What to do? physio advice dont walk for more than 30 mins.

[tragictramp]

Latest news on my dodgy knee is arthritis and effusion of the joint, ie water, my doctor suggested that i have physio to strengthen other muscles to help support the knee.

I got royal mail to refer me to atos's approved physio for assesment and treatment, the result of the assesment are that my knee cap does not run straight, and tracks out of place, constantly dislocating itself to an extent and back in which has caused the arthritis and thus the water on the joint, she said she will report this to atos and then royal mail. I should be o light duties till at least after xmas and maybe a lot longer, i was put on light duties when this problem 1st arose several months ago and after the den wasnt working, as i was still constantly stood and walking/bending, i was told all they could offer me is nights, sorting, this was over 5 days at 7 hours, and werent exactly light duties dragging yorks of mail in and out, taking off the trays and sorting them non stop. My knee did recover but as soon as i went back on full duties the knee slowly started getting worse again.

My point is, now i have to report to them that i have to be on light duties for a considerable amount of time, can i be forced onto nights?, i absolutely hate nights with a vengeance and feel physically ill and zombified doing them, it wouldnt be bad if i had 3 on 4 off like the css nightshifts but 5x7 at 12am-7am kills me proper. I assume ill also lose my rotating day off as they like to force the tuesday day/night off kind of thing.

[flaminmoses]

I had a similar problem a few years ago.

went on lights but to another office killing off deads and prepping walks.

they tried to get me to clear in but I couldn't do it properly as carrying hurt the knee.
so one of the linos would clear in for us......

as for night shifts...they couldn't do that to me because I was a carer....

[meercat]

i absolutely hate nights with a vengeance and feel physically ill and zombified doing them.

If that's the case tell you doctor that and he should give you an exemption from night shift duties. If they will make you ill and you did not take up the job as a night shift worker you should not be expected to do them.

[coxie]

i absolutely hate nights with a vengeance and feel physically ill and zombified doing them.

If that's the case tell you doctor that and he should give you an exemption from night shift duties. If they will make you ill and you did not take up the job as a night shift worker you should not be expected to do them.

Word! Go straight to the doctor and get an excuse so you don't have to do it.

[coxie]

My excuse would be something like my wife works nights so I have to be at home with the kids

[tragictramp]

Well it hasnt come to nights yet, ive been in the callers office doing supposed light duties from 6.15 to 13.15, the problem is i do at least as much walking as what i would on a duty, albeit indoors and on the flat, i called atos to see if they had sent my dom a report and what light duties they have recommended and they said they will not send him any report until i have had 3 sessions of physio, i had the initial 1 last week another tomorrow and one next week, day by day my knee seems to be getting worse and even driving is becoming quite painful afterwards. Im not so much worried about the pain at the moment its the risk that walking 5 miles plus wherever i am is damaging my knee more and aggravating the arthritis.

As the dom hasnt had an official report from atos, am i being out of order if i decide that these duties are taking their toll on my knee too much and also creating pain?, light duties with a knee problem in my eyes would be a sitting down job or reduced hours, ill ask my physio tomorrow if 7 hrs stood up walking is a detriment to my condition.

[meercat]

i absolutely hate nights with a vengeance and feel physically ill and zombified doing them.

If that's the case tell you doctor that and he should give you an exemption from night shift duties. If they will make you ill and you did not take up the job as a night shift worker you should not be expected to do them.

Word! Go straight to the doctor and get an excuse so you don't have to do it.

It's not about having an 'excuse'. The guy says working nights makes him ill - end of.

[Lounge Lizard]

i absolutely hate nights with a vengeance and feel physically ill and zombified doing them.

If that's the case tell you doctor that and he should give you an exemption from night shift duties. If they will make you ill and you did not take up the job as a night shift worker you should not be expected to do them.

Word! Go straight to the doctor and get an excuse so you don't have to do it.

It's not about having an 'excuse'. The guy says working nights makes him ill - end of.

Indeed, never mind what management or ATOS say what you should do, YOU decide what you can do and tell them, with the backing of your GP if necessary.

