Teaching with RA

[FlaringFascinator]

Hi, I’ve been having a severe flare on my knee since Feb, which is gradually being treated - drainage, change to methotrexate which is still in early stages, and been referred to physio. It’s been really painful and difficult. Since the drainage I’m feeling better but not 100%. I’ve had to have days off from my teaching job (secondary) when I’ve had nights of no sleep, or been in too much pain. It’s all been logged under MSK and employer knows I have RA. However, I’ve been called to a meeting, which will start informal monitoring. Just wondering if there are any teachers on here with RA and how your employers manage your absences, which can be numerous if suffering a flare?

[MadBunny]

So sorry to hear you're struggling .I'm a former secondary school teacher and understand how difficult it is to balance the demands of teaching with the unpredictability of RA . The trouble is in our work, we can't work flexibly -if we're absent, lessons have to be covered, pupils taught. I used to feel incredibly guilty about that 🥴

The NRAS has some useful literature about work and dealing with employers, and your rights .I remember giving my head a booklet to read and having a meeting with him to explain how RA affects me.

I also remember my rheumatologist telling me not to be pressured into making decisions too soon, as things will improve.

It's 12+ years since I gave up work so my memory is a bit hazy.

I suggest you check out the school's policy regarding staff absence first.

And get the details of this ' informal monitoring ' in writing - what, when, how, the purpose of it.

I would advise you to make sure you always have someone with you at the meetings- however 'informal ' they might be.

Are you in a union ? If so, then I suggest you get in touch with your local rep and talk through the situation with them. Make sure you have your rep with you at all meetings . Mine was such a great support to me.

If not, then you are entitled to have someone else with you at meetings. A writren record needs to be kept of everything that's said.

I'm sorry if this sounds negative but it's important to protect yourself- as I learned from experience. Of course, not all heads are as bad as the one I worked for

But that's all water under the bridge now.

I had a very helpful meeting with the HR department of my local authority. They made recommendations for ' reasonable adjustments' to the head. These included practical things , like all my lessons being in the same classroom where possible , given an office chair on wheels to scoot around the classroom on, as well as adjustments to my workload- e.g. not being a form tutor. As a result of this. I was allowed to come in a bit later- in time for lessons .

I then reduced my hours - first down to 4.5 days then 4. I realise this isn't an option for everyone ffinancially but we were able to manage . Having a day off midweek made a lot of difference.

I hope that the monitoring will be a positive experience and will lead to support and adjustments to being made to help you.

Sorry it was a bit long winded !

Wishing you all the best x

[FlaringFascinator in reply to MadBunny]

Thank you. I’ve already moved to 4 days, and found it makes a difference. I sent links to read etc in March when the issued was first raised. Had an Occupational Health Assessment, and on the whole, the school has been supportive. I hear what you are saying about protecting yourself. I’m a bit shocked they are talking about an informal monitoring plan - not sure how I can explain that the unpredictable nature of RA anymore than I have.

Did you leave teaching because of the RA or because of retirement age?

Many thanks again.

[MadBunny in reply to FlaringFascinator]

Hi.Good to hear that you've had an OA assessment and the school has been supportive so far.

I'm not surprised you're shocked by the planned informal monitoring.

I'll be honest - I left when I was 56, not so much because of the RA, but because of the way I was treated by the head - I had so much pressure put on me that I decided I'd had enough. At one point the head told me point blank that his duty was primarily to the pupils. ( he had a point I suppose but there are ways of saying it). I later learned that I wasn't the only one who was treated badly but that's another story.

The stress was affecting my RA, so I was caught in a vicious circle. At one point I was offered ill health retirement but I refused as I felt I didn't need it. Looking back, maybe I should have taken it.

Wishing you all the best, and a positive outcome . But please be careful.

[cathie in reply to MadBunny]

I used to teach at an old university where adjustments were hard to make because of the ancient buildings, no lifts etc. I probably retired a few years before I needed to because of the difficulties I encountered. Depending on the age of the students it might help to share a little bit about your health with them - they will probably have noticed stiffness etc and my students were a great help - just in ironing out their understanding of my difficulties. I completely endorse everything the others have written about being in a union/ bringing along a friend to any meeting. I was lucky because an understanding administrator shielded me. Depending on how you are, it would be helpful to research what could be reasonable adjustments to the room where you work, technology etc. I was given an ergonomic keyboard for my departmental computer and a decent office chair for instance.

Hope you're getting good support

Cathie

[MadBunny in reply to cathie]

I shared a bit with my A level group- they were able to understand.

[cathie in reply to MadBunny]

My students were lovely - one offered me her rather interesting green vegan drink to 'help'! I think they were reassured to know that there was a reason for my occasional absences and preference to meet them after 9.30!

[HBaaBaa]

like MadBunny I too am a former (secondary) teacher however I was forced to leave my job due to ill health capability due to various health conditions, including the RA being first diagnosed. I would echo MadBunny’s advice of getting union involvement early and also introducing reasonable adjustments. You have a lot of protection under the disabilities Act - make sure you are aware of it.

I have now started a completely new career away from education. I find it far more manageable as it offers flexibile hours and working from home as well as many adjustments due to disability. Teaching is a tough career on the body and you need your management to work with you to allow you to offer your best despite your condition. Use the informal monitoring as a way to introduce reasonable adjustments into your working day to help improve your attendance. This will have come about purely because the number of absences you have had have hit a trigger point - this trigger point can be adjusted or even ignored as a reasonable adjustment if the absences are all related to your disability.

