Return to work during Pandemic - reasonable adjustments?

[SECRAVEN]

8th September 2020.

Hi, I have asthma which is controlled with steroid preventer inhaler and my reliever inhaler. I am in the 'clinically vulnerable' but not 'clinically extremely vulnerable' category. Despite not being told to shield, I have in effect been doing so as I am very concerned about the severity of illness should I contract the virus and the unknown long term consequences.

I work in an office setting but I have been working from home since March. I am fortunate that my job allows me to work from anywhere and my line manager is happy for me to continue working from home for as long as it takes. I am delivering the same (if not a higher) quality and effort as I do in the office. However, there is now the expectation from those in more senior positions in the company for us to return to the open plan office for a minimum of 3 days a week. This terrifies me, especially with the rising number of cases and because we are in a local lockdown.

To be fair to my company, they have made significant efforts to keep everyone safe. They have put in place a 1 way system and installed screens between banks of desks where you are facing each other. There's 6 desks per bank, 3 desks on each side and mine is the middle desk. I'm not entirely sure how close the seats are to each other on each side but we could reach out and touch hands so I doubt it's 2m. There's also very little room behind us so my colleague would have to walk past me to move around the office and I would have to walk past my colleague on the left to do the same. My desk is also in a highly populated area of the office and on the 1 way system so everyone who goes to the toilet during the day will pass my bank of desks. Whilst there are windows, as the weather gets colder they won't be opened to allow good ventilation.

As well as the concerns about proximity to others and the rising number of cases locally, as the weather gets colder and wetter, my asthma symptoms flare up and I cough from late September till March. I was self-conscious about this under normal circumstances, but during a pandemic where coughing is the main symptom, I will feel uncomfortable being around my colleagues and I'm sure they will be uncomfortable around me coughing all day. Not to mention the potential risk I pose to them by coughing if I was positive but asymptomatic.

I have a meeting on Thursday with HR to discuss my potential return to work. Do you think, given the above, it is reasonable for me to request a continuation of home working and assess the situation on a monthly basis?

If they insist I go back into the office, is it reasonable to request they move my desk to a quieter area? Can you think of anything else I could bring to the discussion as a solution? I really don't want to come across as being difficult or that I'm just looking for an excuse to continue working from home because I like it. I have a genuine concern for my safety and my mental health is really suffering. I'm not sleeping for worrying about the increased risk of going back.

Thank you for your time.

[lovedisney]

Hi Secraven,

I completely understand your concerns. I have what sounds like similar asthma to you. I have the same type medication. I also work in a large open plan office. Your work sound like they are prepared to listen and help. I would explain your concerns and hopefully they Continue to let you work from home. My office is hot desking. I had to go off sick (my gp wrote to my work during lockdown and advised it wasn’t a safe environment for me. I have another condition that also places me in the vulnerable category) I have returned to work. They could set me up to work from home but will not. We hot desk. I can’t move round the building without getting really close to people. I have found the entire thing so stressful. I am still filled with total fear every time I walk into the building. I have written to HR but so far they haven’t got back to me. Good luck. I hope it sorts.

Xxx

[Bevvy in reply to lovedisney]

I would be speaking to manager and HR. Work is required to provide a safe working environment. Hot desking and not adequate space between desks is NOT safe environment.

If unable to provide suitable environment. For you AND others you should be set up to work from home!

Are you in a union? They will support you.

[lovedisney in reply to Bevvy]

Hi Bevy, thank you. I absolutely agree. No we don’t have a union. I had spoken to my manager, my ops manager and the over all manger. The best they could do is try and save me a seat but like today that doesn’t work. (Someone was sitting in the seat that’s meant to be saved for me. The seat I was in today had someone sitting about a meter away and that person was coughing & sneezing. I am sure it was just a cold but it was a concern) So I had no choice but to go to HR & have now logged an official grievance. I am absolutely not in anyway comfortable with this but I am making myself unwell with way the working environment is and as the COVID 19 cases increase its only going to get worse. I have been left with no choice.

[Bevvy in reply to lovedisney]

I am currently working from home as are most people I work with. Should I return to office I have a fixed desk due to various disabilities. Someone else can sit there when I am not in but otherwise it is my desk. If someone else is sat there I can and would ask them to move.

I hope you can get satisfactory results soon.

[Gareth57]

Hi, as you have written quite eloquently and well reasoned, I would be tempted to email this post to you HR department prior to the meeting.

[Poobah]

Ask your HR for an occupational health review so that the OH practitioner can recommend reasonable adjustments that will be designed to ensure that you are as safe as possible, given the risks posed by Covid-19.

If your employer doesn't have access to occupational health services then you can access free information and services from the free government scheme, Access to Work. gov.uk/access-to-work

NB that a general risk assessment that will have taken place in the workplace is not equivalent to an occupational health review, which is specifically for the individual who has additional challenges because of their health.

All the best.

[B2B1]

Hi, I had similar concerns before I returned to work (in a small office but my desk was in a high traffic area). I requested being put in a room by myself and was at first told it wasn’t possible and was kept furloughed. I cannot work from home as their technology is not modern enough.

When they got really busy and needed me back they did decide to put me in a room by myself as I think they realised they have to take account of my asthma (similar meds to yours, didn’t get shielding letter). Unfortunately the window in this room is painted shut and they are not doing anything to try to get it to open despite me asking so there is no fresh air flow but at least I’m away from others.

Your employer sounds like they are doing more than mine so I would ask to remain working from home or if you must go into the office they have to make sure you have 2m strict distancing around you (which it sounds like you wouldn’t if you return to your old seat). I used to work in a large open plan office and they had smaller meeting rooms at the side of the main floor - could they set you up somewhere like that? These are not normal times and employers can’t expect everything to be as it was before.

Good luck - hope you get it sorted out!

[SECRAVEN]

Hi everyone. Thank you so much for the advice and for sharing your personal experiences with your employers. I feel reassured that there are others in a similar position with similar concerns and my concerns are valid. I feel far more prepared for my discussion with my manager and HR tomorrow. I actually feel more positive about their general attitude regarding Covid as well. Others have clearly been in worse positions with less sympathetic or proactive employers so I am more willing to try work with them to find a solution that will work for both the company and me.

Thank you again for taking the time to reply. I will post an update tomorrow.

To b2b1 and lovedisney, I'm really sorry that your employers are not doing more to support you. I know how much my mental health has suffered in the past few weeks just from the idea of having to go in so I really feel for you guys. Stay safe.

[SECRAVEN]

Just an update: I had my meeting and it was all positive. They are happy for me to continue from home considering the sudden rise in cases and we'll reassess in 3-4 weeks time. When I do feel ready to go back to the office, they will support me with a personal risk assessment which will take into consideration my asthma and other health issues. Thank you once again for everyone's support.