Making an application for Home Working

dori2o

I am seriously considering making an application to my employer to work from home for at least 3 out of 5 days, if not 5 out of 5. (I work in the Civil Service)

I want to do this to help me stay in work with my disability, The effects of my disability are getting worse, making it harder and harder to keep up a good attendance and timekeeping etc. Hopefully this can be accepted as a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act.

I'm trying to put my proposal into words andI'm struggling with the aspect of 'benefits to the business'.

I have benefits for me, such as this will improve the productivity as I won't have as much travelling to do (travelling by car or public transport causes quite severe pain and leaves me exhausted), I will be better equipped to be able to manage my time better, I will have access to medical equipment and treatment instantly that is not available at work. It should improve my attendance (one of the main problems is that I miss work due to not being able to get to work due to mobility problems), it should help facilitate an improvement in my mental health (depression) and cause less anxiety.

I'm struggling to show what improvements there will be from the businesses point of view.

obvviously higher productivity, and less sickness absence, but that is all I can think of.

An help would be appreciated.

ohreally

My first post of call would be to seek advice and assistance from the PCS in making this arrangement.

cannyscot_2

I put in an application to work at home as I have a Visually impaired child. I would basically put the same things that help you as the things that help the business.

So split it -these are the medical/ physical reasons I need then these are the ways

ie extra energy -what you would apply that to
extra time at your desk on days at home-ability to do x, y z on other days ie supervise someone, move ahead with particular work etc.



I just attended a talk with a local council welfare officer and it was really interesting as he said as parents we focus on what our children can do so when we do a DLA we have to focus on what they cant. You basically do the same focus on what you do do for the business rather than on yourself as they can reject it if it doesnt work for the business. So think of any objection and give a business solution of how you will overcome it.

It be worth getting a person in a disability charity like a welfare officer to look at it as they will see it from a different angle. You need someone to make sure you are being positive about your contribution .

Yorkie1

Have you had an ATOS (occ health) referral which backs up your request?

Bear in mind that your home will need to be assessed for home working suitability; depending on your job you are also unlikely to be allowed to use home office equipment so they will need to provide you with standalone equipment and the ability to log on to work from a remote site. Plus phone lines.

They may also have concerns that remote working may exacerbate your mental health situation; being isolated is often an aggravating feature.

nightingalesgarden

I work in a mostly home working environment. But with employees with ill health issues - especially when there are mental health issues I would try to make sure that there is a close management situation - where possible a local office rather than the isolation of a home working environment.

So I would add to any business case how you would deal with the isolation, lack of daily interaction etc.

Your employer may feel that their duty of care to protect your health may mean that they should see you on a daily basis - as in seeing you in the office everyday - or that they cannot control your home working environment if you needs are of a certain level.

I'm not saying that your argument/case is impossible just that they may have a reasonable reason for wanting to see you regularly in the workplace.

dori2o

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Have you had an ATOS (occ health) referral which backs up your request?

Bear in mind that your home will need to be assessed for home working suitability; depending on your job you are also unlikely to be allowed to use home office equipment so they will need to provide you with standalone equipment and the ability to log on to work from a remote site. Plus phone lines.

They may also have concerns that remote working may exacerbate your mental health situation; being isolated is often an aggravating feature.

AS yet I have not had an OCC Health appointment with ATOS, my last one was January 2011 with Capita.

The mental health situation is 100% down to the problems I have with Chronic Pain and nothing more.

I'm not depressed because of the way I think, or because I beleive things that are untrue about myself, I suffer from depression because I am in severe, excruciating pain 24 hours/1440minutes/86400 seconds a day.

I have been advised elsewhere to contact Access to Work on Monday to see if they can help.

antonic

The big problem that you may have as well as there is no money to provide all the equipment that you may require.

The other problem I can see is the lower down the food chain you are the lesser are your chances of success !

Good luck though and it will sure beat having to go to that 18 storey monstrosity just down the road from where I used to work.