As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

ceridwen

Larumbelle wrote: »

Right, I'm back.

Not quite what I'd hoped for... they denied having refused to make the adjustment, they started trying to twist things.

So anyway, it's been adjourned for now.

I'm going in tomorrow to do a desk assessment, if all is okay I should be back to work soon.

If not, goodness only knows - but either way, we have only adjourned, not agreed or settled anything.

I need a lie down.

Par for the course - ie the trying to "twist things":cool:. Sorry that its not sorted yet. Anyways - good luck for tomorrow now. BTW - have you got a cameraphone? If so - take a photo of your desk just in case....

Larumbelle

Yeah, my union said the same - they're frantically looking for a way to avoid saying 'look, we f:eek:ed up'.

Apparently I asked them to raise 'my desk' and they've said they can raise my computer up on the desk but not the desk itself... and the difference is? And you never thought to mention this until now because? So I told them, I think you're just trying to dress this all up in semantics, and my union agreed. So anyway, at that point my rep said, we'll adjourn for now, get you back into work in the next day or two, then we'll go in for the kill. I won't even repeat the thing he called the HR, but he said, we'll get you back into work then I'll rip him to shreds for you. He said it wouldn't do any good to get too confrontational until I am back at my desk. But he seems positive about the actual outcome, anyway.

Can't believe the lies HR man told. Pretty sure I can prove he's lying though. Also beeyatch boss has been lying through her teeth about me - there's going to be fun and games about that too, I can tell you!

I know I should be seeing this as a positive, but I feel like today has just raised more questions. And right now my trust in them has completely gone. I am looking for a job elsewhere because frankly I don't want to breathe the same air as that woman. Although, the manager in the meeting was her boss, didn't say much at all, but I think I may have enlightened him on a few things.

taurusgb

Well we found the source of the "beeping" noise...it was the oven! I don't use it very often (mostly use my remoska) and when not in use it's turned off at the mains so that the clock doesn't use electricity. DD2 turned on the oven and pressed all the buttons in an effort to make it work so must have set a timer or something.

Got home from work to find a yearly payment review from EDF who want to increase my direct debit by £25 per month.......back to the budget drawing board then!:mad::cool::(

Dinner tonight will include oven baked cod in batter. I have four in the freezer that I have been saving for a treat and if my blood test for coeliac disease comes back positive my new diet (nasty word ) will not be able to include such delights. Doctor told me to carry on with my normal diet until all tests are done so I'll take her at her word

Off to pick some raspberries from the garden for pudding, I'm now picking almost a colander full per day this past week or so :T - any one know when you should prune summer fruiting raspberries and how hard?

greenbee

Larumbelle wrote: »

Right, I'm back.

Not quite what I'd hoped for... they denied having refused to make the adjustment, they started trying to twist things.

So anyway, it's been adjourned for now.

I'm going in tomorrow to do a desk assessment, if all is okay I should be back to work soon.

If not, goodness only knows - but either way, we have only adjourned, not agreed or settled anything.

I need a lie down.

Make sure you have everything documented, with dates and times where possible. Any emails or letters should be kept. If you have records of call times in your phone then note them down. Save any voicemails.

They're backtracking because they know what they have done is in breach of DDA. Quite often until things are escalated, people don't realise that DDA applies to anyone who has any condition that impacts on their daily life, not just those registered disabled. When I joined my current employer, I went to speak to HR about workplace adjustments and my need to declare a disability under DDA and was greeted by 'what's DDA?' :rotfl::rotfl: so for a known disability that needed only minor adjustments, it took three months for an occupational health appointment and 5 months to get a suitable chair... By which time my condition, which had been well managed, had deteriorated significantly. My GP was furious that they wouldn't do an occupational health referral and kept asking her for recommendations.. She did wonder whether they had any clue what they were doing!

Anyway, fingers crossed it goes OK tomorrow and the problems are sorted so you can be paid properly while you look for a job with a more understanding employer...

kings981

floss2 wrote: »

Find a piece of dowling in B&Q and then find a nice assistant who will cut it for you, and attach with cup hooks Can you tell I've done that myself?!

