Asthma and work woes

[EvieJo]

Hi all, feeling really stressed and anxious today. I’ve been back at work 2 weeks now following sheilding. Occupational health have done their risk assessment today, following one done by my manager a couple of weeks ago. They were quite thorough and went through my history with asthma, my medications and my current symptoms and problems at work. (I’m currently back on steroid tablets as still not got good control). I work in a clinical environment in hospital so the mask wearing has been a huge issue for me (I’ve spoken about this before, so I’ll not go on about it!)

Basically the OH consultant has suggested I ask my gp to refer me to hospital specialist for further assessment (I’ve already done this anyway). However in the meantime he has said that I should not be working in a patient facing role. This has gone to my manager who’s not too happy and has just said she will speak to HR as she doesn’t know what I can do - I don’t know either to be honest. All I wanted to do was return to work and get back some sense of normality - guess it’s not happening anytime soon! Instead I’m worrying my job may be on the line! Don’t know if anyone else has experienced anything similar with occupational health, just needed to get off my chest (so to speak) ☹️

[madonbrew]

Hi EvieJo,

Sorry to hear these problems with work!

My consultant didn’t want me to go back to my workplace with the face to face contact with residents & suggested doing an admin role etc if there was one. There wasn’t, so I handed in my notice & now don’t quite know what I’m doing!

Fortunately I live with my parents so am financially okish, but don’t know what I would have done had I had a mortgage/rent etc to pay.

I think legally your work place has to make adjustments to help. It might be worth contacting Citizens advice bureau.

Really hope something gets sorted somehow!

Dee 🙂

[Kirstyes]

Hi.

Just one note. Please don’t hand in your notice. This would affect your ability to claim benefits. Your employer should be looking at temporary redeployment or they will need to retire you on ill health grounds. If you belong to a Union definitely worth speaking to them.

Hope you manage to get your asthma under control soon.

Kirsty

[EvieJo in reply to Kirstyes]

Hi, thanks, I can’t afford to hand my notice in - I still have a mortgage to pay! It’s very worrying though. Will go in today but no idea what’s going to happen ☹️

[lovedisney]

Hi Evie, sorry to hear about this. At least you have had risk assessments done. That’s not happened at my work. We hot desk and I was told to sit next to a walk way with folk walking past all day less than a meter away from me all day. I am waiting for a senior manager to return from a holiday on Monday to try and get some thing done Especially since I could work from home & they have t done this for me. I am not sure if they are just available in Scotland but there is something called Healthy working Lives here who I spoke with and they were really really helpful. They reassured me I wasn’t over reacting and my work should be making reasonable adjustments which they haven’t. I am only classed as vulnerable I never got a shielding letter. Take care. I hope you can work something out. x

[_Badger_ in reply to lovedisney]

That's really interesting to hear lovedisney. I'm also in Scotland so may give them a call. I wasn't shielding but was allowed to work from home. Now back in and have essentially been told the nature of the setting I work in, patients won't be able to keep their distance. I feel like I'm over reacting being concerned about this but right now my asthma isn't good. I don't normally need my preventer in summer and yet now I'm on to my 4th type this year and have only just been getting things under control by being put on a stronger steroid that appears to have pneumonia and flu as common side effects! Work just don't seem to understand why I'm concerned so I'm left feeling like I'm being melodramatic!

[lovedisney in reply to _Badger_]

I am sorry you work are not being understanding. I would definitely contact HWL because I thought I was over reacting and after speaking with them they reassured me that I was not. Your work place should be seen to be making reasonable adjustments to help you. Mine have done nothing and I think I am going to have to go down the route of raising a grievance. I have tried my best not to but having learnt that other people doing a very similar job to me have been working from home since March while I was on SSP and unpaid leave I feel I dont have much choice.

