Struggling with Micromanagement and Lack of Understanding of My Condition at Work
I wanted to share something that’s been going on at my workplace recently, and I’m hoping to get some advice or just to hear from others who might be in a similar situation.
We’ve recently had a new store manager who seems to micromanage every department, and it’s causing a lot of frustration among the staff. In the Dotcom department, we’re the only ones who have to deal with picking times and targets for how quickly we complete trolleys, which is already stressful enough.
Last Sunday, during a meeting with my line manager, I found out that the store manager is pushing us to work faster. I'm one of the slower team members because I handle smaller trolleys (like frozen items) due to my Dyspraxia and Epilepsy. During the meeting, I was shocked to learn that I’m being referred to Occupational Health for an assessment, and I have a telephone interview with them this Tuesday. After almost four years of working there, this is the first time it’s come up, and it seems to be a direct result of the new manager’s push for faster productivity.
To make matters more complicated, my Dyspraxia and Epilepsy affect my ability to focus on more than one task at a time, so meeting the picking times isn’t my main concern—getting the right items into the trolley is. It was also disheartening to find out that my managers don’t really understand Dyspraxia. In fact, during the meeting, my line manager asked if I could take tablets for it, which left me completely stunned.
I’m just feeling overwhelmed by all of this. I’m not sure how to navigate the Occupational Health process or how to address the lack of understanding from my managers about my conditions. Has anyone else been in a similar situation? How did you handle it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Comments
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Hi there,
Your situation sounds incredibly stressful, and I can completely understand why you’re feeling overwhelmed. You’ve clearly worked hard and been dedicated to your role for years, so to suddenly feel scrutinised under a new manager’s approach must be really disheartening, especially when your conditions haven’t changed.
Firstly, being referred to Occupational Health isn’t necessarily a negative thing — it can actually be a positive opportunity to ensure that your workplace is offering the right support and making reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act. In the assessment, be honest about how your Dyspraxia and Epilepsy affect you day to day. It’s okay to explain that picking speed isn’t realistic for you, and that accuracy and safety need to come first. You may even want to prepare a short list beforehand of tasks that are harder for you and what helps (like handling smaller trolleys or working without strict time pressure).
It’s also deeply concerning that your manager asked if you could “take tablets” for Dyspraxia — that shows a real lack of understanding. You’re not alone in this; many people with invisible disabilities face similar ignorance. If you’re comfortable, you could consider giving them some basic info or signposting them to resources, but it’s not your job to educate everyone. That’s something HR or Occupational Health could support with too.
Most importantly, you deserve to feel safe, supported, and respected at work. If it helps, keeping a written record of conversations, expectations, or any difficulties might be useful going forward, especially if the pressure continues. And don’t hesitate to ask for a union rep or advocate if you need support in meetings.
Acas can also offer valuable guidance. They can also advise on reasonable adjustments and how to address workplace challenges related to your health conditions.
Acas Helpline
- Telephone: 0300 123 1100
Available Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
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I’m really sorry you’ve been put through this. It’s genuinely shocking that after almost four years of loyal service you were suddenly told about a referral to OH without any proper explanation or support. It must have felt completely unexpected and very upsetting.
It sounds like the new manager’s micromanaging is putting unnecessary pressure on the team, and it’s unacceptable that you’ve been singled out because of your health conditions. Asking if you can “take tablets” for Dyspraxia shows a serious lack of understanding and respect.
Your manager should have handled the OH referral properly and, most importantly, in private. This is not something that should ever be raised in a staff meeting or in front of others. It’s a confidential matter, and discussing it openly breaches your right to privacy and could also breach employment and data protection laws.
You should have been told in a private meeting why the referral was being made, what it involves, the kind of support OH can offer, and what information would be shared. Your manager should have informed you of all this, preferably before making the referral. Leaving you worried and not knowing what to expect is totally unacceptable. OH cannot access any of your medical information or speak to your GP without your written consent, and you have the right to see their report before anything is passed on to your employer.
