Starting new job but hours issue

[Deleted User]

My recommendation would be to go back to the doctor and ask for the referral.

You could also potentially see a different GP.

Unfortunately as an employer, they have no legal obligation to accommodate you unless you had a diagnosis.

LD9

suki1964 wrote: »

So you have had these issues for easily 12 years or more and yet nothing has been done to get to the bottom of it?

So someone who has depression for 12 years but doesn't get help isn't depressed? Typical narrow mindset, my oh so mighty enchantress.

suki1964

LD9 wrote: »

So someone who has depression for 12 years but doesn't get help isn't depressed? Typical narrow mindset, my oh so mighty enchantress.

Thankyou for the pm, Ive passed it on to admin

System

I feel for you. It's horrible not being able to sleep. It happened to me for years. I cope but not well - I'm constantly tired and then one day I'll sleep and feel great, however the majority of the time I'm tired.


Unfortunately, the workplace does not tend to dole out concessions for people like you. You have to hit your shifts on time - if not, you'll get fired. It's your responsibility, despite being tired, to get in. Sounds like like mornings are the issue, but the shift pattern regularly changes, so might help, will it not?


You'll get short-shrift from people on here (and on civvy street too). Think of continental shift workers on a turnaround - they don't want to hear some part-timer moan that they can't get up on a morning. It sounds ridiculous to the normal worker - you don't want that.

Broadyx

If they wouldn't have given you the job if you'd mentioned it at the start but then that should have rang alarm bells that perhaps this isn't the job for you.
I imagine it must be horrible for you not being able to sleep, however you know your limits and I am surprised you accepted the morning shifts. I would imagine you are starting a probationary period? I would be careful ruffling too many feathers in that period.
Did they offer you alternative shifts? do you know there is availability on those alternative shifts? just wondering why you accepted the morning ones if you know they don't suit you, or were you hoping to be able to switch shifts once employment has started and by accepting the morning shifts it was a foot in the door? no judgement, just curious.

General_Grant

If lack of sleep is going to present a problem for a morning start, why will it not be a problem for a later shift? Aren't you going to be suffering from the same amount of sleep deprivation and in fact have expended more energy before your shift begins?

Is the problem the time of day when you do sleep?

TBagpuss

You can ask to be scheduled later in the day in future but I wouldn't advise asking them to change the hours in the first week. Quite apart from anything else, they have presumably scheduled you for tims when they can deal with your induction and any trianing.

You may also find that they cannot accommodate your request - it's likely to depend on what hours other staff members are available, and when their busy times are. Many companies may allocate hours by seniority so that people who have ben there longer will get priority in terms of which hours they want.

Once you start, you may also be able tto find out wherther staff members are allowed to swap shifts between themslves, in which case you may find peopl willing to swap their later shifts for your morning ones.

Moving forward, I think if you are going to ask for accommodations you will need to go back to your Gp and to try to get a proper assesment and diagnosis. That way, ideally you may be able to get some help to adress the underlying issue, and if that isn't possible, then you can provide evidence of your medical condition to any employer in requesting accommodations.

However, I think you do need to be aware that a lot of people have issues with sleep / insomnia etc andthe vast majority of them manage to work with it. What that looks like may vary from person to person - for instnace, multiple alarm clocks to get you up in the morning, delibveratelytaking naps (or at least lyingdown and resting) during the day when you are not working, if you can't slep at night, looking into changes in diet and lifestyle to try to reduce the problems etc.

I'm not unsympathetic. I have alot of issues with insomnia myself, but I think you need to be realistic about what an employer is likely to be able to do.

TELLIT01

LD9 wrote: »

So someone who has depression for 12 years but doesn't get help isn't depressed?

Maybe they are clinically depressed, maybe they aren't. Without supporting evidence from a doctor an employer is unlikely to accept it as medical fact.
Try claiming ESA / UC and just telling them you have depression without medical confirmation and see how far you get.
The point being made was that somebody is claiming to have a chronic health problem but hasn't sought medical assistance. Why would a prospective, or current, employer believe it was anything but BS being used to cover a lack of motivation?

Comms69

Whether the sleep disorder is 'real' or not is largely irrelevant. The employer will simply choose to employ someone without it.

Gavin83

Clearly the lack of sleep affects your attitude as well.

Honestly your sleep disorder is largely irrelevant, your employer will expect you to arrive to work on time. How you choose to make sure you get to work is up to you but if you don't expect to lose your job.

At the moment it's nothing more than a theory anyway, you haven't had a diagnosis. However even if you did your employer wouldn't need to take much notice of it. As far as I'm aware a sleeping disorder wouldn't be counted as a disability.

An unsympathetic response? Probably but maybe try and be nicer to the people attempting to help, even if you don't agree with the advice. Sending (what I assume to be) an abusive PM to another member is unacceptable.