Forced hybrid working causing issues

[YouLookinSusBro]

I work for the NHS, band 5 in operations, so I manage a team of around 20 staff. About a year ago due to redevelopment of the area my office was on we were relocated to another area of the building. Unfortunately there wasn't enough space for everyone and since then I have been basically doing a combo of hot desking and working from home. I am really really struggling with this for a number of reasons.

1. I have ADHD and have found myself totally destabilised by this. It's hard enough to organise myself when I'm going back to the same desk each day but now I'm finding it impossible. I've made lots of mistakes and it's only a matter of time before I make a serious one. HOWEVER, no one at work is aware of my diagnosis and I'd like it to stay that way ideally.

1. As I said I manage a team of staff, and not knowing where I am is resulting in things like back to work chats not being done as I'm not necessarily onsite the same time as they are and then it gets forgotten.

1. I have basically been forced to WFH but don't really have a suitable space to do so. I have a nursery age child who is sometimes home during my working hours and I work on the kitchen table. Again concentration is really difficult.

1. I have a physical issue (work are aware) which I have a special chair for. This has been conveniently ignored and I'm sitting on a totally inappropriate chair at home which is causing me pain.

1. I feel so so undervalued and this is just making things worse. No allowances are made for the fact I've been put in this position and I often end up working 12 hour days at home just to get the bare minimum done.

I've just been off with COVID and now have a week's leave but the thought of going back is seriously making me anxious and I know the current situation isn't sustainable.

Any advice on what I can do to change things? Apologies for long post and thanks if you're still reading

I suppose the first thing I would ask (if I was your manager) is what would you like to happen? It’s hard to say what you could do as there are a lot of issues there that need addressed, but it may be that not all can be accommodated.

I just want a desk to work at every day. I am full time and every one else has a desk, even the part timers. Not having a base (where I can also sit in my own chair) is highly detrimental to my work

So have you told your manager you need a desk? Set out the issues (back pain and lack of contact with other staff and lack of privacy at home) and make it clear that things are v bad. And see what they do.

If other staff have dedicated desks and don’t hot desk or wfh then have you spoken to your manager to find out why and on what grounds, and to explain that you would like the same? (providing there is equity of need /similarity of role of course)

Do you not have to do a dse assessment of your home workstation? If that has identified specific requirements for a desk and chair that should be provided, in either location, possibly through Access to Work funding www.gov.uk/access-to-work. If you push that point it may be agreed to work in the office.

I have told her. She is aware but to an extent is burying her head in the sand. I think maybe need to put it all in an email so it's in black and white.

I'm worried that worst case scenario, this could end up with me being taken down the performance management route if I can't sort things

Have you asked for a desk?

I think you need to be careful blaming the situation on not doing back to work interviews etc. If you're managing a team of 20 you would be expected to carry out your responsibilities no matter where you are based.

The physical pain/discomfort/lack of chair is an issue they need to address though

If you really can't have a dedicated desk in the office and have to continiest with wfh I would request an OH referral to see about getting an appropriate chair for home as well. I'm in the civil service and you will get the equipment you need for home based on an OH.

When I'm wfh I rely on lists to ensure back to work chats, 121s etc aren't missed. I do them over the phone as needed.

*continue

And why can you not schedule back to work meetings remotely just in case you are not onsite simultaneously or insist on being in the office on relevant day for business purposes. How many have you missed?

Agree that claiming you need a desk to do return to work interviews would detract from the main issue - which is (I think) that you need a proper workstation because working at home is causing MSK pain. It would be unusual for any manager to have to do so many return to work interviews and it’s perfectly possible to do them by phone or over Teams - multi site working is very common in the NHS. Have you had a DSE assessment carried out recently? If not then you need to push for one.

It sounds to me like there are good reasons for you to need to be in work - combination of needing special chair/equipment but also it sounds from your post like your ADHD means you're finding hybrid working harder than most. I think you need to talk to your manager about this - it's not inherently unreasonable to ask staff to work hybrid, but allowances should be made for those whose circumstances mean it's not appropriate. But for that to happen you need to be honest with your manager about your circumstances.

If you're worried it's going to lead to poor performance you really need to speak up about it. The employer has a duty to make reasonable adjustments but you also have a responsibility to tell them what you need.

I think I'd put everything to your manager in an email, request a permanent desk, if you have to hybrid work then you need to be supplied with the correct equipment. Why is your child at home distracting you - you say they are nursery age so if you were physically at work would they be in nursery?, why is WFH causing you to work 12 hour days?.

