Wondering if my temp job still exists after sick leave

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I've been off work sick for 3-4 weeks with stress and depression. I'm a temp. I tried to go back after 2 weeks part time but was told it was full time or nothing and there is another temp covering my sick leave. I emailed both my manager and the agency, but my manager didn't respond and spoke to me through the agency. My manager is basically a workplace bully to everyone.

On Friday I said I could return on Monday and the agency said they could only make arrangements when my manager returned from leave today. The agency has called today but cannot get through. My manager knows the agency called on Friday about me.

I am really annoyed as had to take 2 days annual leave as can't take sick leave now. I have spent all day wondering if I am going in tomorrow and don't feel I can plan to do anything until I know.

I feel my manager is just playing games. Firstly she changes between whether her or an admin manager is my manager when it suits her. She got very angry with me as I went to the admin manager about stress and she suggested I took a day off. She made a point of making it difficult to book this day off. I told her that as the most junior person I felt I couldn't say no to work requests/being overloaded and she took me aside the next day and told me that it wasn't the case and everyone gets this. However there are a number of things that are below my colleagues that they won't do and get given to me. I wonder if she is taking out her temper on me. When visitors have annoyed her she has sent them down to a windowless unpleasant room. She has been through a bullying complaint which she countered with incompetence. This staff member left and my other colleague just resigned without notice.

Okay, it sounds like you've read it correctly. You've observed the way she's treated you, and the way she's treated other people. Yes, sounds like a workplace bully.

And it seems like you are in the process of feeling out the two current possiblities. That since she hasn't called back, the job might go away, or she might be playing games.

I'd recommend, kind of like a poker hand you may not win, but may win, don't invest a whole lot, esp not emotionally, but be ready to win and graciously accept winning. She might realize you're a good worker, realize she's allowed other people to push you too much, realize she hasn't always treated you well. This break or pause will turn out healthy, and she'll treat you significantly better, at least for a while. And when it slides in a couple of months and she again treats you poorly, it won't be as bad and she'll pull back quicker. This is the optimistic outcome. I have no idea about the prospective odds, but try and be open to accepting this gift if it happens.

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During a difficult time, both with the job and with stress and depression, be open to adding free positives to your life. Maybe a musical instrument you've vaguely thought about learning? An informal once-a-week class. A political organization ('I'm here to listen and learn' <-- that is, I kind of underplay the hand socially) We on the spectrum tend to be self-contained people, more self-contained than average, but still there's a limit of how much nonconnection we can have before it really wears.

I sometimes struggle with depression. I've done some general research, mainly just pulling some credible articles (will try and include some links).

Treating depression can be hit or miss (2009 article)
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt163505.html
I excerpt from Los Angeles Times, Aug. 2009

SSRIs and SNRIs for depression? (the NYTimes article is entitled "Adolescent Depression" but a lot of it is good general information)
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt158330.html
excerpts from New York Times, April 2011

Thank you that is really helpful.
I do play musical instruments so could go back to this. I go to a fitness class with a work colleague.
I've started an anti-depressant, I have tried several before, but then didn't know my social/employment difficulties were due to Aspergers.
I have an employment adviser (who should be back in work tomorrow).

As I'm sure you've heard, the standard advice is to hunt for a better job while you already have a job. Now for me personally, a bad job situation just so drains me of energy that I have very little energy left for anything social, esp for the artificiality of job hunting (dealing with "human resource" departments, etc).

I've actually thought about hiring someone to help me find a job! Two issues, if the person is paid on my acceptance of a job, their incentive is just to place me in any old job. If I were to pay them hourly, they might just go through the motions. So, maybe a little bit of both. I've also thought about hiring an energetic college student, or nonstudent! So, yeah, thought about doing it my own terms. Enough different paths, what feels right at the time and what feels promising, and something good will break.

The job situation is not looking good as in after a week and a half of being fit to go back to work I have heard nothing. On the other hand I am happy not to be in a miserable job with a miserable boss!

I am trying to build some friendships and went round to someone's house yesterday who said she could teach me to knit and I even interacted a small amount with her children (good for me). Today I'm meeting someone else for lunch, and tomorrow seeing someone's horse tomorrow.

I too felt I had no energy for job hunting whilst in a job. I also felt I could not leave as it was A job and easier to just keep going than rock the boat. I did find some motivation to look at jobs when I was put in this situation. I know my partner can support us so there is not a big motivation.

Temp agencies are the spawn of Satan.

They should be limited to placing people for no more than 4 weeks at any job site....PERIOD.

It's just a way for employers to have easy to dispose of workers without making commitments to long-term hiring.

Take a day off, get sick, etc., and you're off the site and might not be sent back or given another assignment.

http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/accommo ... reasonable

I'm going to presume United States, please correct me if wrong..

Do you have a diag from Dr?

>probationary, temp, or ? It makes no difference.

>Reasonable accomodation includes modification of schedule, to include part time. They were incorrect to say no to part time.

>Yes, they can ask you to take any accrued vacation or sick time, but after they must allow time.

Oddly enough I was accused of playing games by HR manager at my former employer.(its a long story ! !)
long story short I am suing them!

Contact your local EEOC office and file a claim immediatly if anything comes of this occurance

I am in the UK. I have not gone back to work. They say that the job has gone because jobs are being scrutinised in the hospital because of finances. It has come up months before which adds at least some credibility.
My agency (technically my employer) has got me a part time job now. I am in the same hospital but the agency wouldn't let me collect my things and did it for me and I didn't have a proper goodbye or even leaving do after 2 years. I have not directly heard from my line manager since before I went off sick.

I think I am better off out of it. I have seen the difference in my new job and how abnormal the last manager was. I am in contact with a regular visitor to our office who didn't extend her contract because of this woman.

I don't want to rock the boat and sabotage any chance of a reference. I think her boss looked on me favorably.

That's part of it. Once a person gets away from a jackass, can then see how stupid and unnecessary the person's behavior was. To a considerable extent, it is leaving an abusive situation, just the 40+ hours at work, and not the 100+ hours of living at home.

Best wishes in your new work situation.