Advice needed please

[user54776]

Hi I have a long term health condition and I have also have had cancer and on medication for this. Since returning to work I have always done jobs that can be seated as I get tired quickly. I’m not seated all day but for around 80% of my shift.
A colleague of mine who started around 6 months ago also has a long term health condition that is very similar to mine, at the moment she is struggling and the manager has decided that she can do my job and I do hers ( which involves standing all day).
I explained it’s too much for me to stand all day as I get tired but he told me that there is not enough work for the two of us to be seated and that as my colleague is ill at the moment she needs to be sitting.
I know that if I do the standing up work I will get ill it happened before and I was signed off for 4 weeks.
It feels like my manager doesn’t take me seriously with my illness, because I don’t tell everyone if I’m struggling like my colleague does.

Can you engage occupational health to support your need to be seated?

Definitely engage occ health.

Also speak to your union or ACAS - I believe cancer is covered under the equalities act

I believe cancer is covered under the equalities act

It is, it's a disability. The Equality Act considers a diagnosis of cancer as a disability. You don't have to have symptoms or consider yourself disabled by your cancer to be covered.

Make sure your HR knows if they don't already, OP. I made sure my HR was informed when mine was diagnosed, because it's amazing how many managers aren't aware of this. 🙄

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/coping/practically/the-disability-discrimination-act-equality-act-and-cancer

you presumably have an OH report if you are back at work after cancer diagnosis? What does it say?

Is that standard? because I didn't have one, I just told HR. I didn't have any symptoms, it didn't affect my work and the only thing I needed was time off every 3 months for blood tests and appointments.

yes, it is standard to have an OH assessment if you are at work with a cancer diagnosis

Ah OK. All that HR did was hand me a leaflet about getting a second opinion on my condition - as if I'm going to tell the head of the haematology dept at a leading teaching hospital that 'my HR thinks I should get someone else to check that.'

Hi thank you all for the replies, unfortunately I don't have access to OH or HR I only work for a small company.

@secondfavouritesocks When should the report be done? Mine was 8 months before I returned so wasn't really relevant when I did return as my health changed in those 8 months.