I really need some advice/support - I am having lots of problems at work, it seems that whatever I do is wrong - they had me up on a disciplinary about something I am said to have forgotten 3 years ago, now they keep finding ‘problems’, some of which may be due to memory lapses although I’m not sure as most of them I had no way of knowing about as I’ve not seen these matters for years. I am so worried and losing sleep which of course makes things worse and even more likely to go wrong. When I told them I had problems in that I am now expected to do my own typing ( I wasn’t in the many previous years) and my hands didn’t work well, I was told ‘you will always make this excuse for anyrthing now’. I got Access to Work in and that only seems to have made things worse as work had to pay for what they reccomended which they didnt like.
Now after two weeks off when I was on steroids, I have just started Rebismart and am worried about more time off due to the possible side effects and vsits to the hospital which oversees it - it’s a long way a way . When I spoke to the chap who came out to start me on the Rebismart about how all the check ups and the blood tests etc could work if someone was ,working, he said ‘the people I see aren’t working’ which made me feel I was trying to do the impossible. Everyone else assumes I could get some sort of incapacity benefit - I realise things have changed and I will be on ESA which isn’t much at all.
I’m really torn between just throwing the towel in - I don’t want to work where I am anyway after all this,- I don’t feel I’ve got the energy to fight - and the fact that I wouldn’t have an income - which is really scary as I’ve always been able to support myself.
Husband is no real use - just tells me to ‘stop playing the victim’ and to stop going on about MS. I feel I’ve got all the disadvantages of being assessed jointly for benefits and none of the advantages of support from a partner.
Aaah! I’m very fed up of all this. Any suggestionsgratefully received!
It sounds as if you are having a dreadful time. Are you in a Union because they could fight your cause in terms of equalies legislation. They cannot bring up things from 3 years ago that is ridiculous as those issues should have been sorted then and if they weren’t then that is down to managerial incompetence. In terms of going for tests you are allowed to do this if you have a disability as this is part of the reasonable adjustments remit.
If you don’t want to give up work then you shouldn’t because if they want to get rid of you they will have to offer you a good enough package for you to go.
It’s a difficult situation but it does sound as if you are being discriminated againest because of your disability.
I hope you get it sorted as its not easy trying to get another jobe if you tell them you have MS.
I am very surprised at what you say about AtW they are usually excellent. Are you sure your employers have to pay; AtW pay 80% of the costs so it’s cheaper for your employers giving you ‘reasonable adjustments’ something they should give and pay all the costs by law.
As a ‘reasonable adjustment’ I would have thought speech software; Dragon or such
was not too much to ask.
I quite appreciate you do not want the hassle they are making but as tree say’s they must abide by the Equalities Act. You must draw a line in the sand and say “no further mush; I’m not going to be pushed around by you.”
I suggest you contact the http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/ who will take on your grievance and make your employers realise their error; if not probably take them to Tribunal.
Do this tomorrow before the Tory’s bring in legislation to sack anyone for no reason.
I’m pretty sure that a refusal to make reasonable adjustments puts an employer at risk of a lawsuit for constructive dismissal as well as a fine of some sorts. I don’t know the details, but whatever you do, do not give up without checking your legal standing.
Rebif shouldn’t lead to days off. Make sure you use paracetamol and/or ibuprofen and inject at a time that limits day time side effects. (Btw, I found that Rebif gave me insomnia, so I inject in the mornings - “flu” is better than sleep deprivation!) You could do Sat/Tues/Thurs so that there are only two working days a week that you might have side effects too. Blood tests can be via your GP, so they are no problem.