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Work Worries

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rookin
rookin Community member Posts: 1 Listener
edited December 2017 in Work and employment
Hello,

I’m 41 with Spastic Diplegia. I’ve been a civil servant for the MoD for the past 16 years. Apart from walking on my toes, and odd gait my disability could go unoticed. I am not registered disabled and can get by with my medication (baclofen for my muscles, co-codamol for pain, and citalopram for anxiety), sometimes I need a walking stick but that’s it. I also have Asperger’s, but anyway I digress.

I suffer mainly from leg pains and spasms and the older I’ve gotten the more my symptoms seem to have worsen and the more time off I’ve needed. Especially in winter months. Work have normally been ok with this but sometimes my sickness record goes over 18 days in a rolling year and I have to have a formal chat on why this is happening. I feel guilty when I’m off and I have offered to work from home when I have issues but Work seem reluctant to agree with this. They say if I am ‘off sick’ then working from home isn’t an option. I’m either fit to work or not. 

I seem to be caught between a rock and a hard place at times which doesn’t help with my anxiety. I was just wondering if anyone else is in a similar situation and any advice you have?
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Comments

  • Markmywords
    Markmywords Community member Posts: 419 Pioneering
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    If working from home is a viable solution then they should allow it when necessary. I am able to work from home when I have to.

    If an employer is unwilling to co-operate then either you live with it or you get assertive with them. A formal request for "reasonable adjustments" might make things better or much worse.
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  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi @rookin, and welcome to the community!

    Hopefully an employment advisor will be in touch soon, but it would be good to know if there are any reasonable adjustments that you've thought of that could be discussed with your employer? You might also like to check out Scope's Support to Work scheme.
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  • Rian_Alumni
    Rian_Alumni Community member Posts: 35 Connected
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    @rookin
    Good afternoon I am Rian from Support to Work I have read your question and would advise the exact same as @Markmywords you need to make a formal request for the option to work from home also gain some medical evidence from your GP to confirm your condition, this is to enable your employer to formally make adjustments to help you do your role efficiently. Also if it is required for you to need adjustments at home for working your employer can contact Access to work to help with that. 
    Rian
    Scope Employment Advisor
    Phone: 0300 222 5742
    Email: supporttowork@scope.org.uk
    www.scope.org.uk/supporttowork
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