Driving...

[iistuii]

Hi, there was a resign in our office & after driving for years doing rural's I have had a terrible pain in my back from getting in & out the van all day, had mri scans & there's definitely wear & tear in my joints, so I signed for a walk & it's been great for the last couple of months. Now the managers are shifting me around to driving rounds as many as four times a week & it's made my back as bad as it was months ago. I have been a Postie for 25 years, I never go sick, but I'm struggling now due to this. I have stated many times that if I'm left on my walk there's no problem, but it seems to fall on deaf ears, can I just refuse to drive anymore of do I have to go down the atos route ? I don't want any specialist treatment, I just want to do the round I signed for which is nice & flat & gives me no pain whatsoever.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Even though you don't want special treatment, you need it.

The managers can ignore your requests as there is no evidence, except your word, that the injury has been caused, and what caused it.

Therefore your best option is to get a referral to OH Assist, tell them the truth, and if possible have evidence from your GP, and if they agree with you, it will be a brave or stupid manager that would go against their recommendation.

[iistuii]

Even though you don't want special treatment, you need it.

The managers can ignore your requests as there is no evidence, except your word, that the injury has been caused, and what caused it.

Therefore your best option is to get a referral to OH Assist, tell them the truth, and if possible have evidence from your GP, and if they agree with you, it will be a brave or stupid manager that would go against their recommendation.

Yeah thanks, I've got a doctors appointment tomorrow to get the ball rolling. It would be just easier if I could just come off driving, the in & out of the van is the problem on rural's & doing the packets. I am actually signed into a shared van as a passenger & when I'm on that round everything is fine. There is plenty of people in our office who drive to work yet don't drive for Royal Mail, I just can't see why I can't just come off, I mean I've done 25 years & surely one more wont hurt.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Oh I entirely agree and if I was your manager, I would assess the situation and deal with it as best as I could. The problem is Royal Mail managers are managers who tick boxes and nod their heads for the most part. They are not allowed to be leaders, motivators and problem solvers, they are condemned by higher managers for being too soft if they empathise with their staff. The higher you go up the food chain the more they seem to micro-manage.

Unfortunately, the only way grunts can cope with such a system is to use it where possible to get something that in the real world would take 10 minutes to arrange and plan. We have too many managers empire building, but if they let the front line managers and posties really do what they are, and could be best at, then this company would go from strength to strength and we would be way more efficient and a lot more cost effective. But while vested interests rule the roost you will always get nick picking, panic and any initiative will be killed by the "make work" managers ruling their fiefdoms.

I will step off my soap box now

[magicw]

Its bloody ridiculous. I ve been signed off for 2 weeks for Lower Back Pain caused by a partial pro lapse of Lumbar 5/6 dis causing sciatic pain

My lino has rung me every day " to see how I m doing ". One Wednesday he sent me a Special , requesting I attend the office the next day

I did so with Sick Note clearly stating 29/08 for Fit return to work. I told him I was having problems going from siting to standing and anything that involved flexing of the hip, I.e my knees being higher than my waist. Getting in and out of a vehicle just puts me back to point one.

He rings me Saturday, begging me to go in , Says he's 20 walks down. Told him I d come back Monday if he put me on a H.C.T round, as I m okay walking, and someone else would have to drop in the bottom rows on the frame.

Gets in Today. No Return to work, Put straight on to a Rural Driving duty and no mention of what we agreed. I said I was leaving as my sick note still covered me until 29th, He then states that by coming in I ve reported fit and if I leave hell put me on a stage 2 absence Warning.

What a cock ( Me for agreeing to go in) and Him as always.

[steve1873]

Its bloody ridiculous. I ve been signed off for 2 weeks for Lower Back Pain caused by a partial pro lapse of Lumbar 5/6 dis causing sciatic pain

My lino has rung me every day " to see how I m doing ". One Wednesday he sent me a Special , requesting I attend the office the next day

I did so with Sick Note clearly stating 29/08 for Fit return to work. I told him I was having problems going from siting to standing and anything that involved flexing of the hip, I.e my knees being higher than my waist. Getting in and out of a vehicle just puts me back to point one.

He rings me Saturday, begging me to go in , Says he's 20 walks down. Told him I d come back Monday if he put me on a H.C.T round, as I m okay walking, and someone else would have to drop in the bottom rows on the frame.

Gets in Today. No Return to work, Put straight on to a Rural Driving duty and no mention of what we agreed. I said I was leaving as my sick note still covered me until 29th, He then states that by coming in I ve reported fit and if I leave hell put me on a stage 2 absence Warning.

What a cock ( Me for agreeing to go in) and Him as always.

I would be putting in a grievance in IMMEDIATELY stating the exact details of your agreement to come in. Disgusting behaviour from a guy who is quite clearly a clown!