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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think my employer is being unfair

175 replies

nuggies · 21/03/2018 12:29

Last Friday I fell down the stairs and broke my ankle. Following a trip to A&E I am now on crutches and having to wear a moon boot. I can't drive and the doctor said I'm looking at a healing time of six weeks.

My job is office based but my particular role means I would usually be out and about carrying out appointments. I live 20 miles away from the office and there is no train station near me, or any buses that run to the city that I work in.

My husband works in the town next to our village and in this town is another branch of my company. Although it is not the same 'brand' as my company, and in fact their counterpart in the city I work in is a competitor, we are all owned by the same company and use the same systems.

If my husband was to take me to work every day, I would need to be dropped off 45 minutes - an hour before work starts in order for my husband to then drive back to his office and be on time for work. I finish work at 5.30pm and my husband finishes at 6pm (and 7pm on Thursdays), it is at least a half an hour drive between our two offices meaning I would have to wait an hour and a half between finishing work and being picked up.

I have explained all of the above to my regional director and have requested for the next six weeks I work out of the 'competitor' office in the same town as my husband (although because they are not in our city, they aren't even competitors to my office). I have been informed that they do not want me to do this because they don't want me working for the competition and they want me to be in my office as part of that team. I have asked if I can be set up and connected to my offices system from the other office and this is possible, but they don't want me to do it.

Now I am massively upset and feel my employers are being incredibly unreasonable. Not to mention the fact I will be spending time before and after closing hours in the office, alone and on crutches, is this not a health and safety risk? Thursdays for example, I will be in the office alone from 5.30 - 7.30pm.

My employers have offered no other solution and I am only entitled to SSP which is not enough for me to live in. It wouldnt even cover my half of the rent.

Help

OP posts:

retirednow · 21/03/2018 16:07

Can you take annual leave.

Grobagsforever · 21/03/2018 16:13

Argh @nuggies you're mad! Of course you'll be insured to be a bloody office. You have a partially healed broken ankle, not a severed limb. Get a grip. Honestly this is why milenials are forever accused of being snowflakes!

None of this is your employers fault and they are already being very flexible.

Original poster

nuggies · 21/03/2018 16:15

@Grobagsforever ok calm down. Another poster suggested I may not be insured to be in the building because it would take longer for me to evacuate in the event of a fire. I'm not a 'snowflake' and it sounds like YOU need to get a grip, there's no need to get so worked up over milennials.

I never said it was my employers fault either.

OP posts:

DairyisClosed · 21/03/2018 16:17

YABVU to expect them to agree to this. You took a risk by no having income protection insurance or adequate savings and this was the result. You are lucky that you have a DP who can drive you.

TERFragetteCity · 21/03/2018 16:17

If you can't do estate agent work anyway, why can't they set you up at home for the duration? Maybe get a taxi in one day a week to catch up on stuff and do the rest from home?

retirednow · 21/03/2018 16:18

The only problem I could see with insurance would be that you are there after The office has closed, if anything were to happen.

Original poster

nuggies · 21/03/2018 16:19

oh and partially healed? i broke it last friday, its nowhere near healed and my first appointment at the follow up clinic is tomorrow.

anyway thanks to everyone else for the advice, i will be getting my husband to take me to and into work and will just have to make do.

OP posts:

retirednow · 21/03/2018 16:21

Are you a keyholder at work, i wouldn't want staff locking up who didn't have authorisation. Hope you feel better, it must be really frustrating.

blackteasplease · 21/03/2018 16:27

Is there a cafe near by you could wait in more comfortably? Then you wouldn't be alone in case of a fall.

treaclesoda · 21/03/2018 16:29

It's incredibly difficult to get income protection insurance to actually pay out, so even if the OP did have it, there's no guarantee of a payout.

ikeepaforkinmypurse · 21/03/2018 16:31

I have housing subsidised by my by employer on the understanding that we can be asked to do all sorts of crazy things
ah ok, that sounds slightly more reasonable, if you are getting something out of it, it would be nuts otherwise. Probably not that fun to host a colleague for 6 weeks!

