reduced areas of responsibility

skid112

Hi,
I am looking for a little advice here, a few months ago I suffered a heart attack which was followed by a quad bypass. I have been on a scheduled return to work, starting off three hours a day back on Feb 13th. I am currently doing 6 hours a day this week, rising to 7 the following week then 8 hours the week after, the end of the plan as occupational health see it (their normal not mine). My job is very intensive and there is no way it can be done in just 8 hours, a normal day pre this would be something like 12-14 hours.

I was told today they are moving one area which I am managing to another person and my salary would be affected, I don't have any more detail yet as I was informed just as I was leaving work. I get other people have been covering for me and all that but I now feel I am being pressured to get back to work full time and cover the same hours as before.
Do I have any recourse here or do I have to die at my desk?
thanks

Undervalued

skid112 wrote: »

Hi,
I am looking for a little advice here, a few months ago I suffered a heart attack which was followed by a quad bypass. I have been on a scheduled return to work, starting off three hours a day back on Feb 13th. I am currently doing 6 hours a day this week, rising to 7 the following week then 8 hours the week after, the end of the plan as occupational health see it (their normal not mine). My job is very intensive and there is no way it can be done in just 8 hours, a normal day pre this would be something like 12-14 hours.

I was told today they are moving one area which I am managing to another person and my salary would be affected, I don't have any more detail yet as I was informed just as I was leaving work. I get other people have been covering for me and all that but I now feel I am being pressured to get back to work full time and cover the same hours as before.
Do I have any recourse here or do I have to die at my desk?
thanks

If your illness amounts to a disability (for employment law purposes) then your employer must make "reasonable adjustments" although these don't go anything like as far as many people imagine.

If you are "only ill" (forgive the expression) and not disabled then, taken literally, they employer doesn't have to make any adjustments at all. Legally they can ignore any occupational health suggestions and say "do your normal job or go off sick".

In practice most firms actually do more than the law requires. Do you have any access to free legal advice? (e.g. union or insurance).

skid112

Thanks for your prompt reply, in short no. I'm only ill not disabled, if it had been stress then no pressure at all.

sangie595

In fact, any heart condition counts immediately as a disability, so you are now disabled and remain so.

But that doesn't help you. It doesn't matter what your job required or requires - if the employer takes some responsibilities from your job role then that affects the pay. Yes, you can object to it being removed, but if you don't agree to it being removed then you must do the job add it exists. If the job was not possible to do, then the time to have complained about this was when you first realised that - now it's too late. The reality is that you either are fit for the work you did previously, or you are not. So yes, if you are not and this means that the reasonable adjustment is fewer hours or less responsibility, the employer is not obliged to maintain your salary at the same level.

So what do you wish to do? Accept the change or not?

skid112

Stark choice, it would appear i have little option but to return to my previous hours or face a commensurate reduction in salary.

KiKi

I'm a bit confused. You say you can't do your job in 8 hours, so it has to be 12 hours - but you don't want to do 12 hours because it will (metaphorically, I hope) kill you.

Your company take some work away from you to allow you to do your job in 8 hours - but you don't want the reduction in salary that comes with an 8 hour day.

Unfortunately, it sounds like them being a thoughtful employer to make your life less stressful is going to have a financial impact - so you have to make a choice as to whether you accept that or not. But really, is your health worth it?? Do you think there's a chance that working 14 hour days contributed to your health and perhaps working fewer hours might be better for you?

You only get one life. No-one will remember who managed that team in 50 years from now.

No-one.

skid112

Very true
Thank you