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dori2o

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  1. Hi, I've been working on a project team for the past 8 months. It has been acknowledged by those in charge that I have contributed a significant amount to the project, including doing work in my own time without request from the management. Those on the team who know the situation are extremely shocked and annoyed that I will not be making the move. Others believe it is completely unfair given my contribution and subject knowledge. This project is now moving to another floor in the building. Due to disability I cannot evacuate from higher than the 3rd floor, they are moving to the 7th. I have been told I will not be part of the project from 31 May. I have been given just over 2 weeks notice of this. When I asked if it would be possible to remain on the current floor and stay as part of the project team I was told NO. They are relocating me back into a business as usual (BAU) team on the 2nd floor. I believe they have taken no consideration into reasonable adjustments to have me remain on the team. Does the fact they are relocating me onto a BAU team mean they have satisfied their obligations under the EA2010 to make reasonable adjustments? I apologise but if possible I need an answer asap as the timescale for change is short. Many thanks in advance.
  2. I've suffered from a chronic pain condition now for some time which has in the past caused issues with sickness absence. I have sevberal reasonable adjustments in place and I had been managing the condition quite well for the past 6 months or so. This past few weeks I've been struggling with the pain, but my quality and quantity of work has remained as high as ever. In fact in order to keep myself distracted from the pain I have been doing extra work on top. However, this past few days my direct manager has been trying to convince me to go home. I know she means well really but I don't want to go home.I'd be in pain at home anyway and I'd have less to distract myself with. I've told her severaltimes when she has suggested that I go homethat I really don't want to and would be happier sticking it out for the rest of the day. I came home early today because I felt I had to given the pressure that I was put under to do so. I have adjustments in place that allow me to change job roles during the day so that I can stay focussed on work and not on the pain. Does anyone have any advice.
  3. Hi, I have to be careful as I believe that I am being monitored on external websites by my employer. I am disabled. I take various medications including high strength opioids, some of which are transdermal ( a patch or plaster which lasts for 3 days at a time) and also some which I take throughout the day. I have seen the Occupational Health several times through work and each time they have agreed that my condition is likely to be covered under the Disability Discrimination Act/Equality Act. The most recent assessment was in August 2014, and each assessment states that whilst I am never likely to be free from sickness absence given the nature of the condition, I am fit to remain in work whist I maintain my routine with medications etc. The Fentanyl patches are relatively new and have been in use since June this year, the rest of my medications have been in use for the past 5 years or so. I work for a Government department in a Customer Service Centre. I have had my current manager for the past 2 years. Yesterday my manager called me to a meeting. She is unhappy that I am in work 'under the influence' of these 'drugs'. The side effects do leave me drowsy at times and she has seen me struggling to remain awake at times, though this is certainly not every day nor every week. She has said she wants to have another Occ Health assessment as she feels it's possible that I am unfit for work, however, she also wants to start disciplinary proceedings for attendance issues. I have had 16 days absence in the past 12 months, with 13 of these days related to my disability. 5 of these days have been discounted as I have a 'reasonable adjustment' to discount 5 sickness days a year where these are related to my disability. I beleivethat she is looking to either a) terminate my employment on the grounds of capability, or b) prevent me from taking medications in works time. I can deal with a) as I can prove that I am capable fo doing my work to a good standard and within the KPI's set given that I have all my monthly coaching reviews which prove that I am exceeding the standards for all KPI's. It is B that worries me. The taking of medications takes no more than a couple of minutes. I have a reasonable adjustment in place to have additional breaks for this and to get up and stretch/walk around as necessary. Without the meds I would not be able to function due to severe and unremitting pain. She also made reference to my driving. I do no driving at all for work I merely drive to and from work. I am aware of the new laws around driving and I take those into account every time I get in my car. Previously my employer has had the stance that how I get to and from work is none of their business, and they will not give allowances under reasonable adjustments for this. They have previously refused my applications for homeworking. I used to have Access to Work funding buyt the Taxi company withdrew their service after several delays getting payment from the DWP, despite the fact that I always paid my share on time. I have contacted several other taxi companies who are willing to offer an account but unwilling to accept Access to Work contracts due to their previo9us experiences egtting paid. I cannot afford to pay £60 per day upfront even though I would be able to claim the majority back at a later stage. Any help appreciated.
