Do you work in food retail........

[shirlthegirl]

Hi i have spoke to a couple of people on here that work in food retail, But i just wondering if there is anyone else, As you know I had great news the other day, I;m so happy how far i have come, But i know and my doc know that i couldn't go back and carry on with my job at present, It is really hard, am on my feet for at least 5 hours a day, and the work is really physical as i'm sure you see when you go shopping as well,....... Not trying to put a damper on things just want to know how many of you work in food retail'''''''', I know everyone is different, but it would give me a idea of what i would be facing, Even if you don't work in food retail, i'm sure you know what is entails and maybe able to give me advice, I am not a person to sit behind a till all day, I want to be able to finish my training to be a duty manager, Thank you friend, Hope you are having a pain free day.... Shirley xx

[Hidden]

Hi Shirl,

I used to work in retail, haven't for a few years now, gave up long before I was diagnosed with RA. Working in food retail is definitely a hard job, I was a supervisor and ran around all over the place working late nights, early mornings and double shifts. Lots of heavy lifting too, checking deliveries etc, I never gave it a second thought lifting a 6 pack of 2 litre bottles. I certainly couldn't do it now.

My only advice is to take things slowly, make sure you are not putting your joints under lots of pressure and don't over stretch yourself.

Hope you get a few answers from people still working in retail.

Mary x

[shirlthegirl in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Mary, I know what you mean about lifting 6 packs of coke, I found it hard before i was diagnosed, As you know i have been unable to work for nearly 6 months now, My boss has been really understanding about everything, That is one of the reasons i don't want to return to early and then to let him down again, I had such a great result on my blood test, CRP only 10.6, and no i am going in the right direction, But some time when i get them bad days and my legs are so tied and i have no energy, I think how am i ever going to cope, Working means a lot to me, I never thought i would be of this long, Thanks anyway Mary for taking the time to reply Shirley xxx

[Hidden]

Hello Shirley, I don't work in retail but was doing a bag pack just before christmas and it is very obvious that working in retail is such hard work even if you were behind the till. The lady on the till that i was at had a mobility problem and she had arranged with her employers that she only did the till.

I work in an office environment but it is disability friendly and i doubt i would be able to continue if it wasn't, and I do really worry that i will not be able to work so know where you are coming from.

WOuld you be able to talk to someone before you return and arrange a way of working that doesn't impact on your ra. have you checked our your company's policies, they might be able to offer you something different.

I am sorry that i can't offer any good advice and it is really positive that you want to finish your training, I do hope your company will work with you and you can get doing what you need to do.

[shirlthegirl in reply to Hidden]

Hiya Mads, Thanks, As i have said to Mary my boss has been really supportive though out, And i really don't want to let him down, We have discussed things about what i can do when i return, You see it isn't a very big store, and bigger stores are a lot further for me to go, So it mean with the hours he has he needs to use them wisely, like every company these days they are having to make cut backs, So there isn't really any other jobs i can do....., He mentioned about me coming in for a hour once a week to do the paper work, But to be honest that's not enough for me financially, At the moment i am on SSP and going back for one hour isn't enough,...... I know that sound bad,... But that's the way things seem to be these days, You have to worry about how you are going to pay your bills,

Even if he gave me till work, There is a chance that I will have problems with my wrist and fingers and hands and then having to call in sick, it's such a hard one isn't it ,.......... And as you have said it's not easy on the tills neither, And in our store they expect you to bag pack for customers to, I used to work as a wage clerk years ago in Tescos, That would be such a ideal job right now, Even if i went to found a new job, Who is going to take me on with RA, it's a risk isn't it....

Sorry for going on, I'm sure you under stand...... Take care and stay warm,....

Thanks again Shirley xxx

[Hidden in reply to shirlthegirl]

Your boss seems like a good man. And you do have to look after yourself financially and I understand going back one hour is not going to do it. If he is willing to wait for another while it would be good as you haven't really been on your meds very long and you could just get better and better. Have you thought about claiming for dla that might help temporarily.

I am like you in that working is very important to me and i feel that now more than ever, not just financially but i am sure in the last year if i wasn't working i would be a lot more down and probably wouldn't make it out of the house most days. It forces me to get up and out. I am not able to do alot of housework and find it very stressfull and painful to do cooking and baking so i would feel completely useless.

You might be surprised about different employment, why don't you take a look around in the meantime and see if there is anything else out there.

Night night have a good sleep.

[shirlthegirl in reply to Hidden]

You had a late nite to then mads lol........, My family have mention about me claiming DLA, But I really didn't think i would get it as i hadn't started my meds at that time, So how could i of answered some of them question,.... For example now......I can open a tin and peel potatoes, Which i couldn't do before i started my meds, Can i get out of bed on my own, yes.. but with difficulty, But now find it earlier, Can i work now in my present job, no....Will i be able to in the future,,,who know's i hope so, At that time i didn't want to put myself though all that neither, Do you think it is worth me just trying? Or are they going to say, well you haven't been on your meds for long so how do you know....So when you say temporarily does that mean you can claim for a few months while i am waiting for my meds to kick in......

Thanks Shirley xx

[Hidden in reply to shirlthegirl]

Shirley, there are quite a few people on here who can advise you on this better than me or what about nras. I think you are disabled as a result of ra, you know that the only thing stopping you being as bad as you are is the drugs which can stop working at any time. I don't think that you can get dla for life so it must be temporary but i do know that you can get it whether you work or not. Go to the citizens advice bureau and get their advice and also get them to help you filling the form in.