TheMogget · 21/03/2018 16:34

Have you spoken to HR department, your suggestion sounds reasonable and a worth pursuing even if you could do 3 days in that office and 2 in your usual office or vice versa.

WeAreEternal · 21/03/2018 16:35

Your employer has refused your suggestion of working out of the other office, it sounds as though there is no chance you are going to change their mind on that, as convenient as that would be it’s not an option.

Your only options are to either be signed off sick and take SSP or get your husband to drive you and be early/waiting around to be collected.
Realistically waiting around is your only option.
It sucks, but it’s your only option.
You could always use the time to start watching a new series on Netflix or read a book.

I also wouldn’t push the insurance/health and safety argument with your employer too much, i wouldn’t want to risk them agreeing that it’s not a good idea for you to be on the premises out of work hours and then making you wait outside.

Eliza9917 · 21/03/2018 16:36

Do any of your colleagues live near you? Could they pick you up/drop you off?

OddBoots · 21/03/2018 16:39

Is there no way you could do 4 longer days a week instead of 5 regular ones so your husband could drive you?

Crazyladee · 21/03/2018 16:42

Occupational health surely won't get involved in the practicalities of OPs problem of getting to and from work? All they will be involved in is whether a person is fit for work or not. Or whether a phased return to work is viable.

My DS1 had a knee operation in October and was off work until January on a phased return. His occupational health was heavily involved as his job involves a lot of walking around a warehouse and driving a fork lift truck. After a couple of months, he was on a phased return to work programme before he could drive his car again but occupational health didn't care how he got to and from work so he relied on lifts from friends and family. When he was signed off on SSP, he struggled to pay his bills. He used savings and borrowed money from us until he was back to work and earning a normal wage again.

I'm also not sure whether a GP would sign a person off sick when they are on crutches but doing a job that is seated at a desk most of the day. The GP has to tick a box to say whether or not a person is fit to work. Not having transport problems.

OP could you use annual leave? Speak to a taxi company to see if they can give you special rates given it will be so regular? Hire an automatic depending on which foot has been affected?

Dungeondragon15 · 21/03/2018 16:53

It looks as if you will have to start early and stay late. In a couple of weeks you will hopefully be able to get around more easily so see if there is a cafe or pub nearby where you can wait after work?

ikeepaforkinmypurse · 21/03/2018 16:59

Have you even looked at car pool to save the trip for your DH?

SweetSummerchild · 21/03/2018 17:03

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Original poster

nuggies · 21/03/2018 17:19

@sweetsummerchild why are you being so rude?

to everyone else, unfortunately none of my colleagues live near me and i live the furthest out of everyone.

i will get my DH to take me into work and collect me and will find something to do whilst im waiting. it does suck but its what must be done.

OP posts:

Bellamuerte · 21/03/2018 17:26

Your employer could be more accommodating and let you work in the other office. However they are not required to do so - if they say no then that's the end of it. Your choices are to get to work however you can, or stay home sick. Would your employer prefer you to be off sick rather than working from the other office?

0nemorenight · 21/03/2018 17:26

If you are signed off sick, will your company let you go into work ? Are you still insured to he in work ?

Original poster

nuggies · 21/03/2018 17:29

@0nemorenight i have no idea on both points. I've never broken a bone before or been off work with an injury so it's a bit of a shock. I don't even know if I'm fit for work until I go to the fracture clinic tomorrow. But I guess I will see what the doctor says and then sort it with work. Even if it means longer days and hanging around.

OP posts:

Dungeondragon15 · 21/03/2018 17:34

You probably are ft for work but when I broke my ankle I found it quite difficult to sit at a desk initially as I needed to raise the foot to reduce swelling.

Ragusa · 21/03/2018 17:48

Which heel op? Have you considered hiring an automatic as suggested, if it's the left?

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