Feeling terribly down today :(

[Saz92]

In 2 weeks time I'll be having my first laparoscopy. I've been feeling so down recently with the pain and have been hospitalised, meaning having time off work.

Today I found out I missed out on a promotion at work due to my "current health situation" which I think is like being kicked when I'm already down. When my manager was telling me about why I wasn't chosen it was thrown in at the end of that my colleague has more experience than me (I have been doing the job for 5 years and my colleague started the job 3 months ago).

I'm gutted, truly gutted and whilst feeling already down and worried, today, I feel like I hit the bottom.

[Starry]

Lots and lots of gentle hugs. First and foremost its vital that look after you xxxx Hang in there and you will soon get the treatment you need.

If you feel able to, I would document a record of the conversation with your boss verbatim as your employer could potentially be guilty of disability discrimination in passing you over like that.

gov.uk/definition-of-disabi...

equalityadvisoryservice.com

[rosesinbloom in reply to Starry]

I'm so sorry Saz. I don't know what to say to help at all, just hugs to you.

I don't know if that will help, with disabled discrimination. I looked the other day on the website and endometriosis uk claim they choose not to class Endo as a disability, which I feel is a huge mistake on their part.

I understand that they say many live with it and don't feel disabled and don't want to be. However the same can be said for a great deal of conditions, which can also be classed as a disability too.

[Starry in reply to rosesinbloom]

Hi rosesinbloom I think you've misunderstood their position. In the pdf statement I read after that petition they simply restate the current legal position that it's not *automatically* a disability and agreeing with it. It's not a particularly well worded statement in places though.

endometriosis-uk.org/news/e...

They cant and aren't saying that as a blanket position it's not classed a disability across the board, that is contrary to uk law and in so doing they would potentially be denying people their fundamental human rights.

The law states clearly anyone with any condition (except arson tendencies and one or two other criminal behaviours ) provided they meet the level of impairment severity and duration can be classed as disabled and are protected. That is the law.

There is absolutely nothing about a clinical gynaecological condition that would make them any different or rule them out as a category of illness. The law doesn't work on categories on illness but on the resulting impairment they cause.

gov.uk/definition-of-disabi...

It's however also true that it's not a condition that can or should blanket automatically be classed as a disability. Only a very few progressive terminal disorders like cancer MS and HIV are. That is the clarification Endo UK are making and that is 100% in line with Equality Act law.

The reason for that is the variability of the condition there will for sure be people who aren't ill enough to be classed as disabled and shouldn't be. But plenty of people are severely impaired over a long period and therefore are disadvantaged, to the same extent as other disabled people, may need physical adjustments in the workplace or even are utterly incapacitated who need and deserve the protection that the Equality Act law affords fornotjer reasons. These people's impairment severity will meet the legal definition of the Equality Act and they 100% do fall under its protection.

I've read the guidance documents on the equality act website which includes cases of mental health and chronic fatigue and chrones (a comparable painful intermittent bowel inflammation conditions) so if sufferers sufficiently impaired by those conditions are covered there is absolutely no reason why a person with Endo would not be.