Medical evidence for flexible working

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I had surgery on a fracture earlier this year. I’ve been warned that the recovery from this type of fracture & the associated surgery is generally long and it can take a year to be ‘back’ to somewhat how you were before, with some people taking even longer.

I work in an education setting & have managed until now as I’m signed off from work. My boss has agreed that from September I should have a flexible working arrangement to condense my teaching into fewer days while I’m still recovering, having physio etc. I’ll need to apply for this with medical evidence to support.

My question then is about getting the medical evidence. I guess this is something I should ask my orthopaedic team about? I’m currently attending a fracture clinic, with my next appointment next week. Should I contact them in advance to let them know I need this kind of documentation? My work has a deadline for the application so I just don’t want that the clinic says, oh we need X days to do this kind of paperwork. The fit notes I’ve had were done on the spot. If anyone has any experiences or advice I’d be grateful!

You can get the evidence from any HCP involved in your care for this condition. I would probably call the consultant's secretary to ask for a letter, but you can also ask at the fracture clinic or GP or physio.

The important bit is they need to state what the reasonable adjustment needs to be and give a likely timescale for this, not just saying you've had an operation!

A word of caution though, if your surgery is pretty recent I would consider this quite early to be advising on what adjustments will be required in September as you don't know how the path of your recovery is going to go over next few months.
And as this is a reasonable adjustment request made on medical grounds you should be able to make this at any time in the year through your employers Occ Health dept. I know there are timetabling issues in education but just be aware If you arrange this too early it may not meet your needs in September.

Good luck with your recovery

Thank you @wooliewoo. I am very conscious that it is extremely early to be thinking about September. But my institution’s deadline for these kinds of requests is at the start of March. We have a rigid timetabling system that is difficult to change after the fact, so my concern would be that, come August say, I’d be left stuck with the timetable from hell. When I’ve had to cancel a class before, the alternative offered to a 2-hour class was 1 x 1hr sessions spilt over two days, such is the pressure on rooms/times!

Most of the adjustments would be to essentially reduce my commuting days, as I have to use public transport. I know there is no way to know where I’ll be in September with my recovery, but my boss is supportive of a condensed schedule. If I asked my HCPs to focus in their letter on the long recovery & that fewer days on-site, navigating the multiple staircases to my office, standing on packed public transport etc. would be beneficial in the autumn I hope that might do it?

Greatly appreciate your advice!

Yes in your situation I would ask that the letter focusses on your mobility needs. As you say, going in fewer days means less standing on public transport, walking on campus, stairs etc.
Generally a letter can take about 3 weeks to do so put the request in to your work and tell your boss the evidence is on its way.
After all, it's not your fault the request has to be in by beginning of March!

Hopefully all will go well over the coming months and I guess if you find it doesn't meet your needs in September you'll just have to cross that bridge when you come to it.
Good luck

The standard med3 'fit note' should have everything yiu need on it.

There are tick boxes for phased return, workplace adaptations, ammended duties.

Really an occupational health doctor should be involved in this. Reasonable measures if public transport is a problem, may be providing a taxi for example.

Thanks both @wooliewoo & @FixTheBone (how apt is that username here! )

I will explain as best I can to my doctors & hope the resulting note is fine. I don’t think I’d need adaptations as great as a taxi to work, but certainly fewer days with the exertions of campus would be needed - when I think about how many sets of stairs we have, how my office is in a different building to my core department office (often several trips a day needed), moving between classes in crowded corridors etc, plus navigating the train, it makes me a bit nervous! I also wonder about fatigue as currently I’m not even walking, and it will take time to build back up to a level where I could handle a full day. I would never have thought of my job as active, and in many ways it isn’t (periods of sitting are common) but with the layout of our campus, with many old buildings joined to make a single site, I moved more than I realised - when covid hit & I was WFH, it really struck me.

I should also say that pre-covid, I would almost never have been on-campus 5 days a week. We have one day guaranteed free of teaching when I would generally worked from home. It’s just that, some semesters, I’ve taught 4 courses and they’ve been scheduled on four separate days This adjustment would mean a guarantee that anything on-campus would be over 1-2 days only, with other days WFH essentially. My understanding of the process (which for many people is to do with childcare etc.) is that it really depends on your boss being supportive, and mine is so I hope that, combined with the medical letter, it should be fine. I think it’s reviewed & signed off by the person immediately above my boss but it isn’t usually challenged if the relevant people are in support of the adjustment.

when I think about how many sets of stairs we have, how my office is in a different building to my core department office (often several trips a day needed), moving between classes in crowded corridors etc,

I know this wasn't what you were originally asking but this stood out to me.
These are also areas you should consider nearer the time of your return. when you see how mobile you are at that point. Alterations to any of the above would come under reasonable adjustments for a staff member with mobility issues.

Your physio can make recommendations and you can also go through your occupational health dept.