getting the balance right - health issues, work and privacy

[hatwoman]

I have a feeling this will be a random moan but that's what mn's for isn't it....

I have very mild MS and most of my colleagues don;t even know. and I'd prefer it to stay that way. however I am very affected by heat - basically it makes me feel like shit. Our office is inordinately warm - 28 today and it's only April - I'm already at the upper limit of what I can tolerate. Now I know work will be good to me, if I make the right noises - quite possibly they'll find me an air-conditioned space and make it for my use only. but it will leave me in a quandary - do I explain to everyone else - many of whom will struggle with the heat too - why I'm getting not-really-preferential-but-looks-that-way-treatment or do I keep my privacy and let them think what they like. I guess it's a silly question in the scheme of things - better than having to fight with my bosses - but I hate anything that draws attention to me. any experiences worth sharing? many thanks

Difficult one. Could they just get some air conditioning units for everyone in that room you are now in after you have a quiet private word about it so no one else has to know? In 1986 I shared an office with a chain smoker (yes I know it sounds unlikely nowadays but that is how it was then) and I was pregnant with daughter 2 but I didn't want anyone to know until 5 months so I just said nothing.

I think I'd come clean about the MS ONLY IF there was no other option OR

I'd make the point to my employers that if I found it hard then so would other workers and they aren't getting best productivity/work out of boiling hot people, i.e. they ought to invest in air con for everyone otherwise they are putting you in a difficult position wrt your health/privacy. I don't see why you should have to explain it because your employers are providing you with an unsuitable working environment.

the things is - we have just had our entire building refurbished. without air con but with some crappy climate control system. (personally I think we were sold a pup). last summer was unbearable and, as far as I know, there are plans in the medium-term to install external window shades - which should help. but I expect this won't be done until at least next summer. In the meantime I'm looking at a very miserable - and unproductive - summer. the office is entirely open plan -so I don;t have a "room" that could be air-con'd. And if they did a whole area there'd be a couple of hundred outraged people in other areas demanding to know why. tbh when I wrote my original post I had thought that some of the quiet rooms (small one-person offices that can be booked if you need an hour or two peace and quiet)were air-conditioned - and that they'd let me use one all the time - but checked a couple out this afternoon and they're not. so - in fact - not sure the scenario I envisaged is going to transpire. which sucks. iyswim.

hw, my son and I were so hot at home (I work often at home) 2 years ago that I bought him and I stand alone air conditioning units which work really well in his and my room as long as the door is shut. They cost about from memory about £400. A lot of offices buy those units in London when a member of staff complains about temperature but you have to be able to open a window for the out duct so if the windows won't open then they wouldn't work. There may be some units which don't require that though.