Here we go reasonable adjustments

Hello everyone,

Its been soooo long since we have been on here. so firstly i have to say sorry for not being on here.

Gerard has been getting on fine/ so, so. He has had a couple of UTIs but nothing to serious and he is on profolaxicisis. So regular low dose of antibiotics is helping. No major relapses but plenty of bother with our young ones school andtoilieting problems that have kept us busy in trying to sort out a special school.

This weather has not been so good for us obviously and now gerard has had enough and has jotted down a few things to make life bearable in the office he works in.

He has a meeting with HR and they need to know what adjustments he needs.

He has put in for air conditioning in the office and a anti glare screen for the computers.

Is there anything that gerard should be asking for or to be wary of. My question would be about cost. Please tell me if i am wrong but if what he asks for costs more than a months wages or his job annually then am i right in thinking they won’t agree. I am sure i read this somewhere.

His company have been pretty good, just did not know if he should be wary still in what he is asking and should he ask about what policy his company have towards people with disabilities.

He does not want to rock the boat.

many thanks, hope the weather cools off for everyone.

with best wishes,

sandra and gerard

Hi, I’m sorry, I’m not much help really and I don’t know about cost, I guess the air conditioning might be expensive though. My office made adjustments for me but it just really involved installing a had rail so probably not terribly expensive. But what i did want to comment on is your statement that he does not want to rock the boat. I agree with this 100%. My work place and colleagues are excellent regarding my ms but I depend on a fair amount of good will, people open doors for me, they get up especially to do so, a colleague carries my bag out to my car for me, they ask if I am ok. I feel that if I was n’t pleasant, good mannered, jokey, perhaps I wouldn’t get this. You know, if I went in and said "you must do this " and “I need this” and “I am entitled to this” then perhaps I would lose good will and the help that comes with it. If Gerard works where they are good regarding his ms then I think he has to strike a balance where he doesn’t rock the boat, I know others may not agree with me, but to me the good will comes from not being too demanding and the good will is , in my opinion, as important as anything else. Cheryl:-)

Me again, one more thing, an anti glare screen shouldn’t be a problem, I don’t have one myself but my guess is that they shouldn’t be expensive and relatively easy to fit, I would have thought that an anti glare screen could be sorted out very quickly and easily. Cheryl:-)

Call in ‘Access to Work’ they assess you needs and pay 80% of it. What about taxis to and from work; you only pay equivalent bus fare. Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition: What Access to Work is - GOV.UK

To stop UTIs ever thought of A Convene? Not intrusive so no UTIs.

George

Hi,

I don’t disagree with anything Cheryl says (I don’t think foot-stamping and shouting “I know my rights!” is always the best way to get what you want and need - especially with an employer who has been reasonable).

I will just add that I don’t think there’s any absolute cap on how much expense is “reasonable” (i.e. it shouldn’t be an automatic no, just because it’s more than a month’s salary, or whatever.

But “reasonable” does mean reasonable TO BOTH SIDES, not just for Gerard. Cost is obviously something that has to be taken into account in considering what is “reasonable” for them to do. As well as any inconvenience and disruption caused to the business.

If it’s a huge multinational, then how much is “reasonable” for them to pay is likely to be more than for a small, family-run business.

The equivalent of a month of someone’s salary is going to be a big burden, if the firm only employs six people. But not if it employs 10,000.

Tina

Every company MUST obey the Equalities Act. http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/legal-and-policy/equality-act/

Hi

I work for a government organisation and have the following reasonable adjustments for my desk job:

  1. mobile aircon unit - simple to use and low cost.

  2. ergonomic chair. To ease spasms / pain and manages my fatigue.

I have also had an ergonomic mouse when problems with my hand.

Their is no limit on ‘reasonable’. It is what does reasonable mean?

Access for work will be a great help & will add great weight to the case.

all the best

Neil

And from that very website (advising employers):

“you are not required to do more than what is reasonable for you to do. What is reasonable for you to do depends, among other factors, on the size and nature of your organisation.”

That means there is no absolute entitlement to a particular adjustment. If the employer couldn’t afford it, or it wouldn’t be practical to implement in that environment, it would be a very good reason why it wouldn’t be “reasonable” for them to have to.

The Act balances the interests of employees and employers. It’s not the case that you can demand whatever you want, regardless how much it would cost. A small company might be perfectly within the law to say: “No, because that would bankrupt our business”.

And that’s just as well, because if there wasn’t that safeguard, absolutely nobody would hire disabled people. Why would they chance it, if just one adjustment they couldn’t afford might spell the end for the business?

T.

Since Tina has been made redundant she seems even more pro-management; careful; careful approach than usual.

Ask and you may receive, don’t ask and you get nowt.

George

What constitutes ‘reasonable’ in terms of cost depends to some degree on the size of the company. A little company is not expected to spend as much as a multi-national would be expected to. I hope the meeting goes well. Alison x

Hi I would suggest a three way meeting to include occ health and line manager. The phrase in the DPA-reasonably practicable, leaves a lot to interpretation. A prooductive way is to have the meeting and explain what would be helpful, it does not need to be necessarily loads. From car parking space near door, work area on ground floor…etc I am now the poacher, having been the gamekeeper, these are other people I involved, also HR, but it was very light touch Mike

I have not worked for over 9mths…I am a Nursery Nurse and my job is very full on.You have to be on the ball so to speak, and have quick reactions…At the moment I am not that good on quick reactions, and being on the ball. My employer wrote to my GP explaining my role and duties, asking if they could make " Reasonable Adjustments".

My GP told me its not that simple as giving me a different chair!!!

Jan