work & fibro

[Lunacy69]

my fibro has started to affect my work. I have to climb 4 flights of stairs to get to my office. it is a serviced office so not as simple as changing office. The toilets and kitchen are on the ground floor so I am exhausted and in great pain by the time I get to the office, and going home I have to walk to the bus, and then from the bus to home. Can anyone advise if there is any help out there for my situation........I love my job and do not want to have to leave.

[Mdaisy]

Hello Lunacy69,

Many people mention struggles at work so you are not alone. Please see this website link as we have a page on our website about Work & Fibro;

fibroaction-public.sharepoi...

I currently cannot work so cannot comment from a personal perspectives but I'm sure others will comment who can help.

Best Wishes

Emma

FibroAction Administrator

[Lunacy69 in reply to Mdaisy]

Thank you for the information, I have since had to take 8 weeks off work because of not being able to manage the stairs amongst other aspects. However while at home I fell into a depression because I felt so isolated. I am now feeling somewhat better, have been in contact with "Fit for Work". They are very good to talk to. I am now easing myself back to work gradually, although the main obstacle is still there..........obviously cannot force a landlord to fit a lift !!!!

[Hidden]

Hi Lunacy69,

I work part time and my office is up stairs and the kitchen is downstairs too, I am in that toilets are just across the hall. I am in an old building but my boss noticed that some days I have trouble with the stairs (after a minor fall down some of them) and has suggested that if things get very bad for me they will consider a chair lift. Is there any possibility of your employers doing the same or possibly a small elevator. I am not sure about grants and such but I am sure someone posted a while back about grants for aids to keep people in employment.

I am sorry I am not of much help, but I most definitely do understand your predicament. I hope you can find a solution so you can stay in your job

[Lunacy69 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, I will investigate this possibility

[Julie63]

Hi lunacy69. Sorry to hear how Fibro is affecting you and your work. I think it helps if your employers are sympathetic to your situation, a bit of sympathy or empathy or understanding goes a long way I feel. I hope you can talk to your bosses about changes that can be made to your work area or shortened hours, just a couple of quick thoughts that come to mind. My health problems were deeply resented by my managers - and I worked for the NHS! The more health problems I developed, the worse their attitude towards me became. I was put on sick leave monitoring, I was referred to Occupational Health, I was not allowed any leeway with any lateness, made to feel inferior when I dropped down a pay grade and then became part time, attempts were made to get me redeployed out of the office and the final straw was the insidious bullying by my supervisor and her supervisor who was also her friend and she was the, 'blue-eyed-girl', who could do no wrong, even when I had proof that she made mistakes or was doing things to make me look bad.

Sorry to have given you such a bleak picture of, 'work and fibro', really hope for you that things turn out better for you! Good luck and gentle hugs, Julie xxxxx

[rosewine]

If you go on the Gov.uk site there is a Guidance

Employing disabled people and people with health conditions which gives some interesting information which may be of some help.x

[J4xx]

Hi, You may want to explore Access to Work, I know someone in my office has support from them. I think they pay for equipment if you qualify. I was assessed by them, but the support I needed at the time fell under their threshold, so my employers paid for it. I work for Local Government and we have access to work environment assessments by our occupation health department. They look at your work station, access issues and any reasonable adjustments your employer can be requested to make. I have special chair, keyboard and mouse. I also have a facility to work from home. I'm sure there are guidelines about access to facilitates when a person had a disability, such as the toilet and stairs???

I work full time, its a slog at times, but needs must, and to be honest it keeps me going.

Good Luck and take care.

J x

[Lunacy69 in reply to J4xx]

Thank you, I did contact access for work but they couldn't help with the stairs issue as it being an old building with a private landlord. They have offered me taxis for the cost of my bus fare, but I have to pay up front that is £9 per journey, and claim back after 4 weeks, approx £400. I cannot afford this so I am still struggling with the buses.

[TheAuthor]

I am so sorry to read this and I genuinely hope that you can find the answers that you are looking for. I can see that you have been given some wonderful advice so I will just wish you all the best of luck.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken

[WorkLife67]

Good morning, I hope you are coping well in the circumstances.

I was just reading this thread and wondered how things are for you now at work?

I'm an employment law specialist and my partner has Fibro (so I understand the issues).

The bottom line is that anyone who has a recognised "disability" is entitled to have reasonable adjustments made for them by their employer.

Please don't hesitate if you would like to contact me.

Kind regards

Steve

[Lunacy69 in reply to WorkLife67]

My main issue if obviously the stairs, a lift would be a godsend but I am not sure the law would force the landlord of the building to install one just for one of their tenants. This is a very "disabled unfriendly" building, no-one in a wheelchair would be able to even access the building without a lot of help.

Thank you for your kind offer but I think this is a lost cause.

[WorkLife67 in reply to Lunacy69]

Hi Lunacy69

No, there's no such thing as a lost cause. The law exists to protect the rights of employees! Employers are under a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments for any of their employees who have a disability. The starting point is "reasonableness" not whether you are one person amongst 100. What is reasonable is defined in law and any failure to undertake such adjustments is unlawful. A number of factors are taken into consideration in the assessment of what is reasonable.

Whether or not you are one person amongst 100 is irrelevant. And the mere fact you describe the building as disabled-unfriendly indicates there are things that can be done to assist you in your work place.

Does you employer know about your personal circumstances?

Best regards

Steve