Being job matched to a new job

elmer

I used to work in another field entirely, but due to serious health problems which resulted in surgery, I was advised by my consultant to find another field, this was several years ago.

I left that company and found a job in a completely different area.

I now find that several departments where I work are to be merged, and we are to be job matched to new roles.
It seems that as my office is to lose hours, and the new department is very similar to my old career, that the most likely candidate for this job is me.

I expressed my concerns to my supervisor, with a full explanation of my previous health problems, as she is new and not aware that I have had these problems in the past, and her response was "well we all have problems, you will just have to see how it goes". She also said that if I am matched and refuse the job then I will be made redundant.

I dont know what to do next, it seems likely with my specific qualifications that I will be the person in my office that matches, but I cant actually do the job physically.

Any advice will be welcome

thanks

elmer

SarEl

When you say that you cannot do the job physically, is that because you have a recognised disability, or are just not capable of doing the job? Although in the long run it may not matter, the distinction could be important.

brian_723

elmer wrote: »

I used to work in another field entirely, but due to serious health problems which resulted in surgery, I was advised by my consultant to find another field, this was several years ago.

I left that company and found a job in a completely different area.

I now find that several departments where I work are to be merged, and we are to be job matched to new roles.
It seems that as my office is to lose hours, and the new department is very similar to my old career, that the most likely candidate for this job is me.

I expressed my concerns to my supervisor, with a full explanation of my previous health problems, as she is new and not aware that I have had these problems in the past, and her response was "well we all have problems, you will just have to see how it goes". She also said that if I am matched and refuse the job then I will be made redundant.

I dont know what to do next, it seems likely with my specific qualifications that I will be the person in my office that matches, but I cant actually do the job physically.

Any advice will be welcome

thanks

elmer

Your boss sounds like a right . . . t

elmer

I dont have a disability at the moment, but I may develop one if I did the job.

That was the advice of the consultant at the time, and nothing has changed since then.

elmer

t0rt0ise

Do you have an Occupational Health department? They are usually very good at assisting in this type of thing.

elmer

I have seen them in the past as I require a special chair and an adjusted desk.

We now use an external company, I can contact them for advice

thanks

SarEl

elmer wrote: »

I dont have a disability at the moment, but I may develop one if I did the job.

That was the advice of the consultant at the time, and nothing has changed since then.

elmer

"May develop one doesn't count - you also may not. There really is a bottom line here, and well put or not, your manager is right. And there is no getting away from that. This is a potential redundancy situation. There are X jobs and only some of them will be suitable alternative employments. If you cannot be matched to one of them then that is a clear redundancy situation. Whilst the other posters are correct, and you need to get an OH referral, they cannot magic up a job if one does not exist. In fact, if you are correct and there is no way that you can do this job, and there is no other suitable alternative employment, then OH will seal your fate - they would have to advise the employer that you must not do this job, and that would mean redundancy.

I would certainly never suggest that you attempt to do a job that will do you physical harm - but you may have to accept that that does mean that you are made redundant.

elmer

There are six people in my office at my grade, one of whom will be matched to this new job, the other five will carry on with their and my existing job. They all feel that as I have the extra qualifications, that I will be matched as on paper I am the "ideal" candidate.

My concern is that I do not want to be matched as I am physically unable to work in that field as advised by my consultant.
As its a job I loved, if there was any way to carry on I would have done.
I now have a job that suits me and am keen to keep this one as I cannot go back to what I was doing before, the recovery from the operation took over 4 years, and I am still left with side effects.

I really dont want to jeopardise my future health even attempting a job I ve been advised to avoid.

Do you think that my OH department would be able to advise?

SarEl

elmer wrote: »

There are six people in my office at my grade, one of whom will be matched to this new job, the other five will carry on with their and my existing job. They all feel that as I have the extra qualifications, that I will be matched as on paper I am the "ideal" candidate.

My concern is that I do not want to be matched as I am physically unable to work in that field as advised by my consultant.
As its a job I loved, if there was any way to carry on I would have done.
I now have a job that suits me and am keen to keep this one as I cannot go back to what I was doing before, the recovery from the operation took over 4 years, and I am still left with side effects.

I really dont want to jeopardise my future health even attempting a job I ve been advised to avoid.

Do you think that my OH department would be able to advise?

In that case you must see OH. If there are other jobs that you can medically do and which are suitable then you should not be forced out of your existing job. But, if the hours in your own office are to be cut and none of the others are suitable for this job then the cuts will fall somewhere - and that may come around to redundancies again. You won't know until it comes around to that situation.

ohreally

elmer wrote: »

Do you think that my OH department would be able to advise?

Occupational health exist to advise or provide a medical opinion to the employer - their function is not to represent you or your interests but ultimately to present information to the employer.

Do you have a trade union to seek representation from?

SarEl

ohreally wrote: »

Occupational health exist to advise or provide a medical opinion to the employer - their function is not to represent you or your interests but ultimately to present information to the employer.

True - but if there is a legal risk to the employer in employing someone in position that they are medically unsuited to, then OK will advise the employer of this. The main problem is really that if they do so and rule out the OP for this position, and then nobody else is suited to it because of lack of skills or experience, it still leaves the employer with an "overstaffed" department.