Work won’t send me to occupational health

[Mumstights]

Work won’t send me to OH due to my mental health that worsening.

They know it’s a disability since I started 2 years ago.

I won’t go into details as boss might read MumsNet but I just need a bit of guidance.

Boss stated HR are stating there is no need. I’ve noticed my MH worsening recently and this week I’ve done no work due to poor concentration etc.

Any guidance?

I made that judgement based on you saying you were unable to do your work due to lack of concentration due to poor mental health.
You are reaching out for help and I understand your concern around the discrimination point but your employer is in a difficult position if you won’t engage with the help available.

None of us know for certain what EAP can offer you specifically, that's why you need to contact them, to find out what else they might be able to do.
The point is OH is there for the employers benefit, while EAP is focused on the employee instead, so more likely to help you

I'm guessing here. Did you declare a disability on starting the role? If so did you have an OH assessment to discuss any potential adjustments you might need to do the job?

Another voice here saying that your Employee Assistance Programme is a good step to take. If you were to contact them and explain that you are experiencing challenges at work related to your mental health condition, but you don’t know enough about what reasonable adjustments might be made to know what to ask for to help, they should be able to refer you on.

The other thing I would do is try to do some of your own research about what might help, put together a proposal for you manager and ask if you can try something new to see if that works. Document everything so there is a trail showing your discussions and what is agreed. If they won’t refer you, try to come up with some ideas - what do you need from them?

As an example, someone I manage suffers from anxiety which they take medication for. We have partially returned to the office and I noticed that this employee was often late and was struggling to engage with some tasks, missed a few deadlines etc, I asked her what was happening as it was unlike her, and she revealed that she was finding it very difficult to use public transport at rush hour after Covid, and that her anxiety was becoming overwhelming- we agreed to change the times that she needed to be in the office so she comes in later, and finishes later to avoid the busy times. That has worked for her and her productivity has increased.

Other adjustments I’ve seen in the workplace to support employees with disabilities or mental or physical health conditions: reduced hours, reduced work load, redistribution of ‘high stress’ projects or clients for a short time or permanently, borrowed admin support (support from managers PA for a few hours a week), support to prioritise work load, mind mapping software, changing seats in the office, working in a quiet room, home working, moving teams, new managers….. any of those worth a try?

Writing a clear communication after every meeting with your manager is key too - always referencing your disability and what was agreed. I.e.

Dear Steve

Thanks for the meeting today - it was good to update you on my mental health condition and the fact that I’m feeling xxxxxx at the moment. I do feel I need additional support to manage my condition as I’m conscious that it may start to impact on my work. I know that you said that a referral to occupational health wasn’t appropriate at this time - but I wonder if we could consider xxxx to see if that makes it easier for my to perform at the high standard that you have come to expect from me,

(Or something like that…)

My experience of oh is as a manager with an employee who has disabilities and mh struggles who I want to support to enable her to reach her potential because when she’s well, she’s fab and I so want to see her do well.

OH provided a templated report saying she should have more days working from home (totally missing the point her homelife is dysfunctional and the main cause of issues. Honestly, it ticked an hr box and achieved nothing more.

I worked with her to put in place support, meet with her regularly, and also linked her with a pastoral mentor so she had emotional support at work without feeling like she was burdening me and enabled us to keep a one to ones more work focused (I didn’t stop talking about her well-being but it provided an alternative option). Her gp set up counselling after I encouraged her to be honest about her suicidal thoughts. Eap provided three counselling sessions which were really hard for her as she had to relive stuff to get the counsellor up to speed and then they said employees get 3 sessions per year so she’d used hers - that was ridiculous as it was finally starting to help on session 3 having built up their relationship and trust only for them to pull the rug (I escalated that to hr director).

So that’s a brief over view of my experience. Sadly I think you hope oh will provide some magical answer. You can speak to your gp, say you don’t want to reach the point when you need to be signed off and ask for help and advice. That will be far more valuable for you.

You seem to have a view of the remit of OH that is slightly at odds with how most of us understand them to function within a company and, more crucially, how they seem to function within YOUR company.

Pragmatically, what you want is to feel able to stay at work, right? So how about putting the concept of OH to one side for a bit and coming up with, say, 3-5 things you feel would help you achieve that. They could be:

I need to WFH at least two days a week.
I need to be in the office and seeing people.
I need to put a fixed lunchbreak in my calendar each day and to feel that management are supportive of me ringfencing this.
I need to set an alarm to go off to remind me to take regular screenbreaks.
I need further training in xyz.
I need support to resolve an issue with colleague X.

Are there any statements like that you can think of that would help where you’re currently at?

@Mum6776

I'm guessing here. Did you declare a disability on starting the role? If so did you have an OH assessment to discuss any potential adjustments you might need to do the job?

They know and it has just affected me know…..

@Somebodylikeyew

You seem to have a view of the remit of OH that is slightly at odds with how most of us understand them to function within a company and, more crucially, how they seem to function within YOUR company.

Pragmatically, what you want is to feel able to stay at work, right? So how about putting the concept of OH to one side for a bit and coming up with, say, 3-5 things you feel would help you achieve that. They could be:

I need to WFH at least two days a week.
I need to be in the office and seeing people.
I need to put a fixed lunchbreak in my calendar each day and to feel that management are supportive of me ringfencing this.
I need to set an alarm to go off to remind me to take regular screenbreaks.
I need further training in xyz.
I need support to resolve an issue with colleague X.

