Has your employer failed to pay for A2W?

sailrib

Hello.

Has anyone been assessed through Access to Work and as you are employed my a large company, they have to pay for the first £1000.

Has anyone found that their employer won't pay for it? What has happened if they won't pay.

My employer is just about to get a phone call about having to pay. I'm worried that he will say no. I've been their 7 years and he will properly say, why have you managed for 7 years without support?

My arthritis in my feet has only been going on for about 2 years.
My deafness, when I started I was just into the severe range, now I am nearly classed as being deaf with being at the bottom of profound range.

Do you think the above is okay as to why I didn't apply to access to work before hand. I'm slightly worried now as its own right to have the support but I'm thinking I will get sacked now.

MrDJ

they cant sack you on those grounds of you needing appliances for work so dont panic about that.
are you registerd disabled and who told you to apply for access to work?
arthritis and deafness is a disability so under the disability discrimination act (changed name now) they would be strung up if they dismissed you on these grounds.

long story short ive got OA/RA/PA/ anky spondalitis and blind in one eye.

ive worked for a large london hospital for 31 years now and have had arthritis for 27 years.
it was only 2 years ago when i had a very bad flare up in the blind eye and after many many trips to casualty eye hospital (17 days had to be taken as anual leave) that my sub boss decided to send me to occupational health to pass me for fit to work.
it was occy health that arranged for me to be assessed.
after 2 hour assessment i was told i needed a computer keyboard with large letters. a portable true light for when i go in reporting rooms as these are very dark, a larger monitor and also a specialist high back chair which alone was over £2500

i was sent all the documents and so was my sub manager.
the total bill was over £3200
the chair was a deffinate no no as i couldnt afford £2500 so i pinched one of the other managers chairs and said my need was greater than theirs and ive still got it now chained to my desk so they cant take it back.

i didnt hear anything for weeks about the rest of the equipment so jokingly i mentioned that i hadnt received anything yet. in a round about way i was told i had no chance as redundancies were taking place to make more savings around the hospital and this wasnt a high priority.
i can still manage with what ive got now but if i knew i needed these items that much for my well being and safety then i would of brought it up time and time again until i got a result.

7 years is a long time and hopefully your manager would have some compasion and try and make the working enviroment as safe as possible for you.

good luck and keep us posted on how you get on.
jim

sailrib

Thanks...my sister has already said to make sure i don't step out of line even the smallest bit like 5 mins late for work so they don't have a reason to sack me.

The total is roughly £1600 so it's not as much as yours but am still worried. Think it makes it all worse as boss has only been there about 6 weeks sO doesn't really know me.

It's crazy though as I know quite a few deaf friends who wont apply for A2W as they are worried for there jobs even tho is there rights.

I applied myself to A2W as fed up with people calling me stupid or shouting at me as i cant hear them. Deafness was the main reason but they accessed me for my feet as well.

Think I'm worrying to much.

Emily

sailrib wrote:

Thanks...my sister has already said to make sure i don't step out of line even the smallest bit like 5 mins late for work so they don't have a reason to sack me.

The total is roughly £1600 so it's not as much as yours but am still worried. Think it makes it all worse as boss has only been there about 6 weeks sO doesn't really know me.

It's crazy though as I know quite a few deaf friends who wont apply for A2W as they are worried for there jobs even tho is there rights.

I applied myself to A2W as fed up with people calling me stupid or shouting at me as i cant hear them. Deafness was the main reason but they accessed me for my feet as well.

Think I'm worrying to much.

Your sister is right as they will be looking for ways to get rid of you. Does not matter how long the boss is there as they should know your PI file and all the information is in that for you. Tell your manager to look in there before they have an interview with them.

Also, you come under the Equalty Act 2010 and are covered as disabled with your condition if you have had it for a year and is likely to last long term.

My equipment only cost £400 and they would not even get that for me for 2 years I need to have further assessment but I will wait until the grievance is heard first before doing anything else.

My manager has as must as told me they will be looking now for capabilities to to get me out but I keep putting in grievances to try and get it sorted out and when you put in grievance you can take them to Tribunal.

MrDJ

if you dont belong to a union yet, join one.
most of the time they are a waste of space until it comes to grievances or discrimination and then they are a god send.

Emily

MrDJ wrote:

if you dont belong to a union yet, join one.
most of the time they are a waste of space until it comes to grievances or discrimination and then they are a god send.

I have had 2 unions the first one was suppose to help people working in retail USDW he attending a grievances with me. when the union rep met the HR person to hear the grievance it was like a reunion of lost friends.
Had he hearing was told adjustments would be put in place for me, but that did not happen.

Went back to union several times and was told to keep putting in grievances, now it took months to get employer to do the grievances and then more months for an appeal 16 months in all, union guys did not care about them not making adjustments, soon found out they were not interested in paying for legal help for member so left them as it was a waste of money.
Did not give up on having a union though and joined another one. This was GMB, now this guy attended hearing with me and I soon found out that he was not interested in looking after members either as if you were not in work they would not get their membership and they will overlook discrimination towards disabled people and go along with employer to put you in a job that keeps you in employment no matter how detrimental it is to your health. This union guy wanted me to work in a cold place that A2W said that I should not do due to my arthritis. Actually my employer was a bit kinder than that and put me somewhere else without adjustments.
Best thing is to get home insurances with legal assistance attached to it. You will not have the hassle of chasing a useless union rep adding more stress on you. You will get a solicitor that will be able to advise you and take the necessary action under the current law.
Also if you join a union and have an ongoing case with your employer they will not acknowledge that on ongoing bit and would only look at it when you joined them.
It will be the same with insurance but there is less stress with them. My last union did not have a telephone and wanted me to use her mobile phone but I did not have a mobile phone and it was difficult for me to use one.
Also the GMB told me that to get legal assistance they would have to be 70 or 80% sure that you would win at a tribunal. Where as a no win no fee solicitor would be 60 to 70% sure to take a case and less hassle in getting them to help no chasing like it was withe the two unions I was in. They are at the end of a phone with advice and if they can take a case they will and win it for you.