Reasonable ajustments

Maria sorry to hear that your struggling at work.  Firstly please try not to worry, you’ve come to the right place and although I don’t know that I can offer you some specific advice as I’m not trained and not sure I could give you the right advice, I do know you’ve come to the right place.  There are plenty of people on this forum that will be able to offer constructive support and advice. Just hold in there.

Hi @Msayer
Sorry to hear of your difficulties and that you feel the way you do.
In my opinion I think you should inform your company of your health problems as they need to be aware of this for you or own safety, also theh may be able to help you out and suggest things you could do at work to help you cope a little easier.
Anything I can help with please dont hesitate.
Best wishes 

oinDoiHello @Msayer and welcome to the community.

Before addressing your concerns, I would point out that rather than being overcautious, they are merely complying with the relevant laws.

You do need to talk to your employer and let them know what is going on with your health.  Doing so will allow them to support you and look at possible ways of helping you and help you to continue to work in a job you love.

At work, I sometimes find it a real struggle to keep my eyes open, and this worried me for a while. When I finally mentioned it to a colleague, I discovered I was not the only one. The other thing we generally agree on is this is not a problem when working from home. That said, I wish I had my home set up at work. 

You should have received some training on how to set up your desk and computer systems to make working easier. It is worth pointing out the top of the computer screen should be at eye level, so you are looking down on the screen, take a couple of minutes away from your desk every hour and occasionally look up from the screen and focus on something further away. While blinking is generally a natural reaction, it is not unusual when looking at the screen to not blink as often, so taking time to blink is crucial. I also find some stretching exercises at my desk does help during the day.

Most people are happy to leave various settings as they are on their computers, however making alterations is not difficult. Screen brightness can be changed from the monitor and getting this right can help a great deal. 

If you are using a Windows-based system and Microsoft Office at work, some other settings can help to make it easier. 

Individual documents you can change the page colour to make it easier on your eyes and more comfortable. On the version I use I go into the design tab and select page colour and pick a light blue, which works well for me. You do have to change the colour back to white when finished though; works well if you choose a pastel colour.

If you are working from home and using a laptop, it is worth investing in a monitor, keyboard and mouse. 

These are some of the ways I adjust how I work to make my life better. At work, I have a custom chair that they provided for me. At home, I treated myself to a more expensive gamer chair, along with a custom cushion, so I am not pressing down on the bottom of the spine when sitting.

Work should refer you to OH so that your needs are assessed and dealt with appropriately. 

Hi @Msayer
I can understand your worries. Your work should be understanding about it and i know some companies aren't but its important for your own health and well being that you make them aware. It could be of  benefit for you in the long run. Stress to them how worried you have been about making them aware and let them know where you feel your limits are.

Best wishes