Obligatory: Not my job/story and this also happened a few years ago.
This happened to my mother.
I am not sure on legality on how much personal identifying information I can share. So all I can say is this happened in England.
A small backstory: My mother had been a long time victim of domestic abuse. After breaking free, the one thing she wanted to do was to help others in her situation. So she dedicated her life to going back to college and university to become a social worker. Her goal was to help people in domestic violence situations and especially help children in abusive homes.
Now. In the area we lived. There was a overwhelming amount of cases, and a huge shortage of social workers. Usually there would be more of a work-up period (doing less critical/high risk cases and doing more simple routine cases to get the hang of things).
However, due to the extreme shortage of workers. She was promptly thrown into the deep end.
To give an example. One day. She went into a house (scheduled visit. The door was left open so she was allowed to walk in). She found the mother passed out on (what she believed to be heroin). On the couch. And a young child covered in feces in the crib screaming.
As much as she wanted to pick up the child. Because the child wasn't in an “emergency situation”. She had to dial 999 and wait for police to arrive before she was allowed to touch the child (as otherwise would interfere with evidence).
Other cases would involve cases where one parent with shared custody would be dating a known child predator. Rules would be in place (set by a custody judge when the parents were doing custody rules and such) that the partner could not be at the house/stay overnight when the children were present. Only for her to find out the parent would be blatantly be disregarding these rules. (Confirmed by both children and neighbors).
These are just some of many horror stories of hundreds. Everything from alcoholics. Drug addicts. Hoarding situations. Children covered in bruises. Filth. Starved. The list goes on.
The job doesn't just entail going to houses. The job also includes writing detailed reports. Going back and forth to court. Having to leave emotions at the door and having to be technical and legal about everything so that these children/families are safe.
She would be drowning in cases. Having to switch between being extremely professional for the courts/police. To being an emotional support to the families in need/children in need.
But all this has to come from somewhere.
Sometimes my mother would ask for a day off. Keeping in mind my mother was doing the work of AT LEAST 5 people.
She would sometimes just have a day in the office where she felt sensitive and have a cry (because she couldn't have a cry on the field).
She was constantly written up for “having an attitude problem”
She was denied days off when she asked for days for her mental health. With them complaining she was behind on work (Because they were drowning her in far too much work than any one person could do).
She repeatedly asked (because keep in mind she was working for government.) If she could have a regular therapist (at the time she would only have them after extreme cases and usually only one session) she wanted regular sessions so she could have somewhere to unload. But they denied her request.
They would just keep having performance meetings. (Despite her work being perfect) and calling her out on her behavior. (Her being overworked and over stressed).
Eventually… She just couldn't take it anymore. She had a mental break. With nowhere to be able to unload. And no time to have a mental health breather. She finally just had enough and quit.
When she quit. They backtracked in a BIG way. They begged her to reconsider. They tried making all types of promises. They knew how badly they messed up. They needed her. And they had tried to power play.
But it was too late.
My mother was diagnosed with PTSD, compassion fatigue. (By a therapist she had to hire herself). It wasn't that she wanted to quit. Her therapist (And Doctors) told her she basically had to take time off work.
Her work begged her not to quit and to “just take an extended leave and come back in a few months”. They pressured my mother by constantly calling. Texting and emailing her daily. Until she eventually accepted.
After 3 months she DID go back. (Against her therapists advice). And she promptly had a severe anxiety attack and had to leave again. Permanently this time.
(It is important to note. Her employers only monitored the work that they (the social workers) did. They may come with them in court. They did NOT. Or extremely rarely would actively participate in these cases or actively be involved in these cases. They may do lots of paperwork and meetings but they do not actively go to homes/cases and are not exposed to situations like my mother was)
So.
TLDR: my mother's bosses went on some power play trip for.. no reason at all. Refused her any kind of sympathy or empathy despite her doing a high stress job and doing the work load of 5+ people. Refused her any mental health breaks or therapy for the work she was doing. Until she had a mental breakdown and was unable to work anymore. Now children in critical situations will likely suffer as a result because her employers wouldn't take care of their staff