[shirlthegirl in reply to Hidden]

Ok Thanks Mads xx

[Neverwell]

Hi shirley i work in retail i was a team leader on the checkouts when this alfull ra started last year on my feet of 9 plus hours my bosses were not helpfull at all i was signed off gor three months i had to get my doctor to wright them a letter still got told if my wrist or feet swell i was to ring a couple of days before and work time back as i told them it happens in a flash (i did at that stage) so i am now on a career break i have told them i can come back in may for on day about 5-6 hours on checkouts hubby does not want me to go back he things they have treated me very badly but one day wont be bad i hope i will have to see how it goes if i cant cope i will take early retreament x

[shirlthegirl in reply to Neverwell]

Hi Neverwell, I have to agree with your husband, I think you should of not had to take a career break, You should of told them to read up on RA before they start telling you what you should do, I done that with my boss, not because he was on my back, but because i wanted him to under stand what to expect from me when i return, It sounds to me you had a rotten personnel department, When you get a moment, why don't you pop or ring the cab and see what they think, You would of been able to have at least 6 months SSP, so which mean now you are living on only your husbands wages, And that would be after you had used all your sick pay up.....I would really find out before you take early retirement, If you do contact them let me know how you get on, it is worth while Take care XX

[Neverwell in reply to shirlthegirl]

Hi shirey i work for tesco for 10 years as i said its not that great anymore all you get told is if you cant forfill your contrat then i need to look at state of play i gave my boss and store manage a book on ra it made no diff to them. its alfull i was not one to take time off so to get told these things really upset me the only thing i could do was to take a career break lets see what the cab will say going to see them this week x

[shirlthegirl in reply to Neverwell]

Bab i worked for Tesco for 25 years, in personnel, Have you not got a personnel manager in store you could of spoken to, most of them are more understanding that's there job, While you were getting sick notes from your GP they can't do anything, They would have to go though the procedures, home visits, Maybe a medical report from there own GP's and even then this would all take a lot of time, Being there for 10 years , you must of had a lot of sick pay due, then you would of received 24 weeks ssp...., I really don't know how you would stand now you have taken a career break,..... but that shouldn't of been mentioned, all they have done this for is to reduce their absent percentage, you could take out a grievance, but you will be best to talk to the CAB first, Sorry i get so annoyed with the way people get treated, especially long service and committed staff like you, You have a union in store are they any good, have you tried to chat to someone there, Mind you some of them are Manager and are up the store Manager arse But good luck, And don't worry about sticking up for yourself, With your hubby behind you i think you will be fine, Let me know how you get on, if you want to can have a chat with me on a private blog Take care Shirley xx

[minka]

hi shirl

i have never worked in the food retail industry only nuclear industry decomissioning and new build in 2005 i was off for 9 months (and no i wasn't pregnant )

it was a bit of a dounting thought to start back walking about on me stick but you learn how to pace yourself (even the doctor was refusing for me to start back work till he found out what this was)

the company let me start off back at work on half days and i can tell you buy dinner i was compleatly cream crackered got home got in bed

but eventualy i got used and everything seemed to get back to normal.

i think when your not woorking like me retired you get more time to think about your aches and pains. and to some extent at work you dont get time to think about it as much which is a help i think to your system.

you get left with a few problems some tiimes but you find a way to wiork round it

like i couldnt climb laders at first but after about 2 years on sites i was cooking on gas being able to do it then some days i would get a bit of pain and watch myself.

as the trotters say HE WHO DARES WINS (this time next year you could be a millionaires)

[shirlthegirl]

Thanks John, every word you have said really makes since, it makes a change from telling everyone not to have ice and coke in there drink lol..... But no!!!..... BE SERIOUS NOW SHIRLEY.....It can be all to do the the mind, But it can also be a worry to...... So thanks for these positive messages John, she who dares wins.....,I will definitely remember that...Thanks I am going to have a BOTTLE OF VODKA NOW HA HA xx

[td09]

Hi Shirley, I work in hospitality so I completely understand what you mean. I work for an agency so I have to travel around, and am often on my feet for 6 - 10 hours and it can be exhausting! I first started when I was at uni (before I was diagnosed) and have been doing it part time while I look for a full time job! I have noticed that it is getting harder and I can no longer work consecutive days because I'm absolutely knackered! Its great that your boss is so understanding, just make sure you don't push yourself or you will definitely regret it!(speaking from experience here!) I hope you can finish your training soon! Tracy x

[nellysgran]

Hi Shirley, I worked in food retail for about 30+ years, yes it is very hard work. I had to give up when i was diagnosed with RA, lots of lifting and bending, even being on the till still hurt my wrists.and of course sitting in one place for a long time just made the stiffness worse. Please make sure you dont push yourself too hard.

Wendy x

[shirlthegirl in reply to nellysgran]

Thanks Wendy, When i hopefully get myself on my feet, I am going to give it ago . I can only try, will let you know how i get on xxx

[Grumpyfell]

Hi, I worked in a library, which was very similar ie on my feet, lifting and carrying. I loved my job and stuck it as long as possible. Boss would not let me use a book trolley or sit down much, and was generally unpleasant. I did complain about descrimination and bullying but then it was me on trial, and my colleagues backed the boss, as they all wanted my job. The stress was doing me no good so I walked out. No regrets. I find plenty do, lots of ways to economise and RA has been much better since. Hope you find ways of keeping going and keeping well. luv from Grumpyfell