problems at work

[cookiecookuk]

i have a big problem at work.at the moment i work 7 hours a day for only 2 days a week. as i have ME amongst other health problems but i can just about cope with my very busy day as it is very hard work but while i am working i feel that i am working i feel i am controlling the ME not the ME controlling me .

BUT this is the problem my boss and the kitchen manager who does the other 5 days a week(and a wa~ker )sorry but he is have decided between them to change the way we deliver breakfasts to all our residents and this means over another hours work fitted into my normal 7 hours i have tried this for the last two days and having to slog my guts out trying to catch up some time has absolutely killed me and i am in so much pain.

i am going into work tomorrow to speak to my manager (not kitchen manager) and tell him that i have tried his system but it is very detrimental to my health and i am going to refuse to do the extra.

question and opinion please can he sack me for refusing to do this on health grounds

i feel slightly better having got that of my chest

[cookiecookuk]

thank you all for your support. will let you know how it goes

and yes i will make sure it is documented.

[**towery**]

how did it go today?

[cookiecookuk]

right i had my meeting with manager and HR.it was held at the top of the building 4 floors up.i was nearly dead before i got there..basically i sat and went through my day time wise before changes and after changes.and then they both sat there going on about why can you not do it.and i just said do you not listen.I HAVE ME AND IF I STRUGGLE TO DO THE WORK IT MAKES IT MY ME A LOT WORSE. then we spent half hour going round in circles and i ended up by agreeing to see occupational health.they will come and see me at work and as i got up to leave saying i had to get lunch or ressies would go hungry i turned and said please make sure she does not come at 11 o clock on a work day as it is very inconvenient.she just glared at me as i closed the door

[ed_blackadder_1]

Well done cookie,  do you have a union rep or close colleague that could be present with you, as sometimes conversations can get twisted and to have a witness would be handy,

I went down the Occ Health route a number of years back for my back, everything was agreed and sorted, the company knew I have a back condition right from the start at my interview,  the PM tried to get me to move departments onto Dot Com and I refused because of my back, they said I needed to go down that route again as they had lost all my paperwork !!!, they said I would have to pay to get a letter from the doctor regarding what I could or couldn't do, Doctor refused saying 1. I shouldn't have to pay and  2. I was the one who knew what I could or couldn't do and they should listen to me. After all the reason I had had no time off with back pain was because I was managing the condition and under no circumstances was I to go back to Dot Com.  He was quite bolshy about it.   I reprted back to the boss and it was taken no further, ha!

My back problem is something I was born with, I have 4 fused vertebree at the base of my spine which causes me to have lack of movement in that area,  If I don't lift or twist heavy objects I have no problems. Well it aches but not enough to keep me from work.

I have had 3 stints off work for 3 - 4 months and I don't want that again, it is hard work to get fit again, after the spasms  I have been problem free for 7 years now because I don't work on Dot Com and manage what I do.

I think they have finally got the message.  Take notes too.

[rose2008-2008]

Well done Cookie,,,dont let your guard down,,,and yes i agree what was said above, you have to be careful they dont twist anything cleverly around. I have learned you have to be one step ahead your thinking every time with these sort of people!!!.

[cookiecookuk]

just an update on my problems at work.

i had myt meeting with HR and then waited two weeks for the consent form to come to allow them to arrasnge for me to see occupational health .with it was a letter to ask if they could contact my doctor for a health report.

in the letter from my manager that outlined the Hr meeting it made out that i was just refusing to do the extra work and it had nothing to do with my health problems so i made an appointment with my manager and asked if  someone of my choice could sit in on the meeting to which he agreed.

i told him of my concerns over the letter and he kept changing the subject and seemed as if he did not want to talk about my health just the fact that i was refusing to do my job properly .eventually after getting angry. he eventually agreed that the letter was worded  wrong but he had not written it just signed it.it was written by HR(that explained a lot)

he has agreed that he will get the admin to rewrite the letter in his words and stating that i was refusing to do the extra work because of my health problems.(not sure what HR will make of this but i stood my ground).

finally i went to see my doctor today and explained it all to him and he will wait until HR contact him and he will fight in my corner.

will let you know how i get on

[**towery**]

i was wondering how it was  going

best wishes with OccH  coming

to do their  job they will probably need to observe you at work for the whole shift wont they?

[cookiecookuk]

i have no idea towery.my only worry is as far as i know they work for my employer and not an indipendant one??  they are welcome to observe me all day .they will realise how blo~dy hard my job is .

but glad doc is on my side

[2017clearout]

Often employers contract out Occy Health - at my last job, it was done by the local hospital, and now it's "in house" but the doctor is an NHS one.  I had to go about eighteen months ago (hysterical blindness caused by overwork) and he was brilliant - I was terrified, as he has a really fearsome rep, but he couldn't have been nicer: and he wrote a very fierce letter to our HR (who are bloomin' useless) - the good news is, once Occy Health say something has to be done, HR have to jump: so hopefully. they'll sort your ghastly managers out for you - Good Luck!

[bitsnknots]

I hope that things work out for you Cookie.  Fingers crossed.

[rose2008-2008]

Good for you Cookie,,,dont letem beat you down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

[stroppy*cow]

Well done on standing up to your manager, however the thing to stress is that you are NOT refusing to do the work, that you are perfectly willing to do what is asked but you are UNABLE to do so because of your disability.

It is an important difference.

Good luck with occupational health - I too am involved in a battle with work, as all 4 members of our team find that the working conditions, the desks and chairs, the lighting, the lack of natural light and ventilation are all contributing to our health problems. The management have no idea what a risk asessment is, much less how to do one.

[cookiecookuk]

thank you for all your comments and yes stroppy that is what the letter said and that is why i want it re written but i have been back in today and hay-ho no letter but i will nag him on monday to get it done .

not sure how long it takes oc health to contact doctor and then to see me.

---

@stroppy*cow wrote:

Well done on standing up to your manager, however the thing to stress is that you are NOT refusing to do the work, that you are perfectly willing to do what is asked but you are UNABLE to do so because of your disability.

It is an important difference.

Good luck with occupational health - I too am involved in a battle with work, as all 4 members of our team find that the working conditions, the desks and chairs, the lighting, the lack of natural light and ventilation are all contributing to our health problems. The management have no idea what a risk asessment is, much less how to do one.

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[cookiecookuk]

just to update this thread. work is a bit better now as i had occupatioal health come to see me last week and she is fully on my side and agrees that i should not be asked to do the extra work .she was really nice.she is now going to contact the doctor and then my manager and HR. they will not argue with here so now waiting for the fallout after she has written to them.but it has made more confident to stand up to them.

[ed_blackadder_1]

That is good to hear Cookie, Occ Health are good to have on your side, I know because I have been there, They wont stand any nonsense from your bosses.

[bitsnknots]

That is good news Cookie.  Well done.

[saasher2012]

Yea! Result. Still that's no consolation for the stress they've put you through, but hopefully it will be resolved in your favour.

[rose2008-2008]

Well Done Cookie,,, i hope its resolved fully in your favour,, which it should be!!.((())).

[ilove2patch]

That's good news Cookie.:)

[cookiecookuk]

thanks everyone..occ health was actually shocked that they had pushed me so far with my list of problems.and not listened to me..