Bamboo is so much cheaper. I also discovered when sewing a roman blind use thin sticks of bamboo too instead of dowelling.

taurusgb

kings981 wrote: »

Bamboo is so much cheaper. I also discovered when sewing a roman blind use thin sticks of bamboo too instead of dowelling.

Are Roman blinds easy to make please? I have a small landing window that is too high to reach unless I use a stepladder so curtains don't work. I have reasonable sewing skills and have been thinking of making a roman blind with a long cord that can be reached from the stairs (WITHOUT a step ladder :cool:)

ceridwen

LARUMBELLE

Knew I'd seen electronic height-adjustable desks somewheres...they DO exist. Here is an example:

http://wellworking.co.uk/store/desks/electric_height_adjustable_desk.html

and actually I think its at a price level that many individuals could afford (so 'tis peanuts to an employer):cool:

Bigjenny

Are these sites with Roman Blind instructions any help to give you an idea

http://uktv.co.uk/home/stepbystep/aid/23

http://www.alternative-windows.com/roman-blind.htm

http://www.housetohome.co.uk/articles/Make_a_Roman_blind_265048.html

if not plenty more on google or perhaps borrow a book from the library.

HTH

Larumbelle

taurusgb wrote: »

Well we found the source of the "beeping" noise...it was the oven! I don't use it very often (mostly use my remoska) and when not in use it's turned off at the mains so that the clock doesn't use electricity. DD2 turned on the oven and pressed all the buttons in an effort to make it work so must have set a timer or something.

Actually, I think something similar happened to my Mum once. Her mystery beeping was the clock on her oven, it only beeped about every ten minutes so it took her forever to find out what it was, drove her potty! :rotfl: I never thought to suggest it though!

Taurusgb, I was tested for coeliac and I was so relieved that it wasn't (although you can have gluten intolerance that doesn't show on the blood test, so might be worth asking the doc about that), but you can get lots of gluten-free stuff these days. I bet you can make your own breaded fish using gluten-free bread (which you'll get on prescription through the NHS if you are coeliac) so hopefully you won't have to give everything up. I know that isn't much of a comfort though I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Greenbee, Yeah, don't I just know to write everything down now anyway?!
OH has just got home and talked me down a bit. I'm sure things will be okay.

Actually, they don't have the brains they were born with, they agreed before we adjourned that they'd hand-deliver me a letter this afternoon confirming my assessment tomorrow, whether they'd pay me garden leave, and a copy of the occy health report. Well, a letter has just come through the door but guess what? Nothing about occy health or garden leave :mad: :wall:

It is a good idea to take a pic of the desk! I am also going to refuse to go back until I have the cushion occy health told them to get me (bet they haven't even ordered it yet) and insist that nobody else uses my chair (people are always swapping chairs around, which entirely defeats the object of doing a desk assessment in the first place).

Seakay

scottishminnie wrote: »

Good luck Larumbelle - we'll be keeping everything crossed for you:)

My day couldn't be off to a worse start. The rain here is so bad that I've spent the last 15 minutes in the ladies trying to dry my trousers enough to be able to sit down (not successful and not very comfortable.)

I knew it wasn't boding well when I realised within minutes of getting off the train that I had left my little bag with my book, tupperware lunch box, lunch and cutlery on the train. I was just through the security barrier so I rushed back and explained to a member of rail staff. Tough I was told, it will be destroyed. Despite my protests that the train was still emptying and I knew exactly where it was they wouldn't let me through or have anyone look for it.
I was treated to a lecture about how my carelessness had now caused a security risk (that must be the explosive lettuce) and how any left unattended items were automatically destroyed.

So I'm now lunchless, missing my book and cutlery (from a set of course) and sporting sodden wet trousers. Some days I wonder why I even got up:(

But if they'd let you back then the bag wouldn't have been unattended! Somtimes I just don't understand other people's so-called logic!

Glasgow central (if that is your station) is run by Network Rail, so they should be the people to complain to in the first instance.
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/2709.aspx
They don't run all stations but it's quite easy to Google to find out who does, and ATOC would be the people to complain to if Network Rail don't respond to your satisfaction
http://www.atoc.org/contact-us

Larumbelle - DO get hold of a dictaphone or other discreet recording device so that when you are back in work you will have proof of what is said to you