Work & Mental Health Problems

Bumble_19

Hi! 
I currently work in a role where 90% of the work can be done from home. We generally have members of our team go into the office several times a week if any work needs doing there. I've been in a couple of times over the last few months but have found it is impacting my health. I have bipolar and anxiety and if I know I'm going to be going in, I've started to become physically sick. When I'm there, I struggle to concentrate as I'm having panic attacks, feeling very lightheaded and suffering with migraines. There is very little ventilation (windows closed, no air con) and the heating is always up high which doesn't help. 
I've raised the point on several occasions to my employer and explained how I'm feeling and I've just been told "well it's in your job description so we can't find a way around it". They have said that employees with mental health concerns that feel isolated can go into the office when they like, but don't seem to have any thought for those of us that feel safer at home.
My symptoms have definitely worsened since covid but I've had time off previously due to my mental health + another health condition, which resulted in a formal warning so any more time off sick would likely be me being dismissed, despite me currently feeling like I can't work every single day.
Due to the sector I'm in, furlough hasn't been offered to any employees. I also requested a reduction in hours as my health has been declining for months  but that was refused and unknowingly I was given "compressed hours" so some days are far too long for me. 
I'm at the point of handing in my notice despite working hard in my role for the past 2 years. 
I proactively manage my mental health, under review with a health professional and not having the issues when I'm at home.
Does anyone know if they can force me into the office at the present time? Would there be any reasonable adjustments I could request? Thanks 

Grumpy_chap

How did you manage in the office before COVID?
Can you improve the environment in the office locally, e.g. turn the thermostat down / open windows to improve ventilation?  If you feel uncomfortably warm, it is likely others do too.
Can you get any reasonable adjustments suggested from your health professionals?

[Deleted User]

I don't know but when I was nearly having a set to with the boss about heating being up - he deemed that he would rather someone is warm enough to work (whilst I would rather not have to buy my own bog paper and have red face but there we go) same as I really try and tell myself if I was working from home (4 years no central heating so I've become hardened!) I would be totally even more forgotten about. I don't know all I got from 1 physical day a week person is when does the bathroom sink get cleaned, is there not a cleaner, do you get left on your own much - I mean I'm busy answering 50+ calls a day with people taken on to just look at me it feels. Sorry the only times I felt really anxious I knew was best to give the job up come what may ok. I was thinking other day how do you know when it is time to move on but somewhat worried about ending up anxious again. Can never win.

Iamdebtfree

'and not having the issues when I'm at home'

Please don't do this to yourself.. you need to get the hell out of there asap. The job is is ruining your mental /physical health, ruining your life. A job's just a way to keep yourself fed, clothed and sheltered. 

Forget their stupid formal warnings. Forget them full stop. Your life and health is what matters.

Go to your GP, get a sick note for a few weeks,  then go to your local CAB to see what benefits would be available to you. Bipolar is no joke to put it very mildly.

Please do take care.. I have a lot to say on the subject..don't want to start a war on here.
 

Aranyani

A huge drop in income is hardly likely to take the pressure off, especially when it would most likely be long term given the current employment situation.

soolin

Aranyani said:

A huge drop in income is hardly likely to take the pressure off, especially when it would most likely be long term given the current employment situation.

Mental health is a real issue, but I do tend to agree that perhaps finding ways to manage it rather than risking losing everything should be considered first. Obviously we don’t know the OP’s circumstances , but losing their job may well mean losing their current home and potentially ending up somewhere less suitable for managing their health . The risk of the panic and stay at home for ever Culture is that in future years we are going to have a rise in people with severe mental health issues, no funding in the NHS to properly support them and lots of lonely people in poor health completely isolated from the wider community. 

Help is needed now, not a panic reaction. 

Bumble_19

soolin said:

Aranyani said:

A huge drop in income is hardly likely to take the pressure off, especially when it would most likely be long term given the current employment situation.

Mental health is a real issue, but I do tend to agree that perhaps finding ways to manage it rather than risking losing everything should be considered first. Obviously we don’t know the OP’s circumstances , but losing their job may well mean losing their current home and potentially ending up somewhere less suitable for managing their health . The risk of the panic and stay at home for ever Culture is that in future years we are going to have a rise in people with severe mental health issues, no funding in the NHS to properly support them and lots of lonely people in poor health completely isolated from the wider community. 

Help is needed now, not a panic reaction. 

