occupational health

[hridoy63]

any tips on what to expect from OH?

[Rhinos67]

It depends on the issue. They were great with me both pre and post surgery. I felt that I was ready to go back to work and they disagreed and recommended a further month to recover

[hridoy63 in reply to Rhinos67]

thanks. I feel well and back at work with an understandable employer. o not really sure why I am doing OH - but if they can make recommendations my employer will say yes. So not sure what I should push for

[Rhinos67 in reply to hridoy63]

They recommended a very slow phased return for me, also insisted that I get regular breaks and that I got time off for the Cardiac rehab sessions. They suggested that I was office based rather than dealing with issues on corridors ( I work in a high school).Tell them if you are struggling with fatigue or any aspects of your job too

Joanne

😊

[fishonabike in reply to Rhinos67]

that sounds like they were really trying to put your needs first - in the past, the problem I have had is that this is not always in the employer's interests and i had problems with my employers as a result

be prepared to defend your position, it may even be a good idea to consult your union or professional association about the situation of Occupation Health advice and it's application in your workplace - some employers don't like having to accept this advice and try to manouvre employees into tight corners

I really hope your employer is cooperative and really values your work to the point where they understand that this is the best way to get you back to full capacity

[hridoy63]

thanks. Am also in education sector. This is useful

[CyclingTime]

I think it depends on your job, I have an office job and it was very much a tick bite x exercise over the phone.I would think if you have a manual job there would be medical assessments needed

[stevesully1961]

Good morning.I had OH consultation, over the phone, 3 weeks ago.

It took an hour, lots of questions about what you can and can't do and expected long term outcomes. I had the report a week later.

Nothing to worry about.

[VickyHK72]

I had an OH interview before returning to work after 3 months off (long story but discovered I had heart disease which triggered depression & anxiety, I lost my dad very suddenly to a heart attack when I was 21 which was extremely traumatic and I was now in a place where I was terrified my children would have to go through the same process)

I had my interview (by phone) with a fantastic no nonsense ex-nurse who was really understanding and told me no way was I going back to work next week! She gave me some really useful tips and coping strategies for my return to work and made me feel empowered to say ‘no’ or ‘not yet’ to certain aspects of my job (running meetings etc) I went into the interview thinking it was a test of me and a box ticking exercise, and came out really grateful for the OH input and reassured. She also wrote a long report for my boss, detailing the reasonable adjustments to be made to my role and actually highlighting that because I was on daily medication now forever, I had to be considered under the disability act (the details I’m unsure about but it made me feel reassured I was protected to some extent)

I made a phased return to work, my boss was incredibly supportive and I am now, 2.5 years on, really happy in my job, and my boss even says he has learnt a lot about mental health and he is a real promoter of the importance of wellbeing. So all in all I had a very positive experience.

[fishonabike]

I have had mixed experience with Occupational Health and I worked for the NHS who should have been good at it

BUT... the main issue for me was that my management did not seem to feel obliged to apply the recommendations - basically they kept pushing me to do more than I should and manoeuvred me into a position where I was likely to be dismissed for not doing my job although it was affecting my health

The union were completely unsupportive. Fortunately I found a way out which worked out well for me, but it was very painful and distressing at the time.

I really hope that the situation has changed and that public employers at least see the value of supporting the staff they have invested in and who have worked so hard for them.

[MummaSoap]

Hi hridoy

I work in HR and support both employees and their managers around making referrals to OH and what to expect. I myself have had a few assessments due to my ongoing heart condition and I’m actually having another one next week.

It’s sad to read some of the negative personal experiences others have had above because OH is meant to be a supportive measure overall. Yes there are situations where it’s clear that an individual is not medically fit to complete a role anymore but for you specifically you’ve already returned to work so that is a positive indicator.

The first thing to mention is be honest about your symptoms, where you feel your limitations are currently and also where you feel your strengths lie - this helps your assessor to build a picture of where you’re at and how this may impact your ability to complete all aspects of your role but also what adjustments/support would be relevant and suitable to help you.

Secondly, you have the right to review the report before it’s sent to your employer and also request amendments or for some things to be removed before it is shared. The assessor should explain all of this to you before starting the assessment.

I hope this explanation helps and I wish you well for your appointment.

Best wishes

Soap