Temporary reasonable adjustments

[whatnow41]

I have a long term disability but don't have any reasonable adjustments at work, they are not normally required.

I had a medical procedure last week and have just returned to work but I'm physically struggling and need a temporary reasonable adjustment.

If I go off sick, I will only get SSP and I'm not sick, I'm fit to work, with adjustments.

As it's temporary, the problem will resolve by itself if my workplace ignore it.

How long should I give them to come back to me with a decision? I've requested verbally today and will follow up with an email to HR tomorrow, which is a rota'd day for me.

If they ignore more, or delay making a decision, I can't work more than 4 hrs in the office. So I loose pay or holiday allowance.

My adjustment is to work from home while I fully recover from surgery, the desks at work aren't suitable for use with my wheelchair (which I don't normally use at work but need right now). The desk height and position of me in the wheelchair is causing pain due to posture that isn't an issue when in a normal office chair. But pain from surgery is preventing me from moving around normally without my wheelchair.

I will probably be alright again in a week but feel frustrated that I will loose holiday time or pay because of the desk situation and unwillingness to allow me to work from home (even though people I supervise are allowed to, no one in my role is unless clinically vulnerable). TIA

Bump for the morning crowd?

Is work already aware that you use a wheelchair at points at home?
Is work setup that wfh is a possibility?
Why do you think that this is only for a week? Have you had the operation before?

Thanks for your reply.
Yes work know I use a wheelchair and provide me with disabled parking access, ally health conditions were fully disclosed when I joined 5 months ago.

I feel this is very temporary because I'm healing and in another week I will be able to manage walking around the office again. I'm getting better and in less pain each day.

But, I'm awaiting results of tests that may mean I will need more surgery. So this situation needs sorting. I also have an unpredictable condition, and could need to use my wheelchair at work on any given day.

Are we set up to wfh? Not ideally, but that's because we don't have the tools to do our jobs effectively in the office either. So using the same tools from home further exposes the lack of systems and processes the business has. That's the problem with wfh really.

Really then the best course of action would be:
Occupational health and/or access to work referral to get the appropriate desk at work. However, you're going to need to work with them for if the need of a wheelchair is temporary or ad hoc. But if you believe it could be a longterm need then definitely worth pursuing the desk etc.
In the short term, I presume you've spoken with line manager and HR, and really you're going to need them to be on side. However, without a fit to work note with the requirements you've stated, they could insist you are viewed as sick. And probably that's not unreasonable if you've only just had surgery or a procedure. Allowing for proper recovery. I appreciate this impacts you financially. But a fit for work nite, would make your case stronger.
Probably discussing this potential need before this happened would have been better.
Atm, I'd say you're at their behest really.

@MotherExtraordinaire thank you.

I have asked my GP for a fit note with regards to this. It's going to be an ad-hoc need rather than a permanently used wheelchair accessible desk.

I know my employer will need to pay 100% of the cost if I go through Access to Work as I've used them before with a previous employer.

I did tell them I would return using a wheelchair after having taken a week off for recovery. 1 week is the recommended time for people having the procedure. It's my disability that is making me need the wheelchair, rather than the procedure. I struggle with walking at the best of times, and these are not the best of times.

I really don't think it would be fair to say I'm still sick, it's my environment that is preventing me from working right now, not the surgery or current pain levels.

I didn't know the posture issues would be so profound when trying to use a laptop on a desk while in a wheelchair. Every workplace is different and I didn't foresee this issue until I experienced it.

I think then probably if they cannot facilitate home working (else you'd have already been doing it given the lockdown) you may need to take it on the chin this time. If the requirement hadn't been pushed to work to review the desk situation etc the employer cannot really be held responsible either. Though of course I they may come back and facilitate the wfh this week.
You probably need to push for an OH assessment.
I would then suggest that you look into either any grants that are available to see if your employer would be eligible as it would obviously be the positive way of approaching this, if you could. Height adjustable desks would probably be ideal, but they're expensive comparatively.

www.independentliving.co.uk/product/height-adjustable-table-no-crossbar/

www.office-furniture-direct.co.uk/office-desks/height-adjustable-desks?cat=5478&order=priceLowest

I think it's really difficult with conditions that vary in need. I suffer too and know it took my old employer a long time to understand that today I'm aok, tomorrow I'm not. But we got there. However, it didn't involve a large outlay for ad hoc actual need.

Does your employer count itself as a disability friendly employer? If so, you're more likely to get a positive response.

It may also be worth suggesting that as you wfh and the lockdownhas thrown up issues, that you'd be willing to be a member of a working party to look at how these can be resolved for the future.

@whatnow41

What happened at work?

I got in today and had to phone a colleague to help me through the doors. I worked as long as I could until the pain was too much and so phoned HR (who is working from home!) and asked for a timescale on when they can make a decision about my request. She said hopefully tomorrow. I left about 2 hrs before the end of my shift and they've agreed to pay me for it.

Meanwhile my GP called me back and has issued me with a fit note stating I'm fit to work with adjustments to enable wheelchair access.

I think I've done as much as I can and I just need to wait now. I'm just worried the pain from bad posture now is going to take longer to get over than the post operative pain.

If I didn't have bad posture pain I think I would be out of my wheelchair in another couple of days. But now I have severe back pain and moderate shoulder and neck pain. The back pain makes it too difficult for me to walk and now I'm stuck in a cycle of causing myself pain because I'm using the wheelchair but unable to not use it.

Desk is all sorted now - they put it on cardboard boxes so it's taller now.

Ah wonderful.
I presume not a longterm solution?
Is it safe?

@MotherExtraordinaire

Ah wonderful. I presume not a longterm solution? Is it safe?

No it wasn't safe and so they finally let me wfh for a few days. They're closing the disabled access completely for a few weeks of essential maintenance. It's so bloody hard.