Hi all,
I’m just looking for some advice/to vent/cry.
I have colitis and palindromic arthritis. In March 2019 I asked my manager (#1) for help with my hours. She told me to keep it “unofficial” and she would try help me- I gave her at least 5 ideas and she said no to all. Told me in September 2019 if I wanted anything I’d need to submit a flexible working request. This was a farce! It went well over the 3 months even though whilst I was off with mental health issues after my 4th miscarriage i was chasing her for updates. In January 2020 I was sent to a different manager (#2) who said she couldn’t see why I couldn’t get what I wanted. Then as we know Covid hit- as we were working reduced hours I said we could put it on hold until we were working full shifts again. In July 2020 she declined my request. In September and October 2020 the appeal manager upheld the decline. Again he missed the official deadline to tell me this. I continued working until November when I had my 6th miscarriage and took time off. In January 2021 I was cleared by our health and well being team to return to work with addition Covid restrictions (although I’d worked through the first lockdown without any) however my new manager (#3) told me I couldn’t go back to work. I was then signed off by work until May 2021. In the May she told me that she could not accommodate my request in my current role but there was something she may be able to do elsewhere. It took her until August to finally tell me what the alternative role was- something wholly unsuitable. Our health and well being nurse recommended I do not work more than 4 days in a row and not before 9am. I currently work a 3 week roster always 7 days in a row with one week being 7am starts. She has offered me a role that is working 7 days in a row, outside, where I will be subject to extreme cold in the winter and is nowhere near a toilet with no option to leave until someone can come fill in for me. She does not seem to understand why this is not an option for someone with my condition.
In my current role she has said I am required to work my full roster and I can only work the hours recommended by health and well-being if one of my colleagues is off sick or annual leave.
In addition to this I have recently started new medication, which our health and well-being nurse recommended I have my roster reduced while I get to grips with it- again my manager said no and I am to work my full roster.
There are also 2 vacant roles in my current department in the lower level which I have asked to move to. I was told no.
I managed to work until day 6 this week and had to go home. I was run down, tired and in pain. I don’t feel I can go on like this much longer. My local union rep has been great but my managers have now painted me as blocking all of their suggestions to the rep the next step up although in 2 and half years they have made 1 suggestion and it just doesn’t work for me. There are now whispers off trying to ill-health me.
Does anyone have any ideas at all of who I can talk to or any rights I have? I can do my job, I enjoy my job, I just need the help to keep going.
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