[Lesley Silvester]

Sandy, I had a similar experience in my last job when I was being bullied and having lies told about me by my line manager.  I went to my department head to told me it was nonsense and that the woman wasn't like that.  I produced written proof from previous students that what she was saying (I wasn't doing my job properly) wasn't true. HoD said they were just saying that because they liked me.  I asked her if she had spoken to the teacher who was supposed to have complained about me (and who said she hadn't) and HoD hadn't taken that up, just taken line manager's word for it.  In the end I spoke to Union rep who said there had been loads of complaints to the union about this woman but the others were too scared to take it any further.  She spoke to my HoD and I found myself with a new line manager who was great and said I was doing well.  Unfortunately as the horrible one was also the co-ordinator for the course I taught on, I couldn't avoid her.  She then complained to my new line manager about something I reputedly hadn't done properly and this while there were threats of redundancies over our heads.  I was then offered very good terms if I took voluntary redundancy so I went for it.  No regrets at all.  My OH said I was much nicer to live with once I wasn't so stressed.
Trouble is, there is no work in Further Education due to the cuts and I'm not qualified for anything else.

[Sandy]

I soo understand MGofM, seems like to get rid of people they promote them!!!!!!! THe other women I mentioned all applied for jobs and the first was applying while still in the crappy position I was in, the said manager gave her a very negative refrerance saying she challenge authority and did not do her job properly due to not doing as he manager told her, well, the job she was going for the b oss knew her and said "if she is challenging her manager she must be right as I know how good she is at her job" that was a lucky break as the neg reference got her a job BUT, I got a job, I was at my new desk first day when they forgot my reference and so they asked via the phone and of course it was horrid,  it said I appeared to know my job but clients upset me and I got stressed and also she said I challenged authority, the other ref I used was the other post that the manager was high up in and that said I had a lot of time off work, I had not actualy had any time off other than the last few days as I then had a lot of pain and had a hip operation a few weeks later!!! The long and the short was they had to send me home, I was furiouse and the job was duty and assesment in social work so they could not take some one on who suffered stress, my stress was the boss and not the clients!!!!!!!!thank fuly I got a fantastic job after and kept that job until I re located...my boss there was amazing and had himself suffered lots of bullying due to him being Irish, he went to prison and was lets say well connected, know one challenged him in the post as manager and he was the nicest man you could wish to meet, hes still a good friend, and what made me laugh, before I left we had some one very similar to the boss I used to have come to cover the extra work, she was at every one and I thought to myself, glad I am off soon, well apparently the said nice boss was talking to a client and went off to make them both a cup of tea and the not so nice worker complained and said you are always having tea breaks and the nice boss told her to F off!!!!! she took that up with the authorities and they came down on his side!! I rest my case, know one would challenge him, wish that one worked for me...

Stress is a big killer and I swore if I ever got envolved with some one who bullied or stressed me o ut, they would be ejected from my life!!

Working from home is fantastic, no office bullies and no travel costs!!!!!!!

[Sylvia]

I've never had, nor wanted, a high powered job but I've got all the jobs I've had by lying in my teeth Including the one I'm just leaving after fifteen years! I have no formal qualifications so I've had to blag my way through life a bit.
I once had an interview at a pottery who wanted a "sponger and fettler" Had I any experience, I was asked. Oh, yes, said I, years of it! I didn't even know what a sponger and fettler was!! But I soon learned.
A chap we know when offering his C.V. had Bsc after his name. NO_ONE EVER QUESTIONED IT!!!!!! It stood for Bronze swimming cetificate
Anyway, good luck to Sandy's beloved. I shall have a word with St. Anthony who is good at finding things, even jobs

[Sandy]

  Just love that one, I had a friend who got a job that required  him to speak french and he used to put qualifcations like that too but always got the job he went for!!!!

I remember some one putting in thier CV that they had done    a ride at Alton Towers!!!!!

[Lesley Silvester]

Well there are very few jobs out there that I could do.  I have sent off my CV a few times but never hear again.  MInd you as it only shows teaching experience, I'm not surprised.  I'm sure that they look at it and think, she's going to be off as soon as a teaching job comes up.  I know that's what I would think.  Ah well, pension kicks in in May.

[tizaala]

It's an unfortunate fact Sandy , but once you are over the age of 40 you are considered unemployable despite being more reliable . I was a butler for nearly thirty years, then I wanted a change so I got through the 3 part exam to become a driving instructor and had my own school for 10 years. But that is all feast and famine. I saw a job advertised for a prototype engineer in a thermoplastic factory and applied for interview , that consisted of being walked round the factory by a manager and then I was shown into a small cupboard of a workshop with a bench and a vice and a chart of outstanding prototype orders that were 9 months behind schedule. It was 2 months later that I got a letter offering me the job as I was the only applicant. People were frightened of the description " Prototype Engineer Thermoplastics " The guy I took over from was counting the days to his retirement and spent most of his working day walking round the factory chatting to the other workers instead of getting through the backlog of orders. I caught up with the work in 2 months  by doing 90 hours a week ,  So tell your husband to list his dissabilities on his CV , this will save him the problem of explaining them, so when he gets invited to be interviewed they already know his limitations and are aware. Go for it.

[Sandy]

I am sure its worse for men, my husband is not yet 40 so not over the hill,  however, I am  . My husband has an aim to get into a permanent job as soon as he can, we both do a lot of agency work and you get a bit paranoid at times and work can stop any time, luckily the B&B ticks us over, we only ever have a few days without a guest, trouble is that creates problems too as its a huge house to keep warm and maintain, although it also keeps me a bit fitter,m I am always on the go, my frequent pit stops for the comp are necessary  , otherwise I would grind myself down too much. 
My last position in England was getting people back to work, well trying too, I wrote CV's letters etc and tried to find peoples interests and pick out things they could do, a good idea is to put a list of likes and dislikes.. Its a maze finding jobs but often some voluntary work helps get your foot in the door although I do not want to do any more free work as my time is precious!!!!!!

[doganjo]

Don't worry, Sandy another year and you'll get your pension!   Then you'll be rich!

[Sandy]

I have another 2 years , born in 1952...I bet they will get rid of free bus travel too soon, I shall have nothing to look forward to, I will be better off with a pension but only if steve keeps in work, I think it will be great!!!! I now otherwise the pension is not much but with a young man in tow its not going to be a hardship!!!!!  I will get a rail car though, that should help me get around cheaply!!

[Lesley Silvester]

My pension will be about three times what I get in JSA at the moment because they will no longer take into account what I earn and what my OH gets in benefits.

[Sandy]

Something to look forward to then, you must be around the same age and get your pension the same time, course it should have been this year when I am 60 but they moved the age just when I got there!!!

[doganjo]

The State Pension is made up of two parts, the basic State Pension and the additional State Pension. Different people get different amounts of each.
The amount of State Pension you get depends on how many qualifying years of National Insurance you have.
 
In 2011-12, a single person can get up to £102.15 a week basic State Pension, though some people get less than this. Many people get more than this amount, because they also get an additional State Pension.

[Sandy]

Then I will know steve only wants me for my money!!!!!!   may save up for some new wellies then!!

[doganjo]

Then I will know steve only wants me for my money!!!!!!   may save up for some new wellies then!!

[Lesley Silvester]

Something to look forward to then, you must be around the same age and get your pension the same time, course it should have been this year when I am 60 but they moved the age just when I got there!!!

I was 60 last April so just missed out.  Roll on May 6th.  I intended working until I was 65 at least but being made redundant put paid to that.