To not want to do all this in one day?

[QuestionableMouse]

Been booked on a course for work. It's being held 90+ miles away and I have to be there for 9am. Course runs until 6 at which point I'd have to leave and drive home. Its being held in a hotel and I'm thinking about asking my manager if he can book me a room. I have really bad sciatica and I'm worried that it'll be agony from the combined driving and sitting all day. Aibu?

If it’s Nando’s pm me.

Not Nando's but thank you.

So your manager wouldn't give you a chance to explain?

I have had sciatica on and off over the last 7 years. It's always been linked to pregnancy in my case and has never gone away in between as a consequence. I personally wouldn't physically be able to sit for that length of time all in one day. It's not about getting up earlier. It's about not being able to do that much sitting in one day. If this is the case for you then you need to say this and say that your GP advises you not to sit this much. Your GP would likely write you a fit not confirming this. Failing the understanding of your manager I suggest discussing with your GP and following through and also asking for an Occ Health referral.

I am currently pregnant so it's worse for me at the moment but last Friday I overdid it (had no choice) and it's taken me until today to start feeling a bit more normal (which is still not great). If I did that trip I'd be written off for a week!!

Also just a thought and I'm not sure how long you've had it for and if you would fall into the disability category but have a look at this link. Just wondering whether you might qualify for reasonable adjustments.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/protected-characteristics/showing-you-re-disabled-under-the-equality-act/

There is lots of information about safer driving on the hse website including risk assessments which you could use to help you show how unreasonable they are being.

Rather than complain to HR I would contact them to enquire about driving at work policies in force. Obviously complain if your manager still insists in your driving in one day.

Also make sure your insurance covers you for driving for work. This is not your regular commute so you might find that your insurer won't cover you in case of an accident.

However, if promotion means more travelling you might want to suffer in silence in this occasion as they might feel you are not suited to a role which needs more travelling if you are unwilling (unless of course it comes under disability as PP has suggested).

Don’t understand why you’re not taking the train, if that is offered by them then they must be willing to be flexible with the course start time? What if you couldn’t drive or didn’t have a car?

Can you not get an earlier train? Find a hotel half way for cheaper so break it up?

You weren't unreasonable to ask, but they're not unreasonable to say no. 100 miles isn't a massive distance,and 9am isn't very early. I guess your only option is to decline the course (which for promotion seems silly) or speak to your doctors and ask for a note proving your problem so you can push for allowances to be made

If they would book the train then presumably they would book you one that would get there in time? You could also get up and walk around.

No earlier trains unfortunately. There's also a change so more potential for things to go wrong.

I'm already having to pull out money for new clothes and shoes. It's expensive for not much gain and I'm really starting to wish I'd never accepted it. To put it into context, I'm getting an extra 50p an hour for this role.

I don’t have sciatica and yes I would ask. That’s a long day to then have to drive 80+ miles home.

I had this very issue as I have a chronic pain condition that is exacerbated by sitting.

Occupational health did an assessment and I have "reasonable adjustments" as it is considered a disability.

One of the adjustments that a manager agreed was that I could alter travel arrangements so as to arrive at a CPD event the night before. Costing a bit more as was 2 single tickets on the train instead of a return.

I did arrange my own accommodation though so my organisation didn't have that expense.

I think it's an advantage to have a formal occupational health review so that disability needs can be properly assessed.

How do they suggest you get there? If they were happy to book and pay for the train, presumably they are then happy for you to be late?

Who books the train? Do they also have power to book hotel rooms? I'm just wondering whether, if you told them you needed a train ticket to get you there in time for the 9 a.m. start, they would discover that that is impossible and book a hotel anyway?

Thanks.

It's the same person who would book the tickets or hotel.

Hotel costs £90 while the train ticket would be £120. My fuel costs are really low (£50 would get me about 600 miles).

I also need new clothes and shoes so I'm out at least £50 there. It's turning into an expensive promotion.