Hi, my name is PVN! Reasonable adjustments - Do I have the right to work an extra day?

PVN

I am currently on a reasonable adjustment to 3 days per week in my teaching job which was also supported by Occupational Health. Recent changes to include surgery and a new medication have resulted in an improvement in my health and I would like to increase my hours to 4 days per week for the next academic year. I am waiting to hear the result of my application. I know the hours are available as my permanent contract is full time and a temporary contract is being offered to a new member of staff in my department for several days.

My question is- Do have the right to work the extra day if I feel fit to do so. I am worried my hours have been offered to someone else.

Rosie_Scope

Hi @PVN, welcome to the community! Great to hear you've had some improvement lately. This isn't something that I have much experience of, but I'll pop your post over to our Work section where more members can find it and offer their thoughts. I hope that's okay with you, just wanted to say hello first! 😊

Bydand

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/118192/hi-my-name-is-pvn-reasonable-adjustments-do-i-have-the-right-to-work-an-extra-day

Hi,

What were your previous hours or days as part of your contract before you went onto 3 days a week?

If you are contracted to full hours as part of your job description and contract then yes, if your health has improved to the point of you believing an extra day would not exasperate any known condition then your employer would be hard pushed to deny an extra day or indeed as many days as required to fulfil your current contract. You should not lose out because of a health condition stopping you being at work but neither should you lose out on wishing a return to work.

When you returned to work on 3 days a week was this agreed as part of a return to work plan?….i only ask as most return to work plans have a review date as part of the plan. If they don’t then they should have.

Did OH report not suggest a review date?

You state that OH has been involved which is great, they are the buffer between you and your employer and along with HR keep everything above board and not open to different interpretations .It is often the case that employees only get involvement of OH if their health is in decline, but they are also there to ensure that improvements are documented and acted on.

My advice would be to request another OH referral with the aim of increasing your hours. Once this has happened and a report generated then you should be given another back to work plan with any new recommendations etc taken into account.

Not an expert so others may chip in but I certainly have enough dealings with my employer and the OH process to have a good working knowledge of things.

You are on a full hour contract and are entitled to be at work within the recommendations of OH and your own knowledge of how you think you will cope.