  4. How do you work that one out. It‘s a problem because a) I take medications, for my disability, at work which takes time to measure out and take, and b) it takes me longer to get to and from the kitchen/drinks machine due to the mobility problems I have. Therefore the 5 minutes logging on time isn‘t long enough and IMO the adjustment is to extend it by 5 minutes. It wouldn‘t matter if I got to work 1 hr early, the 5 minutes logging on time still wouldn‘t be long enough. It‘s the logging on time that is the issue.
  5. but then I‘m losing out on the 10 minutes flexi. How is that fair? it may onl be 5 or 10 minutes, but 5 or 10 minutes a day for 4 days a week, 52 weeks a year is a lot of time. then there are the days I get to work at at 9:45 or even later, in these cases I would be losing a further 5 minutes. The employer is already doing everyone out of 5/10 minutes every day by not counting the time that it takes to turn on the PC and for it to load up as ‘working time‘ for the purposes of the time sheet. I don‘t know about anyone else but I consider that as I need a PC to perform the duties of my role, then turning the thing on is part of work, and so the time on the time sheet should reflect this. They claim it isn‘t part of the working day. I was always of the opinion that reasonable adjustments were put inplace to help those with disabilities, illnesses to be on an equal footing to those without medical issues/disabilities?
  6. It‘s not that sort of deal. It‘s not like there‘s a hooter that goes off at 9am and that when you start and finish at the hooter at 5. Generally it‘s not possible to get in any earlier as I get my kids ready for school in the morning whilst my wife works then I go raight to work after they have gone. Whatever time I get in is the time I log onto the system. So like today, my shift is scheduled to start at 9:45, I arrived at 9:30 as traffic was good. I turned on the PC at 9:30 and waited for it to load up and logged into the system at 9:35, so I put 9:35 into the time sheet as my start time, therefore I gain 10 minutes ‘flexi‘. By the employers rules then I have 5 minutes to get all other systems up, get a drink, get seated and settled, take my meds etc etc. If I go over that 5 mnutes it automatically goes onto a discrepancy list and I get questioned about why its taken longer than 5 minutes. My argument is that it would be entirely reasonable to extend that 5 minute logging on period to 10 minutes to allow me extra time to get a drink and take my meds (which involves measuring out meds with a syringe), get seated and comfortable etc before taking the first call.
  7. Recently I have been awarded access to work and now get a taxi to and from work. my employer has taken the stance that this change now means that as I don't drive to work any longer that I am somehow pain free in the morning and so don't need to take my meds when I get to work and should instead take them at home.My argument is that a routine has been established and that changes to that could be detrimental to the management of the condition.It is my belief that it is reasonable for adjustments to be made to a) allow longer than 5 minutes for logging on in the morning due to the need to get a drink etc which takes longer to do with limited mobilityb) allow time within this 'logging on' period for me to take my morning dose of medications (all other doses I take during my morning/afternoon breaks and at dinner time, so in my own time).I'm not asking for the logging on time to be extended to 30mins or an hour as that would be stupid, I'm merely asking that it be extended to 10/15 minutes to give me time to get sorted before starting work.Any advice appreciated.
  8. Hi.I have various reasonable adjustments at work, but I'm struggling with my employer over an issue that affects the very start and end of the working day.We have to fill in a time sheet sort of thing which shows what time we arrive, what time we have dinner and what time we leave. You are not deemed to thave started work until you have logged into the computer and logged onto the system. This can take 5/10/15 minutes depending on any system updates that have taken place, or whether your PC decides not to play ball.After that you have a maximum of 5 minutes 'logging on time' before you have to start taking calls (call centre). The 5 minutes is there to allow you time to get your equipment out, open all other necessary systems, get a drink, get comfortable, etc etc.I have problems with chronic pain and mobility, therefore getting a drink etc takes me longer to do.There's then also the issue of my medications.I have a specific routine with my meds which I have had for a couple of years. My meds are taken at the same time every day and this helps to manage the condition.Originally this routine was set around the time I got into work. I wouldn't take my meds before driving into work due to the nature of them, so I would take them after I had arrived. Some of the meds have changed but the routine has stayed the same, i.e. I no longer have any modified release pills that have to be taken 12 hours apart.Recently I have been awarded access to work and now get a taxi to and from work.
