Occupational Health Assessment-I'm not fit to do former job

Eloheh
Eloheh Member Posts: 6
I have advanced Osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine - lumbar stenosis, moderate osteoA of the cervial spine and 15% disabled with bursitis of the knee. I have been off work since 4th July, 2011, after a fall at home. I was seen by an occupational health rep yesterday in my home and she says that I cannot be put on a very busy production line at the cake factory where I was working before I went off sick. Prior to that I was in a very heavy duty industrial cleaning job there, lifting heavy weights and bending in unnatural positions cleaning under lockers in tight spaces, and my consultant said the damage to my lower spine is work related and not due to my age (59). The factory had planned to take me off that work and put me to work on a frantically busy production line, which I had a go at before going off sick and it was a horrible experience. The Occup Health rep says under no circumstances I can do that work and she will recommend this to my employers. If no light duties can be found they may dismiss me as "not being capable to do the job I was took on for" What does this mean? Can anybody tell me. I would be grateful to hear from anyone with advice. JN

Comments

  • traluvie
    traluvie Member Posts: 2,579
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Eloah,

    I worked for NHS(hospital housekeeper) full time and very challenging job, ensuring you kept on top of things was a priority and majority of the time we were on a ward on our own..
    Occy health decided they were unable to offer me light duties due to the nature of my job, i was also unable to have another job in the department due to my arthritis being unpredictable so i was dismissed on the grounds of medical reasons as i was unable to fulfill my duties properly for the forseeable future...
    If there is a chance that you may improve then fight for your job as they can only dismiss if they think you are not going to get better, occy health should talk this through with you and if you have a union rep i would get them on your case too so everything is done above board..Wish you well and ask me any questions..
    th_tn_TisFORTIGGER.jpgxxTracyxx
  • BikerAngel
    BikerAngel Member Posts: 122
    edited 20. Oct 2011, 16:13
    I worked for [TEXT DELETED and my job involved heavy lifting and with RA in both wrists it was no longer an option so the occ health at work said to go see doc and get signed off which I did. After numerous meetings with human resources and getting doc letters and physio and occ therapy letters to say what they recommended I was fit to do, no alternative job was available and every time the union tried to fight my corner [TEXT DELETED] had an answer so eventually I got the letter that I was being dismissed through capability which horrified me as what does that sound like to you....dismissed through ill health would have sounded better.

    If you are with a union get them on the case to help you and any meeting you attend take a work collegue with you if no union rep also keep notes of everything and if you are on a company pension scheme then they can retire you through ill health and get your pension. Not sure about where you are but in Scotland there is schemes available to employers to help with adapting the workplace for you if that is an option.

    Hope this helps but ask if you need any more info.
    Tracey
  • Adrianhill
    Adrianhill Member Posts: 1
    edited 9. Apr 2012, 11:12
    [text edited; link to commercial employment site]

    Because we go in to more detail about occupational health nursing jobs elsewhere on Nurses.co.uk it will serve to simply bullet-point the key points here. Do read that article though, it explains about occupational health jobs in the public and private sector.


    *Edited by Moderator IA.