that last night.  And that is a vital lesson learned!  It is important that when you put yourself forward for anything, you make sure you do it so that your capabilities are put in the best light possible.  I would’ve have been good at the job that was being offered, but because I didn’t take control, that person will never know.

Yelly Writes

Here we go again…

Yelly

Three days into the new year, I am ill again!

I woke up at some point in the wee hours of the morning shivering.  Literally.  I woke myself up because I was shaking from the cold so badly!  I did try to go to work this morning.  I dragged myself from bed, albeit feeling a bit light-headed because of the awful pounding in my head, placed myself under a hot-ish shower and washed myself clean.  I performed the necessary morning ablutions, dried and styled my hair (as is necessary!) and attempted make up (mind you, I don’t put much on because I just moisturise, put on liquid foundation, finishing powder, put on eyeliner and a bit of lipgloss–my make up routine was much more complicated when I lived in the Philippines!).  I got dressed and put on shoes, scarf and coat and was out the door on time (7:02AM on the dot!).   I was about 100 yards from my flat when I realised that my head was pounding too much for me to function and that I genuinely felt horrible.

I made the decision to go back and dive back into bed.  Thankfully, a ministering angel made me breakfast and a lovely bolstering cup of coffee and made me drink meds.  I called in at 8:26AM and told myself not to feel guilty about being ill.  If you’re ill, you’re ill and you’re better off at home and not infecting anyone else—whatever this is!

I’m hoping I can shake this bug and that all I need is one day in bed.  There are too many things that need to get done!