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What should I do

22 replies

housinghero · 12/11/2022 16:30

I work hybrid - 4 days at home , 1 day office .
I need a specialist chair due to a disability.
i had to fight for a chair in the office and I handed my notice in a week ago . They sent my chair in the office back to the supplier meaning I can no longer work In The office .
it looks like my chair at home has been broken by my teen son beyond repair
I can get another (with cost to myself ) but it will take about a week.
i cannot sit on another chair for 7.5 hours per day.
should I get signed off ????

OP posts:
lostandcold · 12/11/2022 16:58

Unless you can work without this special chair, than yes.

Dillydollydingdong · 12/11/2022 17:01

Yes, but are you entitled to contractual sick pay? Otherwise, you might only get 2 days ssp.

blueshoes · 12/11/2022 17:06

You have resigned already? How long is your notice period and how much of it have you served?

If I were your employer I would be a tad suspicious if you say your teenage son broke your chair beyond repair (interesting words 'beyond repair') and you now sign yourself off sick. I would assume you don't want to serve out your notice and are just giving an excuse.

RiderOfTheBlue · 12/11/2022 17:10

This is very convenient OP. On your other thread you said you were cross that you couldn't work from the office so you intended to do sod all for the rest of your notice period.

Now suddenly your son has broken your chair at home so you can't work at all.

housinghero · 12/11/2022 17:10

I’m very angry that they have sent my chair back - I think the issue here is that they are trying to discriminate against me , isolate me and that this issue would not happen if I were non disabled

OP posts:
blueshoes · 12/11/2022 17:23

In addition to 'beyond repair', I note you said 'teenage son'. I assume your son is not a toddler. A toddler cannot break a chair beyond repair but a 'teenage son' can. Using us to get your story straight?

You need to add more detail around what your teenage son did to break a chair beyond repair and to produce a photo if your employer asks. I have never broken a chair in my life much less my mother's special work chair.

Rainydaize · 12/11/2022 17:38

I think you'll be expected to replace your chair at home if it's damage caused by you or people you are responsible for. The office isn't your primary workplace and you are in theory fully set up to work from home. You aren't sick so it's not appropriate for you to be signed off.

LIZS · 12/11/2022 17:41

Who owned your "home" chair? If it was damaged by your ds then you should "offer" to go into the office and ask them to reinstate it to enable you to do so. If you had one at home you would be able to wfh but can't due to no fault of theirs.

tickticksnooze · 12/11/2022 17:50

RiderOfTheBlue · 12/11/2022 17:10

This is very convenient OP. On your other thread you said you were cross that you couldn't work from the office so you intended to do sod all for the rest of your notice period.

Now suddenly your son has broken your chair at home so you can't work at all.

I was wondering about that...

rookiemere · 12/11/2022 17:51

You have resigned.
They probably didn't expect the chair at the office to be picked up so quickly.
I'd either ask for repairs on the chair or a new one, pay for it yourself or get signed off sick.

LIZS · 12/11/2022 18:11

Will you continue to need a home specialist chair? If so order a replacement or repair it. You could suggest al until it arrives and then work reduced days? If oh were involved ask them for advice.

Gazelda · 12/11/2022 18:28

How much notice period have you got left?

It's obvious that you're aggrieved they sent your office chair back. Justifiably.

But this now feels like a sabotage situation. Your home chair has become damaged so you can't work so you're going to get signed off sick. You've got to admit it's very, very convenient.

Why can't you investigate getting it fixed. You could make some calls on Monday and have a clear estimate of the cost and timescales to give to your employer.

AlisonDonut · 12/11/2022 18:34

Where will you sit during your non work hours? You aren't going to do alot between now and then so just sit there and twiddle your mouse every now and then?

maplesaucewithbacon · 12/11/2022 18:47

They sent my chair in the office back to the supplier meaning I can no longer work In The office .

Sending back your specialist chair from the office before you finish your notice is a no-no. Focus on this breach of disability discrimination, they'll need to get it back again won't they? Idiots.

They should have insurance for mishaps with your home chair assuming they provided it, which they should have, including accidental damage, if they don't it's not on you, because these things do happen with homeworking.

IMO, I'm not a lawyer.

maplesaucewithbacon · 12/11/2022 18:49

Breach of legislation ie discrimination, is what I meant to say

jelly79 · 12/11/2022 18:58

Ridiculous that they have sent your chair back before you leave! Basically stopping you from working! I would expect them to give you the necessary equipment to work or negotiate an earlier finish, with your notice paid

(I haven't seen any previous threads)

Dillydollydingdong · 12/11/2022 19:20

Jelly79 Obviously!

Rainydaize · 12/11/2022 19:31

I do agree that there is a breach of disability rights and legislation however only for 20% of your contracted time.

It sounds like you just can't be arsed to work and are happy to screw over tax payers for ssp when you're not actually sick.

DaftyLass · 13/11/2022 02:06

Can you adapt your work to be able to do it from what ever chair you use at home, when you are not working?

Quveas · 13/11/2022 07:42

I am not going to comment on the "convenience" or "inconsistencies" on the various threads on this matter. I am kind of surprised that you have even bothered to ask, since you say that you work for local government and would presumably therefore have full pay for any peiod of sickness (unless, like my local government employer, they no longer pay anything more than SSP during a notice period, except for long term sick existing prior to notice being served or notice served by the employer - funnily a lot fewer people develop sickness during their notice period now).

However, as a disabled local government manager dealing with this specific situation, it seems that you have agreed with your manager to work from home for your notice period. The employer was not responsible for the chair you used working from home (surprising that as we would provide a chair for home working were required, but I guess things differ slightly between employers) - you bought it and were responsible for it. The fact that your son has broken is your responsibility and therefore you need to replace it and work. Your responsibility, your problem; just as you say that what is your employers responsibility is their problem. My son broke my chair is not sickness - it is you not meeting your own needs in much the same way as you say the employer didn't.

I assume that you are giving up work then, as if you are not replacing the chair then you won't be able to wfh / hybrid work for a new employer?

And I would require evidence that it was irreparably broken, at which point I would be discussing with HR whether you were on paid or unpaid leave.

In other words - you may be justifiably annoyed at your employers previous actions. I don't know enough about what happened and why to comment. But nobody is going to be stupid enough to believe the convenience of your story even if it were true - nobody here and nobody at your employers. They might let you get away with it. They might not. But that's a risk that you take. And it is a risk, because you might think that resigning draws a line under everything, but sometimes things catch up with you.

And if you are going to tell a lie, at least try to make it believeable. Why a fanciful stroty when you can just catch the cold virus everyone else has?

Oh, and I would dock te teenagers pocket money until you can afford a replacement / they have paid for it - they are old enough to act responsibily and also to recognise how important your special items are to you. There should be consequences....

MissPoldark · 13/11/2022 07:54

You say you had to fight for the special chair initially. Did you therefore manage to work in the office for a time without one?

AlisonDonut · 13/11/2022 09:02

To lose one chair may be regarded as misfortune to lose both looks like carelessness...as Oscar Wilde once said.

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