If you feel able, you might consider raising a formal complaint with you HR department or your union rep if you have one. It’s entirely your choice, but having a written record of what happened could be important if you face any issues in the future. Your manager’s actions were clearly out of order, and this would document how you were unfairly singled out and embarrassed in front of your colleagues.
I wish you well with your OH assessment and I’m sure you’ll find them kinder and more understanding than your manager.
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Thank you for your response @PracticeWotUPreach and @MW123, I do get frustrated and stressed sometimes and to be honest, it doesn't help being Epileptic as well. I am however, considering after this emailing HR or talking to someone above them that even though my company helps people with learning disabilities like this I think my branch as a lack of understanding what some of them mean aka possibility of retraining in the subject. I am holding off at the moment to get my union rep involved with it but I think that's them overall.
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Hi, Not an expert but I have experience of poor management and blatant misuse of various workplace policies.
I would suggest that you ask for a copy of your employers performance management policy ( you are entitled to view any and all workplace policies )….this particular document should explain in full how the employer goes from possibly having concerns about an employees performance to initiating the referrals process. You will likely see fairly quickly that there are various steps that should be taken by an employer and going straight to a referral definitely isn’t one of the options.
You are supposed to give your consent for a referral to be started, unless it is under very very special circumstances. This consent covers the sharing of all information the employer has on you with OH. Without this consent they are likely breaking something called GDPR data rules, especially if personal medical information has been shared.
A lot of folks aren’t aware that You are also fully entitled to see the full referral put in ( you should be given a copy of this as part of the course ) including any subsequent questions the employer wants clarity on. (From memory I believe that an employer can ask up to 4 supplementary questions)
If it were me, and I have done this….on the day of the OH appointment when they phone you, they will ask you to confirm that you are aware that a referral has been made and that you are aware of the reasons why….tell them that you were aware a referral had been made and how you found out, but you were unaware of the why the referral had been made as you have had no communication on the subject, and that you have NOT given your consent and this has all come out of the blue.
OH should ask you whether you wish to continue or end the call and they will report back to your employer.
I realise this route isn’t for everyone and employees don’t want to feel they are rocking the boat so to speak, but if you genuinely feel aggrieved and believe that policy was not followed then the above is an option.
All that should happen is the employer will follow the correct procedure in putting in another referral.
As others have said, OH can often be of benefit to an employee and it’s not something to be overly worried about. I have had OH tell me during the call that they can’t understand why I’ve been referred in the first place!!…OH can often benefit the employee as the employer is often asked to consider reasonable adjustments etc on the back of the OH report.
Make yourself aware of the performance management policy and the whole process should make more sense and allow you to argue your case.
Any good union rep should advise you properly.
Good luck
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You're definitely right to think about speaking to HR or someone higher up, especially if your store doesn’t fully understand your conditions or how to support staff with disabilities in the workplace. It’s good that you have a union rep, they can guide you through making any formal complaints about how this has been handled and help ensure everything is done properly, so you get the support you need to do your job more comfortably. Hopefully all goes well, and if you feel comfortable, please do let us know how it goes.
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Hi @Bydand, thank you for your response, I will definitely ask OH on the day of the telephone meeting and ask about this.
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Thank you MW123, I will definitely let you all know how this will go after I get a response back from the OH from my employer and will go higher up once I find the necessary person.
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I believe that micromanagement should be banned for use with employees with more than six months of experience.
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Wouldn't say better myself egister
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My telephone meeting went as smoothly as possible, despite the call dropping twice—thank you, phone signal! During the call, I discussed my needs and inquired whether any adjustments were required within the branch. I was informed that my feedback will be forwarded to my line manager once I have reviewed it on my end.
At the conclusion of the call, I expressed my concern about the limited awareness of Dyspraxia within the department—and I believe this extends to the branch as well. In response, they provided a helpful link to Dyspraxia resources for further guidance within their report. Additionally, I contacted the company's Disability Section via email, highlighting that management as a whole could benefit from more training or refresher courses on Dyspraxia and epilepsy. I also suggested that the company consider partnering with charities specialising in these disabilities to enhance understanding.
