Hi my name is Colin , hope you are all well .

colinfloyd

I’m just over 63 years old , am a store manager for a retail company, 
have had back problems for about  7 years, over the last 4/5 months 
its got really bad, I have 5 herniated and bulging discs in my back , also stenosis.
and scoliosis’, and also a lump next to my spine,  I’ve had an mri scan ,this is the 3 rd one since 2015 , and are due a steriod pain injection. In November. 

I am working reduced hours, and doing so called light duties, the longest shift I work is about 6 to 7 hours, I have a break,
bit even doing this I’m in a lot of pain, 
just serving customers, and walking about doing management stuff, 
when I get home , the pain seems to be worse, probably because of my movements during the day, I’m on lots of tablets, naproxen, co codomal, diazepam, and gels that I rub into my back, 
I don’t know how much longer I can keep working, am getting stressed about it, 
my mind is in a constant battle of knowing what is best to do, the doctor did ask me what job I done, and  when I told him, he said I shouldn’t be doing that work with my condition, I have Been getting a bit tearful , over liking my job, and I’m pretty good at it, but mostly im in pain, and don’t think I can carry on working like this .
should I go down the medically unable to work route? Any help would be most appreciated, thank you .

Sue_Alumni

Good morning @colinfloyd

Thank you for sharing your story with us and it must have been a big step to take. I am so sorry to hear that you are struggling at the moment and it must be so hard to keep working and to put on a brave face to everyone when you are in so much pain.

I am not an employment specialist, but I do know that your employer must take steps to accommodate people with health conditions.  It sounds as if they have take some steps but not enough.  You love your job and you are probably well regarded and valued.  I suspect you may have hidden the extent of your conditions to your employer and they may not know how much you struggle every day. Have a look at the employment information pages on our website and perhaps think what further changes your employer could make so you could carry on working – even if you need to do a more office based job. Talk to ACAS to discuss what options  you may have.  Is there an option of taking early redundancy this could be part of a conversation with your employer. 

It may be  that your conditions have deteriorated so much that your doctor is saying that you shouldn’t be working at all  and you are worried about getting money whey you're off sick from work.  You would be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) of £99.35 pw for 28 weeks when you’re off sick. You might be entitled to contractual sick pay under your employment contract which may pay more and for longer. Contractual sick pay can’t be less than £99.35 per week.

When your sick pay ends, you may be entitled to “new style” Employment and Support Allowance  You can start your claim 3 months before the sick [pay ends because the application process can take some time.  Don’t start your claim too soon as sick pay pays more than ESA.

Your employer can dismiss you on grounds of ill health but he does have to show that he has done what he can to make a return to work possible and there are various steps he must follow.

colinfloyd

Thank you, that is very helpful 

Alex_Alumni

I'm glad to hear it's helpful @colinfloyd

If you haven't already, you're most welcome to explore the forum whenever you're ready. The coffee lounge is a good place to start, you can chat to other members and play games.

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Let us know if we can help with anything further, and we'll do our best to assist you.

Alex