Support at work and the Disablity Discrimination Act

[Guest user]

Thanks for your comments. Yes I did have a phased return and felt supported initially.
He has reluctantly agreed to maintain my currently level of TA support but has made me feel very guilty about it. He also wanted me to do extra hours this week. I said I would prefer not to, this time, as I had a busy few weeks with hospitals appointments etc and was feeling a little run down. He muttered under his breath, 'I bet you only want to go shopping'. Which I found rather hurtful especially as I wanted to catch up on marking etc. Perhaps my expectations are too high.
Although the TA hours are sorted for now, I feel that the trust has gone and I feel that I am being treated unsympathetically. It's not like I want to feel tired. I too wanted to go back to work and pick up were I left off without feeling like a burden.
I have been brave and have asked to see occ health again, I haven't heard anything yet.
At the mo I am tempted to finish as I am fed up with the emotional baggage. Hopefully I will feel better if I get to see occ health.
Sorry to moan-I’m even getting fed up of listening to myself!
Thanks again for your post.
Sherbert
x

[sarssquatty]

Hi Sherbert

I hope you have got something sorted. I am in education too, but not in the classroom. I had a phased return to work, via a return to work interview and a Occ health assessment. Did you have either of those? It's definitely worth contacting Occ health. It's surely better to have you in work than for you to have to go off sick again. I did a full term then in January I was slumped at my desk asleep with chronic fatigue, so I contacted Occ health and was pleasantly surprised they reduced my hours immediately to 25 (from 35), my manager had to contact HR but it was all agreed, and this can continue to half term, when I may need to be re-assessed. My manager was advised to look at my work load and take things off me. I think letting you have the support of a TA is the least the head can do, I think there are other things he could do too!

Hope you have something sorted by now?
X

[Guest user]

Thank you all for your advice. I knew I would get some comment sense from this site!
I have spent the day ringing around and looking stuff up on the Internet so am feeling less of a wreck at the moment. I have sent a calm email to my head teacher so will see what happens on Monday.

Good idea, littlemrs, about getting re-assed by occ health. When I first went I was several weeks post chemo and had only just started having zoladex and tamoxifen and was feeling pretty good so I didn't think that I needed much support so will certainly go down this route if things do not improve.
Quite a few of my work colleagues have contacted me today and have reassured me that they think I am far from overreacting so feel better about that too because as you say we do worry about been seen as a whinger. I just keep trying to tell myself that if I'm struggling it will affect the children so need to get it sorted.
I hope you do not end up doing more hours than you are ready for. I know exactly what you mean about just existing to get to work and that definitely needs avoiding!
Thanks again to all
Sherbert

[CazMc]

Sherbet,

Don't forget, apart from the links Jo has kindly put on there, if necessary you can ring the DRC direct about specific situations.

Unfortunately with breast cancer, once you are back at work people tend to 'forget' because there is nothing obvious to 'see'. I hope it all works out for you, often just a chat with the right people can sort things out.

Love Caz xxx

[littlemrs]

You can ask for an occupational health assessment as this is meant to support employees. My T/A is having a very stressful time in her home life and she has been referred (with her consent) so she can get counselling, suggestions of ways the school can support her and whether she needs reduced hours for a while.

I'm sorry you are having a miserable time, Sherbert. I'm still on reduced hours but am feeling apprehensive about increasing to full time as my boss is recently back from sick leave herself and is VERY stressed so is dumping it onto the rest of us. I've said that when I get up to 4 and a half days if I'm struggling and just existing to get to work I want to go back to Occ health to be re-assessed. It is difficult as one doesn't want to seem like a whinger but also if you are struggling you need to ask for help. Do you have a line manager you could talk to? If I need to discuss anything difficult I ask to make an appointment with my boss so she knows I want to speak to her and we don't have one of those corridor conversations which are too public and often brief and unsatisfactary. Maybe if you clarified your problems to the Head and made some do-able suggestions for what would help you, he can then respond, having considered your problems. Of course you can go down the union support route too.

You would have laughed today if you had seen me doing dance with my Reception class. Sink to the floor and spin upwards; well, i could sink to the floor but looked more like a beached whale trying to get up! Also my hot flushes are so bad I start to drip. Kids don't notice but staff do, I can see it in their eyes as the sweat runs down my face.

[Guest user]

Thankyou so so much for your comments. That has really helped. I have just looked at the timetables again and under the changes my class would recieve approx 6 hours support a week whereas others will be receving 10 hours! I will have less than everyone and all my collegues agree that my class are the most demanding in the school.
Thank you again, I already feel like less of an emotional wreck.

[Jo_BCC]

Hi Sherbert

I'm sorry you're having problems with your work and manager. I have put for you below links to 2 of BCC publications with regard to the DDA which you may find useful to read. Also if you give the helpline a ring they will be able to talk to you in more detail about this and support you through this. Helpline no, 0808 800 6000, free calls open Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm and Sat 9am - 2pm

Employ policy briefing: http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/employ_policy_briefing_1.pdf

Employ booklet: http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/a5_employ_booklet_0.pdf

Kind regards,
Jo, Facilitator

[Guest user]

You are protected by the DDA from the point of diagnosis for ever and your employer has to make reasonable adjustments to help you do your job. I am also a teacher. We had an inset just before Christmas concerning disability. I spoke to one of the facilitators and she was very helpful. She said I needed to sit down and write what difficulties I had and how they could be overcome and then discuss it with my head teacher. She was suggesting things like a scribe to write for me! I know this wouldn't be feasible but I do intend to have a chat with her as she offered to advise me. I think asking to have a bit more support than colleagues with no disability to be a very reasonable request! She even said I may qualify for disability living allowance and that I could have a work place assessment. She works for a charity in my area in Norfolk but you may well have something similar in your area. I haven't had a chance to make contact with her yet but will let you know how I get on.
You should certainly mention to your head that he has to make reasonable adjustments for your disability and then get yourself some good advice. Perhaps CAB or even your HR department.

[Guest user]

Hi all
Just wondered if anyone knows how long we are covered by DDA. Is it only when we are having active treatment (chemo etc) and when we first return to work? Should we expect some reasonable support once our reintroduction period ends?
I started back to work as a teacher properly this September, (had my reintroduction period July). I am now on tamoxifen and zoladex. I am largely enjoying been back at work, although only part time, but some days I find it really difficult. My boss was supportive for the first few weeks when I returned but now I just feel like a burden. My teaching assistant has been an invaluable support to me and has on rare occasions watched my class so I can have a breather when my side effects of medication get to me. Now my boss informed me via a letter that he will be reducing my Teaching assistant time and also my current TA will work with a different class. I had already told him that I was struggling a bit when I have the class without support. I know it sounds melodramatic but this has left me feeling really panicky. I have a very difficult class and the also the largest and yet with the changes, I will now have less support than all of my colleagues. I have spoken to him about my concerns and he said he has to think of the needs of the school'. Of course I agree with this, I am not asking him to increase my support just maintain it. It has made me feel like I am been a selfish drama queen. I almost feel like leaving because I think I will find it difficult to cope but I also want to work. Can anyone advice on the DDA rights? I really do not want be unreasonable but I also want to do a good job and feel I need a little support to do this.
Thanks for reading my rambles!