Arthritis & Working Full Timd

Pears89

I've been living with RA for a few years now and whilst things at work have been steady, and my managers understanding, recently I have been referred to occupational health and I'm a little nervous.

Has anyone been through the occupational health process with work?

DODGYKNEES

Hi @Pears89 I have been referred to occupational health a few times. I was worried at first too. But overall they have helped at work. They wanted to know how they could support me better at work, workstation assessment, working hours, etc. I don't know about other employers, but hopefully it will be helpful for you

ChrisG9

Me too, I was referred last year. Had a telephone consultation with Occ Health. They wrote a report on how to best support me at work. I was a little nervous beforehand yet it was a really positive experience

PJoanne

Hello @Pears89 welcome to the forum.

Here's a link to the VA website page about work, if you scroll down there is a link in blue about occupational health assessments.

https://versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/work-and-arthritis/helping-you-work-well-with-arthritis/making-decisions-about-work/

The sentence you are looking for is ' ACAS provides …..' I tried to link straight to it , but it did'n't work! Hope you find something useful there.

best Joanne

Airwave!

I’ve had widespread OA since I was young, diagnosed at 25 and I guessed that had I owned up at work I would have been out of a job, with little’un and mortgage Ididn’t say a word. Many years later I was referred to HR, sent for a medical and medical retirement, unbeknown to me I had RA for around 30+ years after Pulmonary Consultant told me I was wrongly diagnosed with Asthma but rather Pulmonary Fibrosis caused by RA. Did I do right? I doubt it, I went through a lot of pain and anguish and am still waiting for treatment that suits me (injections arriving next week😀). I do often wonder at how things worked out, we didn’t have HR when I started work, just work or get sacked, diagnosis was hit and miss but has improved vastly. So you have people looking after your back and I am sure that if they get the chance to help it will make their job feel worthwhile? Sometimes you have to go with the flow and accept what life gives you!