Are there any statements like that you can think of that would help where you’re currently at?

It’s fine guys. I’ll just go on on the sick.

Can you ask for a stress assessment if work stress is impacting your MH? One of three outcomes is referral to OH, but OH aren't very useful in my experience when it comes to mental health. They're good to say get this adjustable chair to relieve back pain, but I work in a very stressful and emotionally difficult environment and they never seen to consider that impact on the employee

Fine, do that. Sorry for trying to help.

No, the GP won't just sign you off. When I had depression, my gp actually thought it would be beneficial to have me stay at work. Counselling was through the NHS.
My OH did nothing. They were just administrators who checked the law was being followed. However when my situation dragged on, OH did send me to a specialist to evaluate me. He was in their pay and worked for them, although I'm sure he didn't reveal anything we'd talked about to the company. Ultimately he decided it would be best if I didn't work for them anymore.

I think I would write an email directly to HR, not copying in your manager, and say that your disability is causing you difficulties at work and you would like an occupational health assessment. Don't mention it to your line manager. See what they say.

Try Access To Work, they can help you look at what adjustments you might need:

www.gov.uk/access-to-work

Don't forget, it's not compulsory for employers to have OH and the vast majority don't. So there is no compulsion on them to send you there. The employer must make reasonable adjustments. So, you need to discuss that with your manager. Or HR.

But if your health is preventing you from doing your job then you probably should get off sick.

@madisonbridges

No, the GP won't just sign you off. When I had depression, my gp actually thought it would be beneficial to have me stay at work. Counselling was through the NHS. My OH did nothing. They were just administrators who checked the law was being followed. However when my situation dragged on, OH did send me to a specialist to evaluate me. He was in their pay and worked for them, although I'm sure he didn't reveal anything we'd talked about to the company. Ultimately he decided it would be best if I didn't work for them anymore.

I spoke to them yesterday and they said “would you like to be signed of, would that help”. So yes they make it very easy.

I don't know how HR works in your organisation, but a referral to OH is usually the manager's decision. Manager's often blame HR to deflect.

I suggest you put in writing to your manager and copy in HR. State thst you would like a referral and state why.

I've read all your posts and I'm not entirely clear what you want from OH. It seems like you want to talk to someone about your MH issues and possibly for them to make recommendations to support you in the workplace.

One if the things OH will want to know is how are your MH issues affecting your work and what changes can be made to support you.

She told me to to ask my GP but they will sign me of imo, they don’t have any power
She probably would prefer you to be signed off if you're struggling to the point of being there in body but not mind.
Jobs really don't care business will come before help, if business is affected they take the opportunity to push the person out unless it is a very reputable company.
I'd visit the GP instead, keep works involvement to a minimum.

Right so I need to talk to company but who. I’ve not had a 121 in 18 months and the managers are really busy.

When I’ve spoken to one she likes to throw stuff at me, but not listen.

@EmeraldShamrock

She told me to to ask my GP but they will sign me of imo, they don’t have any power She probably would prefer you to be signed off if you're struggling to the point of being there in body but not mind. Jobs really don't care business will come before help, if business is affected they take the opportunity to push the person out unless it is a very reputable company. I'd visit the GP instead, keep works involvement to a minimum.

I’m hoping my company isn’t like that.

^indeed someone was at work and off for 9 months and she was on the same pay grade as me.

@Somebodylikeyew I thought your advice was very helpful.

@Mumstights

^indeed someone was at work and off for 9 months and she was on the same pay grade as me.

What has this got to do with anything?

@Somebodylikeyew

You seem to have a view of the remit of OH that is slightly at odds with how most of us understand them to function within a company and, more crucially, how they seem to function within YOUR company.

Pragmatically, what you want is to feel able to stay at work, right? So how about putting the concept of OH to one side for a bit and coming up with, say, 3-5 things you feel would help you achieve that. They could be:

I need to WFH at least two days a week.
I need to be in the office and seeing people.
I need to put a fixed lunchbreak in my calendar each day and to feel that management are supportive of me ringfencing this.
I need to set an alarm to go off to remind me to take regular screenbreaks.
I need further training in xyz.
I need support to resolve an issue with colleague X.

Are there any statements like that you can think of that would help where you’re currently at?

And tell who?

My manager has stated “I can tell you aren’t happy with the job” well actually I am generally. It’s your managers who don’t manage people so work builds up etc. Plus it’s convenient for me to work there, 2 mins from home. In the winter I can’t be fucked with anything because I’m soooo tired due to the weather. I’ve also got a lot on my plate at home and also you don’t give me training and expect new processes to go smoothly. Etc.

No job is perfect.

@VanGoghsDog they don’t want to push people out/on sick

I feel like I’m having convos with 20 people… forums can be overwhelming

[quote Mumstights]@VanGoghsDog they don’t want to push people out/on sick[/quote]
I don't understand what you're talking about.

Speak to your manager, or their manager, or a regional manager, or HR, or a union, or an employee rep of some kind, or the EAP.

You say your manager doesn't speak to you, so how did they convey this refusal to involve OH?