Hi,

I have been working in a call centre for almost a year. I have always sat in an area where there are no bright lights as the lighting would sometimes give me headaches. Prior to a couple of weeks ago, no one had questioned why I sat there. Two weeks ago, my team was appointed a new manager as the previous manager had moved to a different department. My new manager has made me move to an area where there are bright lights and the headaches have returned. My manager has told me she can let me sit in the designated dark area (area specifically designed for people that suffer with issues caused by lighting) as long as I can provide a note from my doctor.

I went to see my doctor but he just fobbed me off by saying he couldn't write a note to my employer as I had not mentioned the issue previously. He also advised me that if he was to provide a letter, it would be chargeable at £35 per letter as it's non-NHS work.

I told my manager I could get a letter from my GP but it would cost £35 and asked whether the company would pay for the costs, to which she said they would not.

I think my GP would write me a letter since I have explained I've had headaches since I've been sitting in the brightly lit area.

Is there anyway I could avoid the £35 fee, or somehow force the company to pay for it since they are the ones that want it?

Or any other way I could get them to allow me to sit in the dark area?

Are there any working rights I can advise my manager of that look into working conditions and safety of their employees?

Thx

Nope the fee is what the doc decides to charge. It isn't an nhs fee. Some docs charge more.

You could ask for your employer to refer you to the occupational health department

Good idea from Renegade.

Do you have an optician who would help?

HB

Aaron, you weren’t fobbed off - asking the GP to write to confirm something they know nothing of and then signing it means that they’re confirming what they’ve written. In this case all they could write is “the patient tells me...” as they’ve no history to back it up.

The charge is about standard for such a letter, perhaps you can negotiate with your employer to cover some of the cost?

Thanks for the replies guys.

I've spoke to my employer, and they've basically refused to make any contribution to the cost.

Also apoke to my opticians, and they confirmed I was told I had astigmatism which they think could be the cause and asked me to use glasses more often and contacts less so. They said they can write a letter saying I have astigmatism but it'll cost me £55.

Renegade - how does it work if I ask employer to refer me to occupational health department? I had a uick Google search earlier and it seems it still means I would have to pay for their service?

I've just finished work with a blinding headache. I'm certain all the lighting is the cause. By the looks of things, I'm calling in sick tomorrow. Just want to cover my head in a blanket and bury myself in bed as soon as I get home. It's like a dull thud hitting everywhere around my eyes and the top of my head.

Is their any other way I can get my employer to let me sit in the dark area without having to provide a better from the GP/opticians?

Surely there must have been an employee health act or something that protects the employee from this.

Okay - there’s one potential way around this. But first I need to ask something.

Did you, whilst speaking to your GP actually consult over the headaches you’ve been having? Did they discuss it with you in detail and document that conversation? Did they offer any medication or other advice?

I briefly told my GP about it, but as I had discussed another matter earlier, he booked me an appointment to see him on 21st Sep because I told him the headaches had returned since I had been sitting in the lit area if the office.

Okay, so it’s unlikely that there’s anything currently documented in any detail on your medical records. This explains the GP’s reluctance to put anything in writing as they don’t yet know anything about it. But, after your next appointment on the 21st you’ll be able to ask for a copy of your medical records for free under GDPR. If during that conversation you explained exactly what was happening, what helped and how sitting in a less brightly lit area and after that made a SAR for a basic summary of your records then the most recent consultation would appear on it. You could then present this to your employer as proof of your GP’s understanding of your situation.

Worth a try.

Have a wee look at this link HSE link: http://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/

Hope your appointment went well.