Furthermore, I recommended that this initiative be rolled out nationwide and across mainland Europe, starting with my branch. I offered my assistance in any way I can to help expand awareness and knowledge on these important topics.
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Thank you for letting us know how things went today. I’m glad to hear the meeting went well in the end, despite the connection problems. It’s great that you’re not just focusing on your own needs but also thinking about how things could be improved for others. Your idea of training and working with specialist charities is a brilliant one, and it could really make a difference.
I don’t think employers mean to be unkind, but there is often a real lack of understanding about how challenging things can be for disabled staff. As we know, it often takes so much more effort just to keep up, and when you have mobility needs, the added pressure from managers to work faster is simply unfair.
I was a bit worried when I first read your post last Friday, so it’s a real relief to hear things went better than expected. Hopefully, with OH passing their report to the manager, your feedback will be taken seriously. You’ve raised some really important points, and I’m hoping things improve significantly for you and others at your company.
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Thank you for your response MW123,
Thanks so much for your kind message—it really means a lot. I genuinely appreciate your concern after my post on Friday; things were feeling quite heavy at that point, so knowing others were thinking of me really helped.
The meeting did have its rocky start with the connection issues, but thankfully it settled, and I was able to get my points across. I’m hopeful that the OH report will reinforce what was said and that management will actually take it on board.
You’re absolutely right—so much of the challenge is the lack of understanding. I don’t think it’s intentional either, but that doesn’t make it any easier when we’re under pressure just to keep up. That’s why I really believe things like training and involving charities could help bridge that gap, so people stop falling through the cracks.
I’m grateful for your support and really hope this is the start of some much-needed change—not just for me, but for others in similar situations too.
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Hello! The problem of employing disabled workers for an employer may also be that the direct and indirect costs of adaptations and training of other personnel may exceed the company's profit from the work of an employee with a disability. And employers undoubtedly count this money very well.
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Hey @Gloucester_Lad
Just wanted to say well done and am so pleased that OH has gone well for you.
Wishing you lots of luck in the future and that things get easier for you from now on :)
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Thank you @oceanmermaid, that's very much appreciated.
However I now have had an update to this and they want a video conference meeting now at the end of June/early July. I had thought that the telephone call was it but it doesn't look like it now. Did anyone else have a second meeting with OH?
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Hello @Gloucester_Lad
I haven’t had an OH assessment myself, but I supported a friend through her OH and employment issues, and she only had the one meeting. I’m not sure how common follow up meetings are, but it’s possible they might want a second meeting to check details or clarify things. You could reply to them and ask for more details about why another OH meeting is needed, it might help put your mind at rest.
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Thank you @MW123, I will give them a ring again on Monday on why I am having a second meeting and why it is needed.
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Hi @Gloucester_Lad, I've read/followed your thread, I hope youre ok; I had several meetings with OH but quite different reason (I had repeated sickness absences due to Long Covid) so I wasn't sure I could add anything to the helpful responses I've seen here. Just thought of a couple of points though.
One, have you been sent yet a report from OH from that first meeting? I'd expect it is sent to your manager, and to you (regardless of whether they are inviting you for a second meeting). You would also be sent the report from their next/second video meeting too, and any subsequent meetings.
Mine were all via telephone. The first two were with an OH Adviser, the second two meetings were with the Occupational Health Nurse and the fifth (and final one) were with an Occupational Health Consultant who was a doctor. I did receive a report after each meeting and I would not have agreed to the next/follow-up meeting without having been sent a copy of each report at the time - this never became an issue as they sent each report promptly anyway.
The only other thing that comes to mind is that when they decide on the date/time of your next meeting, I'd be asking for confirmation of who will be present and their position. But like I say, I'd still expect the first report prior to that as you've as much entitlement as your manager to be kept fully in the loop throughout the process. (I used to say to myself 'nothing about me without me' ... that was partly because of my brain fog/forgetfulness, and to help ensure I was at the forefront and totally included in discussions/updates, that would affect me).
All the very best to you and warmest wishes.
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Thank you @Santosha12, I will definitely take this into account but I will see when my line manager comes back from her holiday.
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You're welcome and I hope it all goes well for you.
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