what to do

[neesh]

i don't have a question, i just need to get things off my chest. i've never felt so trapped in my life, recently i found out that im pregnant, i guess u'd automatically think that thats why im feeling trapped, but its not, i am worried about how i'll cope money wise and i cant seem to get the idea of somthing being wrong with my baby to escape my mind, i know there are tests available but i don't really want them as i know i'll keep it no matter what, the baby is not my real problem, i know i'll be ok, people cope and so will i, what my real prison is, is work, ive worked in this catering job for the past 5 yrs and have always enjoyed it there, but in the past yr there has been a lot of changes, now im all for change, if its for the better, but this certainly isn't, we've always been 'in house', but at the moment we're in the process of being taken over by a big catering company, who, as u would guess, dont give ten barrels about the staff, our kitchen has always run with 5 catering assistants, 1 cook, 1 manager ,1 vending person, and on really busy days we also had a pot washer.

[neesh]

about a yr and a half ago, our manager left, thats when it all started to go very wrong, 1 catering assitant and the vending person then worked as our make shift manager, a new vending person was then employed, then a member of kitchen staff began having serious back problems and was signed off, we are still not sure if they'll ever be back, at xmas the company who are taking over then gave us a new manager who was trained and knew what they were doing, then 2 of the kitchen staff took severence pay and left at xmas, that has left us with a grand total of 2 catering ass's (i say ass's as thats what i really believe we are being taken for) and 1 cook. we stupidly thought that since we now had a new manager who knows his stuff, the original vending person would go back to doing that job, the new vending person was actually employed as a catering ass, so we thought it only natural that she would be put in the kitchen with us, no such luck though. we now have 2 people in the office (why, i don't know), and we are left to try and do the job of 6-7 people between 3 of us, it just is'nt working, i feel under pressure from the new company, from the customers and from myself, everyone keeps telling me that should start taking it easy, but its impossible, with so little staff, i can't expect to be carried, its not fair on my workm8s.

[neesh]

we're only on our 1st week back, on tuesday, my days tasks got on top of me so much that i cried (at work), and today it all just got far to much, i spent most of the day crying my eyes out because i can't see it getting better. i've always been happy thinking that we provide a good service, but the truth now is that the service in our place is a total shambles and if i were a customer id just not bother, as a result of my distress, as well as getting a great big telling off and being sent home, we were told that they are doing interviews to get a member of staff, but thats not likely to happen till around the end of feb, so until then we just have to deal with it, to this company hiring agency staff is not an option, i know every one thinks its my hormones, but the fact is, i just can't work like this. im 25 and my new boss's seem to think i know nothing about catering because im 'young', but i've worked in catering since the day i turned 16, thats over 9 yrs. i feel so trapped because even if there were any jobs out there, who'd hire me while im pregnant and if anyone did i wouldn't get any maternity pay. tho, im not sure whats even gonna happen with that now, we're predicting that i'll have to take my maternity leave from may or jun, which just happens to be the time that this company officially take over and they told me they don't know who's contract i'll have to go by, if theirs, then i won't get much at all.

[dot.hawkes]

But you have more than yourself to think about, you are entitled to up to a year off, most of it paid , all be it a percentage of your wage, but you'll need the time anyway. Ask yourself if you want to be working the same hours in a years time when you have had baby, prioritise a bit more

[neesh]

also, our job is term time only on a pro rata basis, this company want to change that, they want to stay open over the holidays which would mean we'd have to work, they also want to mess about with our hrs, but the point is, people took this job in the first place because of the hrs and holidays as they have kids, also the thing that worries me is that our pay is a lot more than their staffs, so hows that gonna work. i just feel so stressed out and it drives me crazy because i've always thought that if i have a problem, the best thing to do is remove it but this time i have no choice but to keep the problem. i just don�t know what to do.

[mrs_overall]

Congrats on the baby and I'm sorry to hear about your troubles.
First question - are you a member of a union?

[mischief121]

What catering company are you working for?

[mischief121]

I have been a chef for 24 years and also worked for a large contract catering company so know exactly what its like,been there but not pregnant.Its so easy for people to say take it easy but until youve done that type of job people dont understand how hard it is if your a chef or a catering assistant it doesnt matter.do you get payed if your not sick if so milk it and think of you and your baby for a change.they dare not disciminate against you these days if your pregnant and your employers know that.