16 October 2024

Each week, Dr Kirstin Ferguson tackles questions on workplace, career and leadership in her advice column “Got a Minute?” This week: a missing mojo, a misbehaving manager and a tricky long-service leave transfer.

I work in cybersecurity with colleagues I love. But passion for my job is waning. I know I have options; however, I’m feeling very “meh” in this stage of my life, and it feels hard to move forward. My only major financial responsibility is a mortgage. I’ve been to my doctor, mental health professionals, EAP for depression and anxiety, and have tried to rebuild by setting small achievable goals. I’m looking for inspiration to get my mojo back.

I suspect you have probably already achieved a key goal simply by asking for help; not everyone can, and this shows how driven you are (even if it doesn’t feel that way) to find a path forward. And I am so glad to know that you have a support team around you. It is clear you are actively working for a way to turn your “meh” feeling into something new, and I have no doubt that you get closer to finding that spark every day.

What would your life look like if you gave yourself permission to do anything at all? Imagine a life where you could let go of what has driven you up to this point – ambition, fear, perfection, security, success – and replace it with something else. It might be time to thank your younger self for giving you the tools you needed to get here. Your younger self helped you to thrive in an industry you loved. But perhaps your older and wiser self can now take charge, knowing what you need now. Things may end up looking quite different. This could be the start of an entirely new and exciting chapter, where you restart the fire you once had – or at least kindle a small flame.

I’m a middle manager in a large consulting firm. Recently, our team leader left the business and was replaced by a new leader who is frequently drunk and obnoxious at company-sponsored functions. She is rude to our team, and we have seen a downturn in business. I don’t know how to address this and fear recriminations if I report her behaviour. She was selected by one of our senior leaders and I suspect they won’t admit they made a mistake. What do I do?

This is all going to come to a head, eventually. If your team performance declines, and the new leader is rude to people, it is going to get back to senior leadership. There are two options: do nothing and hope for the best – which is sometimes a valid strategy – and hope someone else deals with the problem; or, speak up. You could try talking to your new boss. This will be tricky, but just maybe she isn’t aware of the impact of her behaviour. She might be nervous while starting in a new role and feeling insecure.

Alternatively, you could talk to others in your team and see if they have made the same observations. Together, you could speak to someone else in your organisation about your concerns. You will need to ensure you have well-documented reasons, but you are much more likely to succeed if you go together, and this should remove some of your fear of recriminations.

What obligations does an employer have to set aside money for long service leave before the seven-year entitlement point? I am based in Victoria and about to move to a new role. My new employer has a reciprocal long-service leave policy with my old employer, providing my leave liability is transferred. But my old employer hasn’t set aside any money yet. Are they obligated to do so, or just to ensure they have the money available to pay my leave at seven years?

You can contact Wage Inspectorate Victoria for advice, but my guess is that your old employer will transfer the leave liability to your new employer, who will need to fund your long service leave when it falls due. Whether your old employer must maintain all leave entitlements as a liability on their accounts is probably a question best answered by an accountant. First, confirm with your new employer that they are taking over your long service leave liability. If so, they must ensure you receive your entitlement when it is due.

To submit a question about work, careers or leadership, visit kirstinferguson.com/ask (you will not be asked to provide your name or any identifying information. Letters may be edited).