Disability Employment Advisor (DEA)

[FluppyPuffy]

Thanks for that Di It could be very helpful for someone needing some work-related advice and help. Hope things are getting sorted and settling down for you

[denys]

Hi Di, glad to see you back

[diane1]

Thanks folks glad to be able to get back on i've really missed you all.

We could do with a chat room so we can just have random chats rather than have to chat about a certain subject. watching other peoples chats would help us through the day on our bad days.

Just a thought for the Mods .

[denys]

private members can be used to chat Di, you dont need to talk about anything in particular you can just start a conversation about anything or general topics if its not personal

[diane1]

Thanks Denys its good to be back again.

[countyfan]

Will be going to see the DEA at local jobcentre on Monday (after waiting for 6 weeks to get an appointment) Things have become more problematic at work, as we are being taken over by another private company. Although the current HR director says not to worry, I can't help feeling that if redundancies are going to be required then I will be the first one to go! Not sure how the DEA will be able to help but will go and see nevertheless. Will update you how get on

[shazq]

countyfan.

[denys]

and

[countyfan]

Just thought I'd post an update.
Went to see DEA. Although she couldbn't actually help much she at least listened and said she was prepared to accompany me to any meetings at work with HR. Unfortunately the lab I work in is being taken over by a private concern, so I will probably have to go through the process of corporate health assessment all over again!

[FluppyPuffy]

That could be seen as a problem However, it could also be seen as another chance for things to be sorted as they may have a different view and approach to things that could help you

[ribbons]

I have been off sick since June and will be going back to work on a phased return. I work for the Nhs and have support from Occ Health. I have been into the job centre and left my details for the DEA. They only work one day a week. Im slightly concerned work may penalise me for getting an outside agency involved....im speaking to occ health tomorrow...any advice??

[mufc19]

Hi, Im new to this forum, Im struggling with FM at the minute, im seen alot of medical folk, Ive been on sick now for 10weeks, im starting to feel more stressed about my job as a support worker because I rang my company asking if I could drop my hrs from 25 to 16hrs, one because I was feeling so tired and looking after my special needs little boy I just felt I was having a nervous breakdown, however I was told by HQ i was unable to drop my hrs at the place I was working and would be moved to another supported living home where a few clients where abusive and aggressive.....There is no way I would ever cope with this.......I live in the northeast and would be greatful for any advise in what to do next to save my job

[FluppyPuffy]

and to the forum

It sounds like you need to get some advice from someone who specialises on this sort of area. Do you have a union rep or staff association type thing who you could talk to?? If not, then maybe someone like Citizens Advice or other similar organisation could point you in the direction that could help.

I know that under the Equalities Act 2010, an employer must make "reasonable adjustments" for an employee who has health problems to make their job as suitable for them as possible.

Sorry, I've not got anything else to suggest for you Hopefully with a bit of help you'll be able to get something more suitable sorted out work wise

[Ldyalb]

What Flup said. (I seem to say that alot on here )

There are two organisations who may be able to help you in addition to the Jobcentre, CAB and a Union. They are Remploy and The Shaw Trust; both of them help disabled people to stay in their jobs, or to find jobs if they're unemployed. They should be able to advise you.

http://www.remploy.co.uk/

http://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/home

There's also a service called ACAS, I've not used them myself but they help deal with employment issues and disputes.

The Equality Act 2010 does require that your employer makes reasonable adjustments to help you stay in your job and keep working. When I had time off sick I returned to work on a phased return, I started doing 10-3, then 10-4 and then 10-5 rather than my usual hours of 8:30 - 6:30 and 8:30 - 7:30.

I would look to see if there is a branch of Remploy or The Shaw Trust near you and make an appointment. I would also contact your local CAB and find out how to go about getting an appointment to discuss your rights in further detail. Good luck, hope you can get it sorted out

[gizzie1962]

Hi i am new to this site and after reading this, felt i had to reply. I am fed up with hearing about some of the rotten employers out there and their attitudes, it seems they can get away with murder!

I was diagnosed with fm in 2010, prior to this i was working for the DWP amazingly taking claims for ESA.

Around March 2009 i began to experience all kinds of weird things, which at the time, i found pretty scary as i did not have a clue what was wrong with me and i had a weeks off work. I had a rather unsympathetic doctor, who sent me for an mri scan as i had experienced something similar 15 years earlier, though nothing as bad. The results were negative, so he put it down to random nerve pain and said there would probably be no explanation.

I continued to work, gradually getting more and more unusual symptoms and feeling worse. In around June 2009 it was advised by a neurosurgeon that i try gabapentin. I had a terrible experience with this as it left me feeling sick and drunk feeling. after i had been on it for around 8 weeks, i changed doctors, who also sent me for bloods etc. He decided to gradually take me off the gabapentin and also signed me off work.

i had been off work for around seven weeks when i was called in for a meeting with one of my supervisors ( i had to attend these to keep them informed with my condition. I was told that as i had gone over the time allowed for absence, That she may have to refer me to a decision maker, who just so happened to be the manager of my call centre.

My doctor also put me on Naproxen, which seemed to be helping, and i decided to return to work at the end of September. Of course i knew i also had the meeting to face, I did my best to stay at work, though at times, it was killing me and i was worried i was not doing my job properly. I had a meeting with the boss who said she would have to consider my employment as i couldnt keep having time off. I told her i was trying to attend work and that i did not feel completely well, but felt i had no option but to be there.

I was then told that only i could decide if i was well enough to be at work and that i shouldnt come in if i felt unable. The only thing i felt was that i couldnt win. I was wrong if i didnt go in and wrong if i did! Anyway she told me she would give me her decision within 10 days. I was still having tests with my doc to find out what was wrong and it was purely by chance that i came across fm which ticked all the boxes. I immediately told my doctor, who agreed to send me to a rheumy as he didnt know much about it but thought it sounded like it could be from the information i had given him.

Whilst i was waiting for an appointment, i had another meeting with my boss, who heard all the evidence regarding my illness and i told her that it looked as though i may finally be getting a diagnosis.

About a week later,(beginning of December) i was told she had made a decision and called to her office, where she said i could not guarantee that i was not going to be absent from work again with this mystery illness and when i told her i had an appointment for January and again what the illness might be and that i was hoping to be given the correct meds, she replied that i did not have a diagnosis at that moment in time, and dismissed me on the spot.

I was also frogmarched fron the premises halfway through my shift as this is how they do things. I was made to feel like a criminal. 4 weeks later i saw the rheumy and was immediately diagnosed with fm. I lodged an appeal with a higher body, but was turned down as, they believed that the decision was correct as i did not have a diagnosis at the time the first decision was made.

I felt that this was so unfair and that they got rid of me before i could get a diagnosis, knowing full well that once i had a diagnosis it would be harder for them to dismiss me. I also feel that they could have given me the chance to at least see if i was going to get a firm diagnosis.

I was told at the time by my union rep that they had previously taken on a new batch of people and that because they had made a mistake and taken on too many, they were looking to get rid of as many people as they could and did not care what methods they used. I felt like i worked for the mafia as even if you tried to take things further, they all stuck together.