Multiple Sclerosis - occupational health meeting

[megrob]

Hi,

Has anyone had to have a meeting with Occy Health to discuss reasonable adjustments? I have one next week. What should I expect and do i need to prepare? never had one before.

basically i want to request working from home 1 day a week due to being diagnosed with MS. Suffering terrible with chronic fatigue and i recently had to go off work sick for 1st time due to low iron etc. i want to stay in work but keep my sickness rate down. my manager declined my request to work from home 1 day a week and due to that i requested myself for a referral to occy health to be made. now i am really nervous.

also newly diagnosed and dont know of my rights whilst working with this health condition. alls i know is i am entitled to attend hospital and gp appointments.... can anyone help/support

forgot to mention... i work within the NHS

It will be fine, promise. I’ve been to OH (but not for MS).

Before you go do some research about what adjustments might help. Don’t limit it to wfh 1 day a week, forums or organisations focussed on MS might be able to make suggestions. Don’t expect the OH doctor to be an expert in your condition, be prepared to educate them if necessary. You might get someone who knows (amazingly last time I went I did for a niche condition) but equally may not.

do some research into what a reasonable adjustment is. The equalities act automatically recognises you as being disabled so that’s not a hurdle (OH should point this out in their report). This acas guidance is helpful. https://www.acas.org.uk/reasonable-adjustments.

ask to see the report before it goes to your employer - you can’t necessarily change it (the report isn’t to tell the employer what you want them to hear, it’s a medical opinion on the situation) but it will give you an opportunity to correct any factual inaccuracy before it goes to your manager.

Good luck, hope it goes well for you!

In my experience OH just repeat what the patient says to them (provided it isn’t total madness!) so I think if you explain about how your condition impacts you on a daily basis and how the adjustments would help you they are likely to recommend those to the employer.

As someone else has said try to think of other adjustments that could help like -
flexible hours (work fewer when fatigued more when fine)
A private area at work you could rest/lie down.
Longer breaks, later start time, a really comfortable office chair, any hardware or software that would make your job easier,
Is there the option to fit into work day something that might be helpful like swimming, meditation.
A nine day fortnight works for some people and employers.
Still suggest one day a week from home or even the option to occasionally work from home if your not up to coming up to 3 days a month. Have several ideas up your sleeve.

Agree with PP I’ve got a neurological condition (not MS) and my adjustments are
‘reset day’ - usually midweek to WFH to avoid boom & bust
Speech to text software
second set of IT kit that lives in the office to save me carrying it all in
reset spaces between customers so not back to back
no requirement for me to have camera on for virtual meetings for the duration of the meeting only at start and if I am speaking (reduces fatigue)
rest area during lunch to stretch out and reset
flexibility with start / end time
personal chair that has been designed to my measurements
wrist rests for keyboard & mouse
parking space
able to attend medical appointments without having to make up the hours even though I try my best to schedule them on my NWD
attend meetings virtually by default rather than in person

I haven’t had one yet but I may be about to request one. I have MS and was diagnosed before I started my current job, which was almost 10 years ago. I can WFH up to two days per week so I don’t need to request those sorts of accommodations. But I am about to request car parking accommodations for when I do have to be on site. I can only park about a 15 minute walk away from my office and that’s if I’m lucky enough to get a park at all. I wouldn’t want to have to give up work on the grounds that I can’t get there, when I can do the job perfectly fine!