Could you perhaps get occupational health to assess the situation, they could recommend that you have a daily desk for the good of your health and employer would have to do it? I’m going back into the office shortly after 2 years in which home working has completely trashed my working life snd mental health. I’ve got ADHD and working at home is a flipping killer. I can’t follow a thread and the RSD is off the hook. Also, with small kids, one OP commented why aren’t they at nursery: it’s hard to take time off any time someone is ill or has to isolate: would have been every month one way or another the last couple of years, not to mention when the schools were on lockdown too. Please talk to Occu health and see if they can help OP x good luck

Sorry meant to say they Oc Health would be obliged not to share specific details with manager if you requested them not to.

You can self refer to OH, but they will request that a DSE assessment is carried out. Your childcare (or lack thereof) isn’t really the responsibility or concern of your employer - they will expect you to have something in place now, given that childcare provision reopened a while ago.

This stands out to me:

I have ADHD and have found myself totally destabilised by this. It's hard enough to organise myself when I'm going back to the same desk each day but now I'm finding it impossible. I've made lots of mistakes and it's only a matter of time before I make a serious one. HOWEVER, no one at work is aware of my diagnosis and I'd like it to stay that way ideally.

Whyever aren't you giving your employer this information? You're saying you have ADHD and that your work setup is causing a significant detriment to your performance and yet you're resolute in not disclosing your condition to your employer.

If as you fear, you are taken down the performance management route, you're making life really difficult for yourself by not declaring your disability.

You need to state in writing your ADHD with your Reasonable Adjustment being working in one place and including your adaptive furniture. You'd be giving them information they can do something with. If you don't, they will only have a partial picture.

Totally agree with PP re declaring your ADHD. My company has a hotdesking policy, but having my own desk is one of my reasonable adjustments to support my ADHD at work. There are certain places I can't sit because it's too distracting. I had a v useful workplace assessment via an external company, it was v recent so I havent implemented everything yet, but they recommended some things I wouldn't have thought of and I'm hoping it will help. Medication helps my focus, but my exec function is still a shit show.

I work for the nhs and we hot desk and it's very unsettling - nobody likes it so our band 6 manager (who also hates it) has numbered the desks and you have a desk Buddy so you only have one desk but you can't have it all week unless your Buddy is on leave that week and you have to arrange who does 3 days and who does 2 days.

Me and her basically sat down and wrote a plan out as there is 12 seats in the room and 27 people who use the desk but some of these are part time.

I do 4 days so do 2 days in the office and 2 days at home and my Buddy is full time and so she does 3 days in the office and is at home the 2 days I work so at least it's the same desk just can't be your desk every day.

I'm a band 4 i do cancer tracking and manage a small team but even the 5's 6's and 7's upwards don't have their own desks it seems to be the way forward. I quite like it tho being at home I can have my radio on, not have to sit in traffic and can pick my kids up at a reasonable time.
I can also order my online food shopping deliveries
Put washing in and hang it out

I find that quite helpful but appreciate for some people it's difficult

The desk numbering/ Buddy system works well tho I have to say I'd maybe implement that so at least you know where you are.

She is working longer hours because its hard to concentrate and get things done at home at the kitchen table.

Sorry OP, I get why you are struggling. I think its very sad that employees can be forced to work at home when it doesnt work for them.
Is there any people who would prefer to work more from home and you could take over their slots at work? ANyway not having my own desk and my own space certainly wouldnt work for me. I'd also be worried what happens to my special chair when I am not at work - is that your own chair that you brought in?

The OP isn't not bothering to schedule them, ADHD massively affects your working memory.

Despite your best efforts it's really hard to externalise all the stuff so that you don't forget. Eleventy million calendar reminders, post it notes on everything, a clock/timer that I carry around, a to do list. I can still forget things and unless someone or something reminds me, it's like it's gone and never happened. Literally out of sight out of mind.

It makes it so hard to keep track of things, even if you think you've got a system it can fall apart. Leaving things out on your desk would help I'd imagine, so not having a permanent one is not great.

I've started to talk about my ADHD a bit at work, but it isn't well understood at all and people don't realise how severely it can affect you at work (and at home :( )

Reasonable adjustment for your disability are the words to use when raising the issue of needing a permanent fixed desk location.

You can’t have it both ways OP. Either tell your employer about the ADHD or you’ll just have to get on with it.