Good luck with it and try not to worry about it, hard as it is. See it as an opportunity to open up support.

[Prettygate]

I developed RA aged 48 and it started in my feet. I could not walk or stand for long. I had a lot of trouble with my employer. I had consultants letters and more than enough medical evidence. They wouldn`t even move my classroom to the first floor near the office and toilets. That was mainly due to another employee with a foot injury who had been really militant. I had repeated flares which made life as a teacher very difficult as you are on your feet all day. They said I could sit down to teach. Any teacher knows that doesn`t work and then they gave me a perch stool which they expected me to carry from classroom to classroom. They refused to pay access to work for an assessment. They sent the college health and safety person to see me - who wasn`t helpful and then said to me 'now I am going to see somebody who really has something wrong with them'. They were and still are - an awful employer - a large college. Luckily my RA has settled. To be fair to them having an employee that is suddenly unreliable is a real pain when in teaching. I am very familiar with the Equality Act 2010, but they did the actual bare minimum to help me. I stayed working for them as it settled and leave my post next week as decided not to teach anymore - nothing to do with RA. It is a tough one . Best of luck xx

[HappykindaGal in reply to Prettygate]

I’m shocked they said they’re going to see someone that really does have something wrong with them. I think that’s always the issue with invisible illness. People don’t understand unless it happens to them directly and I understand that. But to say that is awful

[Tealblue2]

hi. I’m also a past secondary teacher, but I have that up a while ago for other reasons. But I was working full time as a TA until June. It was my hope that I could do this as a single parent- but the RA got the better of me. My school were supportive for a while. But once I was hospitalised the message changed and I jumped before I was pushed- but there was definitely pressure in meetings I was having with the head. I wish I’d taken someone with me as I was not well enough at the time to deal with what was happening around me. I would definitely agree with the message of covering your back- their support can only go so far when it comes to balancing budgets.

I now have another job working part time in another school - but just a technician- and after my oh appointment for that school they did a risk assessment in meeting. The message that they won’t hear about my RA and how it won’t effect me or my work was very clear

Good luck and hope you feel better soon!

[AlexAileen]

Hi, I too was in Education and although my employer said the correct things & displayed the supportive posters; I found them to be unsupportive, which aggravated my RA. Luckily I was over 55 and could claim my workplace pension. This helped until I could find a more understanding employer. Good luck and I hope you have a more supportive workplace.

[Peppermint-tea]

Good morning, I’m really sorry that you are having these issues. I am a primary teacher and have had problems with absence too. For me I was working with little ones so the job was very physical and not really manageable with a full flare. At the time my school had totally unconnected management issues and lots of staff left- so a helpful senior leadership team was not something I had. I found another way -moved schools and became a special needs teacher- so I work with individual children or small groups doing intervention work. When the school could no longer match the hours I needed with intervention I made up the additional time through tutoring. I know there are no pension contributions with tutoring, but there is lots of work and the pay is the same or higher.

Currently I have more work than I can cover across school and tutoring , and I only have 2 early starts. All of this has made a massive difference to my RA, I rarely have a flare, but it is manageable when I do and the later starts have been a life saver for me.

That being said I am due for early retirement and take each year as a bonus, so your age may not allow such adjustments as easily. I’ll keep going as long as I can, but my job is vey manageable now.

I would agree with others that you need union protection and advice because you are unsure of how the school will proceed. I would look on it as a way for the school to support you and once they have started informal procedures they may have access to more support for you, I’m not sure. I would however, think about options and consider what may be available to you. I had been in the same school for nearly 20 years, so it was hard to leave, but it gave me a real boost and I don’t regret it for a second.

Good luck.

[Womble57]

I was diagnosed with RA in Jan after 3 months of rapidly deteriorating health. I am head of a busy Science Faculty and teach Chemistry. Both roles require me to be mobile and to carry out practical work. My line manager was amazing when I had the diagnosis and we quickly had a Risk Assessment in place and I was referred to Occ Health. The school have put in a bed to a room near my classroom for rest breaks and I can manage my timetable to have classes I can teach remotely through teams if I am unable to come in to school because of a flare.I am in attendance management procedures but see this as a supportive mechanism to help keep me doing the job that keeps my head together!!

Going forward I think I may retire sooner than planned (I am 58). I am frustrated that I can't be the busy active teacher I was and that the plans i had for trips and curriculum gave had to be given to someone else. Control is a key feature of all teachers and I relate to others who have felt that RA has taken this away.

I hope that your school can be understanding and accommodating as you go through this. You have been a valued colleague and they need to recognise that you are just a bit different at the moment.

I found the NRAS leaflet to give to employers was very useful and gave a starting point for discussion with my line manager and team.

[girli1111]

You’ve already been given lots of supportive advice here, but as an educator who is currently recovering from a knee replacement op I just wanted to mention, have you had imaging done of your knee? I blamed RA for my pain and had physio etc, but when the interrupted sleep became unmanageable I had an orthopaedic referral and turns out I had bone on bone osteoarthritis, as well as a torn meniscus which was protruding from the joint and distorting a ligament …. So there may be more going on than the RA. Best of luck and I hope the monitoring turns out to be supportive. I HATE this feeling of vulnerability at work! Best of luck xxx