My disabled husband has been asked to return to the office.

[SuperstoreFan]

My husband has Cerebral Palsy and a severe hearing loss for which he wears hearing aids.

He's been WFH since March last year, his two yearly reviews since Covid-19 started have been very positive. In the last team meeting the manager sung his praises as he's been WFH with no fuss even after I gave birth to our first child in May.

His manager has requested that he returns to the office immediately and he's worried, mainly because he can't physically put on or remove a mask himself, he would need to get public transport to and from the office and he's reluctant to not wear a mask on the transport as he's worried about being confronted and physically he's vulnerable.

He's expected to wear a mask in the office as are the other few colleagues who are going back, even with his hearing aids he will still struggle massively as they only help his hearing so much and he's reliant on lip reading to understand what people are saying.

Has anyone got any advice? He's spoken to a friend who is a manager for another team and he's advised DH to speak to HR but he thinks that HR will protect the manager.

@timeisnotaline I am in the same situation as him with hearing. I have an assistive device that connects my hearing aids to the computer audio, so even if someone is wearing a mask on an online call I can hear them pretty well. There is the option of asking them to lower the mask if they are able to maintain social distance in the office. Teams and Zoom have been a godsend for me.

Even without a device like mine, there is a world of difference between listening to someone on an online call in a quiet room, with computer audio that you can control, and being in a room full of people talking with background noise going on.

Could he wear a clear plastic visor mask ( worn by many workers) which is on a head band so doesn't interfere with his hearing aids ; and you can put it on when he leaves for work.

Just get him a sunflowers expect lanyard and don't wear a mask. As a lip reader he needs to ask colleagues not to wear them either or he'll have to phone them or how ever he communicates when at home. The risk is low to him when he's been double jabbed, and do have the majority in public transport.

Is this more you both would
prefer him to stay home then you can put across your best case, or just return once we hit 19th July when masks aren't required anymore.

They have to make reasonable adjustments for him and they can't just make him come back 5 days, if that wasn't what he worked before.

I think bringing him back, now, for more days and insisting he wears a mask is just an awful decision on their side.

Thank you everyone, there's a lot of good advice here and I'll let him know.

He absolutely wants to go back but we both believe that the way it's being handled is absolutely awful. There are no questions about his performance, like I said his manager has been singing his praises because he's managed to carry on without skipping a beat whilst becoming a dad for the first time and dealing with all of the challenges that it brings.

Definitely HR. and if they’re no help, the union if he had one or ACAS. He should get a workplace check ( can’t remember the name) and it will flag up any issues to be resolved. Also there is a scheme help to work for travel where taxis are covered and dh wouldnonly make a nominal payment. Access to work.

Risk assessment!! He should get a workplace risk assessment.

You can get pull up neck type masks if thats any easier?

Fictional it probably varies from one workplace to another as to who carries them out. Our H&s officer definitely would be involved. Hopefully the OP's DH can find the right person to support him.

I’m a HR Manager and would 100% want an employee to tell me about this. HR are also employees themselves and they are there to protect both employee and employer. Unfortunately there is the odd old school HR practitioner around but that’s a longer post!

Ultimately this request is unfair on your DH and puts the business at risk of disability discrimination - I’d be having stern words with the manager.

Especially more so if not everyone has been asked to go back in.

Does his work have occ health? They have helped me in the past when issues at work. Also the union is always on hand if I need to get them involved (not right but I sometimes have issues at work)
My issue was the opposite to your dh last year (everyone wfh but I cannot) and occ health overruled and said I could keep going to work cos it was better for me.
Would definitely recommend he contact occ health and the union if he can good luck

It may just be that the manager hadn't thought about your DH having additional needs, particularly as he's a good worker they may simply not think of him any differently. He needs to raise the problems and ask to talk through solutions. Access to Work will be good for ideas.

He could ask his work if they can give out clear face masks so he can lip-read everyone, there are quite a lot of varieties and I'd wear that if I needed to talk with someone who had hearing problems.

Masks on him would be risky if he can't take them off, it wouldn't be safe to rely on someone being able to help even if work wanted to arrange that. A visor doesn't sound practical for the whole day either, he'll need to eat lunch etc and presumably can't safely remove it. A lanyard should be fine, but if he's worried then a taxi to / from work.

Have you looked at access to work?
www.disabilityrightsuk.org/access-work
They could possibly help with transport costs if he isn’t able to use public transport.