  9. I just thought I would update. We've so far had no response from the department at the council who deals with this following our email last week so I've sent a further one direct to the leader of the council. I've also sent a copy of the original email to the department which deals with blue badges. We were advised to do this by a guy who used to be a local councillor. Hopefully they will come back with something. Hopefully we'll now get some form f response even if it is a 'Tough Luck' message at least then we'll know where we stand and I can help my family member to fill in a new application. Thanks for the advice so far.
  10. Just the one badge. I think you are right. I just hope it's not another 2 year wait like it was last time. With my luck they'll put in an objection to the new application just to annoy me.
  11. Unfortunately not, it's a 130yr old Terraced house with a small front yard and there is no access to the rear for vehicles (not wide enough)
  12. As it stands I'm not suggesting that we should have priority. I'm miffed at the fact that we did all the donkey work to get the bay and our family member is now completely unable to use it as it's being (deliberately IMO) blocked. But he was happy with the previous first come first served arrangement. When he was unable to drive for 2 weeks last year we told the woman that he was going to have the car moved to the car park at the back of the houses opposite our house so that he wasn't blocking the bay. He wasn't using the car so had no need for it to be close to home and he's the only driver. She said she appreciated that and we thought that all was OK. It was when he started being able to drive again that the problems started. If she's not using her car for whatever reason, whether its because her son is now taking her t and from work, whether it's because she's not able to drive it, whether it's because she no longer works and so doesn't go out everyday, then surely she should do as he did and park her car in the car park. It's about being socially responsible. Her car has not moved for months now. She had a mechanic out to it in December and he replaced the battery. I know as I was getting out of my car as he was there talking to her. We had assumed that after Christmas she was then going to start using the car again but she hasn't. Her son takes her wherever she needs to go including shopping which she stopped doing in her car last year if she was parked in the bay at weekend. If it was she would get her son to do it and get a taxi home, if our family member was in the bay she would go shopping in the car. IMO it is an abuse of the bay but I've had no response from the Traffic department at the council following my email. The other issue now is that they now have this 2nd car. Thats fine, we can't and never would dream of trying to stop him having a car, but now this means there is even less available parking space in an already overcrowded street, so whilst they could have 2 cars parked in the street, one in the bay and one in front of the bay, our family member often end up in adjacent streets or if he's very lucky on the small car park behind the houses on the opposite side of the road. This means he cannot see his car from the house on most nights. (Possible insurance issue) We have a good mind to call the council and ask for the bay to be removed and then nobody has a right to use it, but then our family member is adversely affected and still no better off. I think our only hope is to email the council again and simply ask for a new application form and if necessary go to appeal and get the backing of MP/local councilors to have the bay placed over the yellow lines outside the house. As a general rule we don't speak to anyone in the street unless necessary. Not in a rude/ignorant way but we keep ourselves to ourselves and don't get involved in any tensions. We helped last year as much as possible with clearing out the backings behind our house. It's an old terrace with a cobbled ginnel behind the houses and then a railway (Metrolink trams) behind that. We helped along with all the neighbours including next-door-but-ones son. (Our family member couldn't do much but hold rubbish bags open and supply water/drinks etc due to limitations with mobility). We don't then understand where this tension from them has come from.
  13. You can only park on the lines for a max of 3 hours which is no good as the car is generally stood for longer than 3 hours.
  14. They definately don't have a badge for the other one. I'm going to send a letter to the Blue Badge team at the council and let them decide if what they are doing is against the Blue Badge rules.
  15. The official would have a problem trying to ticket your car as it was displaying a valid p&d ticket. They have to take pictures of your car to prove it was in contravention of the rules, and (in our area) they take a picture of the PCN on the windscreen. I once got a ticket in a council car park for parking in a disabled bay without displaying a blue badge. At the time I has a seperate permit which allowed me to park in my daughters school's teachers car park as the parents/visitors car park is at the bottom of a steep hill. The Blue Badge was on the drivers side of the dash and the Schools permit on the passenger side. It's obvious that the traffic warden just saw the school permit and missed the blue badge completely. I didn't appeal until the charge notice came through the door with the photo's the traffic warden took, I simply highlighted where the blue badge was in the photo and appealed. Obviously I won As you were displaying a valid p&d ticket then the charge would have to be voided, and the leaving and returning argument would be your word against his. The physical evidence, i.e the ticket, the photo's are enough to appeal any charge that may come through the door. You do still have the p&d ticket, dont you?
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