Voluntary Redundancy Offered - Now It is an Exit Package?! Advise Please

[mummytippy]

In short I have been off work since September suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. I opened communication with my employer regarding occupational health provision and they told me they did not have any, but would welcome my GPs recommendation. My Dr is recommending that I work from home. My employer has been telling me this isn't possible. I do accounts admin and have been told by the company's IT consultants it is possible via remote working on a laptop. I submitted a reasonable adjustment request and been turned down. The reason - logistics of transporting paperwork by other staff members- too costly, too time consuming but it can be scanned and emailed... or posted. Most of the company's suppliers and customers email their documents. Also, contamination? I will contaminate paperwork in my home? I've not heard of Covid 19 being transferable on paper?

Just before Christmas I was asked if I wanted to consider voluntary redundancy (also told strictly confidential) and was made a financial offer. I made it clear I didn't want to take such a redundancy. I want to work, but wfh. I was then told I would be informed of any decisions made. I heard nothing and after Christmas I contacted my employer to ask the latest on the redundancies, which process are they following and who does it affect. They replied they were exploring whether I would be interested in an 'exit package' in case I might not be going back to work. I feel completely mislead and spent the entire Christmas period (while they were closed) worrying about their decision and this certainly hasn't help with my panic attacks and anxiety. Any advise on this matter would be greatly appreciated. TIA.

[quote quarentini]@mummytippy if work offered you a quiet place would you return?
You are so fixated on working from home and doing things your way that you are going to lose your job![/quote]
This

You’re determined to work from home op and refuse to accept it’s not going to happen.

I really can see why the company has moved to terminate like this, I’m sorry. If you’re unwilling to negotiate and offer a compromise where you’re in thr office, then either accept the package or go back to work.

You’re not going to be home with your son, I’m sorry, it is not an option for you in this role.

@titchy

Surely for someone who is suffering from panic attacks and anxiety this isn't the right way to treat someone, and would they not be wrong to dismiss me while I have a sicknote?

Morally no. Legally, and that's all that really counts here, yes. It's also perfectly legal for someone to be dismissed because their illness makes them incapable of doing the job.

I feel this could do with being revisited as it seems to be where you're getting tangled up OP.

It's entirely possible to be sly, unkind, spiteful, dismissive, inflexible and dozens of other unpleasant things while still being well within the law.

I do think that morally they should be putting themselves out to help you considering your circumstances and length of service (I think a lot of people would disagree with me though and have valid points) BUT legally they don't have to. And it's become very clear that they are not going to do anything they don't have to.

Until you can manage to divorce the idea of what's fair to you from the idea of what's legally owed to you, you're going to keep struggling and raging about it.

I see, sorry. By "they" I thought you meant the GP. I assume the bulk of the thread has been the reasoning for you not accepting a phased return with adjustments so i won't labour that point.

For your own sanity and well-being, take the package and leave this company in the past.

You are not going to be allowed to work from home by this company no matter what reason you bring forward, so you'd be doing all of you a favour by accepting the compromise agreement.

@mummytippy The GP recommended I wfh as better environment to manage panic attacks

If your GP recommended that the best place to manage a panic attack is on a beach in Bora Bora, would you expect your employer to book you a flight?

Your GP, without any working knowledge of your job role or your employers policies, has made a generic recommendation at your request. Of course being at home would be the best place to manage a panic attack, I imagine being at home would be ideal for dealing with any non-life threatening ailment. The fact of the matter is however that it is simply a recommendation by someone who is not party to your employment contract.

OP, I’m not a doctor but have a bit of experience with panic attacks, unfortunately.

I think you need some advice from an OH focus.

From what you’ve posted:
You had a panic attack at home at a time when you hadn’t been to the office in months.
Your GP recommended not returning to the office in case you have a panic attack there- which has never happened before.

I think you need more medical/OH support around managing panic attacks, regardless of location. If you have one in Sainsbury’s are you never going to go into a shop ever again?

The way you’re going, you’re going to make yourself unemployable if your criteria for a new job limits you solely to those that will allow you to WFH full time.