Made to work part-time: Not sure if... - Asthma Community ...

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Made to work part-time

7 Replies

Not sure if anyone can advise me but having been ill persistently for 2½ years my employers now have me under occupational health. I have been summounded there again this Friday with my immediate boss with the intention of making me go part-time and if I continue to have sick leave i will be dismissed as I will have proven I am ""incapable of working"". I am not happy about this and just wonder if there is anything I can do to stop it? Please can someone help me I am worried sick and that isn't helping the situation either.

'geli xx

7 Replies

hi geli,

Try not to worry as OH are on your side and they will make sure your work has made reasonable adjustments for you to carry on working for them.

I went there 3 times and still doing the job i love .

OH can ask to contact your doctor to see what he thinks about you condition.

If OH need HR to come in to see you in your work place and talk about your job they work

closely with you and your boss and health and safety if you have one to see what can be done for you.

If then it appears your job is now not the right one for you they have to offer you another jobs and find one that is ok for you and if not get paid off.

As jobs are changing more people now will be sent to do jobs who have problems and find them away round it so try not to worry.

If your in a union get them in from the start and they will take over for you and take all the stress of your shoulders with lot of support for you .

love glynis xxx

Skee-skee profile image
Skee-skee

Sorry to hear you are having a stressful time with work at the moment. I can understand why it is so stressful.

I see from your profile that you are a medical secretary, do you work for the NHS? I only ask because I used to work for the NHS and am about to again (when OH clear me!) also I know that quite a few people on these boards do and some of them have had similar experiences to your own. Have you had a look through the old threads?

What does your consultant think about you working and possibly going part time? It would make sense if OH write to him/her and ask for his/her opinion. It would be more difficult for OH to make you go part time if your consultant doesn't agree.

I hope the appointment goes OK.

Take care.

Bryony

Hi gel. I've just triggered the sickness policy at work and am waiting for an informal monitoring review. But i'm not accepting it as they not allowed to count it as its sickness related to a disability. You need to look at your workplace equality and diversity policy, plus healthy and safety policy. These acts are there to give us better rights and help us stay at work. If you work for nhs as i do, then your workplace have a responsibity to ensure that your work place of work is not causing your asthma problems. This is only my 2nd episode of sickness but because I've been of for more than 18days i've triggered policy. It was a result of my shift pattern that i became run down hence asthma problems. As glynis said doesn't make sense stopping people working when the goverment are trying to get people back to work. Also as i need to do get union involved. I've requested referral to oh as this will help back me up. Hope everything works out for you. Catherine

Annista profile image
Annista

Hi Geli.

I'm sorry that you're having such a hard time with work. The stress can't be helping your asthma much. It has occurred to me that there is some information available on this site that might be helpful. If you go to the 'Asthma at Work' section you can download or send for several documents that might be useful, especially if you have your GP and Consultant involved.

Good luck.

I don't have much to add but wanted to say I think others here have some really good advice. Also I've worked for several large hospitals (I'm in the US), and find that occupational health can be very helpful because it's their job to help you stay healthy in your job. I also find since they're doctors that often they can be more understanding than co-workers who don't quite get it. I would definitely advocate for yourself and get your personal doctors, and the union (if you belong) involved from the start.

Also maybe you could create a kind of list of things you find relaxing (on my list is taking a bath, listening to music I like, fantasizing what I would say to my work superiors if I could speak my mind, and acupuncture actually). This isn't really a solution to all that stress they are putting you through but maybe you could counteract some of it with some good common sense.

Take care,

Bee

don't go into any meeting alone been there done that . take your sickness policy and the dda act policy with you and make notes prior to meetiong etc and double check sickness record is accurate mine wasn't. also look at when your sickness was and see if there are any links etc. good luck

I've had the same problems just lost my job because of my asthma so know its horrbiel my tips go through your contract beforehand, take notes of days youv'e had sick (in case they say you've had more than you know about), look through what they expect of you to do at work and write notes on how if struggling can make it easier, be honest with them about everything to do with your asthma care and take clinic letters.

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