Good luck. I dont think you are being melodramatic at all!

xx

[hilary39]

I once had a very wise manager who said to always prioritize family and health over work. It was simple but excellent advice and it sounds like you've been doing a great job of that so far. An expert has assessed your situation and says you should avoid patients so it sounds like that's the best course of action even if your manager (who I'm sure is understandably quite stressed about staffing) is disgruntled about it. If I were a patient, I don't know I'd want to be seen by someone who'd been told to avoid patients...!

I don't know enough about the employment system there to give any kind of advice but I'd try to keep following the proper channels and don't give up yet. You're self-advocating which is often a lonely position but you're doing all the right things in terms of getting professionals to assess your situation, pointing out you're in a flare and on steroids in the midst of a pandemic and especially vulnerable and so on.

Good luck, keep us posted!

[Poobah]

It's good that you've had an occ health review and the recommendations appear to be sound. Reasonable adjustments in the workplace are designed to minimise the risks that you may be exposed to and the employer has a legal responsibility to ensure that they are applied as far as reasonably possible.

A large employer will have the capacity to absorb any effects that the reasonable adjustments will have on its business. The manager probably doesn't appreciate their legal responsibility for your welfare and safety at work as much as HR do, hence their reaction. But at least they have referred the matter to them.

We are also equally responsible for following health and safety advice, in this case the occ health recommendations.

Stay safe.

[Lizangellus]

Hi Evie, so sorry things aren't working out for you but you're not alone. I had my OH review and although I came out of it as high risk , my work insisted on my return as shielding has ended. I had a risk assessment done with strict guidelines being put in place but unfortunately they are not being enforced. Children are still visiting. The number of visitors at one time is being ignored and visitors aren't wearing PPE despite all visitors having received letters with the new regulations. I was due to phase return part time but as I was leaving after day 1 they informed me I had to actually work full time hours that week, im not even full time staff. I was allocated only office work for the 1st week yet on my very 1st day back they had me in direct contact with residents, visitors and in close contact with other staff. Also, to say my return has been greeted frostily would be an understatement The atmosphere is terrible. It seems like an impossible battle to win so I'm just taking each day as it comes. The joys of working frontline in healthcare I guess. Fingers crossed it gets better for all of us soon. Stay safe

[EvieJo in reply to Lizangellus]

Hi, sorry you’re not having a very good time of it either. I didn’t think I would be the only one, sad to say. Some people have been quite frosty with me too. Always makes me laugh because some have very short memories, there have been many times in the not very distant past that I’ve had to do way more than my fair share to cover staff who’ve been off for whatever reason and come back on phased returns / restricted duties etc and had no help or support yet when the shoes on the other foot they soon forget. I haven’t heard from anyone today so Im guessing nothing has come from HR, will see what tomorrow brings! You too, stay safe.

[Pipswhips]

I dont have that problem but do have a neice who has asthma been working in theatre all the time away from covid patients.

Only thing i can suggest either have a word with your union rep or ask your manager if you can work in patients records and ask you might still have to wear a mask see if it possible for you a face shield you get them of the shopping Internet or get some aecetate elastic and some foam strips and make your own theres plenty videos to show how to make one on you tube.

[EvieJo]

Just a quick end of week update. Still no response from manager or HR. Been managing best I can this week, even though under pressure from colleagues (who are aware of the situation). I am still feeling very breathless and not coping very well. The lack of even very basic communication is not helping matters Im sure. I will be sending an email I have penned to my trusts chief executive to let him know what’s going on first thing Monday morning. Manager won’t even respond to me at all. I am so disappointed and angry about all this, I have come home today in a lousy mood (which obviously affects home life as well). I have contacted my regional union guy (local rep is lovely but not very ‘on it’). So will definitely be taking advice from them but I absolutely hate how you seem to be pigeon holed as ‘difficult’ just because you are fighting for your rights and to be treated FAIRLY! I’ve kept my mouth shut and toe’d the line for far too long. The NHS will be losing another dedicated nurse soon because as soon as I possibly can - I’m done!