I took the job to try and improve my mental health and at that time, to get me out of the house. They class themselves as a "disability confident" employer and were aware of my condition from the outset. I won't lose my house if I drop my minimum wage income, as we are very lucky to be financially secure as a family. 
It does concern me that my mental health would decline if I'm not out at work, but currently I don't see going to work as a positive experience anyway. However, leaving my job would be a last resort which is why I'm looking at the options available. 

I just feel like if I didn't have my condition, then going into the office wouldn't be making me sick and I now feel at a disadvantage compared to others' who are happy to go in. I'm picking up more work and helping other team members from home, so I'm not sitting back and letting others' pick up the slack. Ideally, I'd like to just be able to stay home for the remainder of lockdown where I feel safe and then gradually go back if restrictions are lifted, as I did before. I just feel like the employers response is very rigid and not considering my individual circumstances or needs. 

To note, occupational health did write a report at the start of the year and recommended I could work from home some days (pre-lockdown) and/or that I could reduce my hours as I'm currently full-time, but both were refused and no adjustments were made. 

elsien

Is it worth getting occupational health involved again now that things have changed, with regards to adjustments? It may not have made any difference last time, but it's got to be better having a report behind you than going in with nothing to back you up. If they're meant to be a disability confident employer, is there anyone else you could take your concerns to aside from your direct line manager? 
How many people are in your office - I'm wondering if your employer has completed a covid risk assessment. 
How do they decide who has to go into the office and when? A couple of days in the last few months really isn't very much at all (from the perspective of the employer, not your MH) so are there any people who don't mind going in as much who could go in instead of you? What is the reason they are wanting you there, or do they just want someone and don't mind who it is?
Alternatively, could you use some leave and go down to a 4 day week (for example) in the short term, to tide you over this more difficult period? 

Bumble_19

elsien said:

Is it worth getting occupational health involved again now that things have changed, with regards to adjustments? It may not have made any difference last time, but it's got to be better having a report behind you than going in with nothing to back you up. If they're meant to be a disability confident employer, is there anyone else you could take your concerns to aside from your direct line manager? 
How many people are in your office - I'm wondering if your employer has completed a covid risk assessment. 
How do they decide who has to go into the office and when? A couple of days in the last few months really isn't very much at all (from the perspective of the employer, not your MH) so are there any people who don't mind going in as much who could go in instead of you? What is the reason they are wanting you there, or do they just want someone and don't mind who it is?
Alternatively, could you use some leave and go down to a 4 day week (for example) in the short term, to tide you over this more difficult period? 

Thank you that's really helpful and I'll definitely look into the annual leave! I'll also request another occupational health report next week as I agree, that would be helpful. 
They say they have done a risk assessment,  which is based on the building as a whole and not individual service areas. Although, it isn't actually available to view. They also do risk assessments on individuals but only those who are clinically vulnerable in terms of covid. 
There's only a handful of us on our team and they're getting us all in on a rota 3 times a week to make it "fair". On the whole, I'd only need to go in once a month (if that) to effectively do my job.
The problem over the past few weeks is that certain people haven't been in or requested to go on the rota, but have a lot of work outstanding that they need to be in the office to do. They wait until certain members of the team are in (ie me and another) and then off load their work onto us so we end up with a backlog. I've just cleared mine and already, said individuals are sending me more for "when I'm next in the office" and not doing it themselves. I've raised this to management and again, just get told that I'll have to go in more. There are a couple of people that are happy going in but then it all comes down to the managers perspective of "fairness" as to who goes on the rota.
I've been above my line manager previously and the response is actually worse... it was that individual that cautioned me for my sickness. 

sammyjammy

It sounds seriously toxic, even without the mental health issues, you really have to think of the bigger picture, maybe get the OH report and make a formal request to reduce your hours and then seriously consider leaving.  Nothing to stop you looking for something else, I know its difficult out there but it sounds like your best option.

Dr_Crypto

You can ask occupational health again but remember that ultimately your manager decides what can be offered as an adjustment since they are responsible for supervising and controlling your work. OH will generally try to recommend sensible practical changes but they obviously don’t know the day to day manner in which your job is done.
The final recourse is to an employment tribunal to decided if an adjust was reasonable or not but that would mean you leaving the job and then starting the case, it’ll probably be heard in 2022 with the backlog of cases. 

I wonder if talking to your mental health team about how to overcome the anxiety of going to work would help? I don’t know your background but for many if not most people the coronavirus isn’t particularly risky.