[tragictramp]

Well thursdays physio session they told me I should not be walking for more than 30 mins per day to let my muscles recover and no driving for more than 30 also, she filed the report their and then and said i should definitely not walk for any longer, In returning to work friday i told the dom this and he said he will adjust duties once he gets the report, I then contacted atos to see if they had issued the report or when would this be likely, they said there will be no report till at least my 3rd physio session (next thursday), i have been rota'd in to do an 11 hour shift in the callers office on tuesday, this is 4 hours longer than my normal duty length - so hardly light duties in any sense. In the keyroom i am constantly walking, bending, and stretching as parcels are all over the shop including the floor on trays, I have to get br's from the main floor, po boxes and sort out a large returns companies clothing items for them to be charged and bag them up etc for the postie, whilst this is happening I have a flood of customers continously coming in to collect their parcels so i have to rush back and forth non stop - hardly light duties. I understand the doms position as officially he hasnt received anything to alter my duties as atos will only issue a report after my 3rd physio session, this apparently is because i was referred directly for physio rather than coming back off the sick referral, atos also told me that they do not change anything the physio suggests so what i have been told by the physio is what my manager willl end up having, also my manager can refuse to follow atos's advice but then he has a duty of care for my health.

My union rep suggests i do nothing until tuesday morning as im off monday and we have a meeting with the dom to sort this out and if doesnt comply with what the physio has said then i would have to either ignore my physios advice and cause further damage to my knee or go sick, im on a stage 1 partly due to the initial knee problem which was only issued 6 weeks ago, and would rather not go sick but 7 hrs has been bad enough and to do 4 hours more on supposed amended duties is nothing but a joke, the dom is happy as it is as he has just got the keyroom normal guy doing whatever rounds i would be doing - thus no change to staffing levels. If i go in tuesday and have a meeting he will then expect me to complete the 11 hr shift, so im tempted to call monday saying if the duties are not amended i have no choice but to go sick until he receives the atos report and complies with the amendments.

What would you lot do?, ignore professional physiotherapists advice or suck it up and work through it on worse duty lengths than my normal duty??

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

just to make you aware, he could receive the report, read it and then decide that he has no appropriate light duties for you to do then he can tell you you have to go sick

[tragictramp]

just to make you aware, he could receive the report, read it and then decide that he has no appropriate light duties for you to do then he can tell you you have to go sick

Cheers, atos told me this, would this then ad towards any stage?, the physio says i need to be on he recommended instructions until at least the new year and then the muscles might not have recovered enough, would this problem come under the DDA act? As i have arthritis, water on the knee and my kneecap tracks totally out of line causing more damage continuously.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

just to make you aware, he could receive the report, read it and then decide that he has no appropriate light duties for you to do then he can tell you you have to go sick

Cheers, atos told me this, would this then ad towards any stage?, the physio says i need to be on he recommended instructions until at least the new year and then the muscles might not have recovered enough, would this problem come under the DDA act? As i have arthritis, water on the knee and my kneecap tracks totally out of line causing more damage continuously.

yes further days off would add to your stage warnings, doesnt sound long term enough for equalities act, needs to be substanial and long term ie over 12 months, if it was on going after new year then it may fall into the equalities act

[fishtank]

I would suggest you read this document which outlines your manager's role and responsibilities in this situation.

10 Draft Work Following Health Problems Guide.doc

Any short term job modifications or phased return should be discussed at your welcome back meeting on day 1 with your rep present if you wish.
A manager does not need an Atos report to initiate short term job modifications or a phased return to work,It's helpful and advisable but not necessary.
If short term job modifications or a phased return to work are not possible at your parent office the reasons for this must be recorded and the next step is to look for another suitable location.
The business position is to get people back to work as soon as possible and managers have been briefed not to refuse job modifications other than in very exceptional circumstances.
If you return to work and no suitable work can be found for you forcing you to go off sick again it will be considered as one continuous related absence.

[tragictramp]

Thanks Fishtank, an interesting read, but i havent been sick for several months, at my stage meeting they asked if theirs any problems that may affect my attendance in future which i stated my knee, they said they would take loops off me etc,i requested seeking atos's advice, atos got involved when my doctor suggested physio and my knee issue re-ocurred as it would take months with the nhs, atos then diagnosised that i have mistracked kneecap, my doctor does not yet know of the mistracked kneecap and nothing official has got to my dom yet regarding this.

So its a case of my dom either taking my word for it and finding a suitable role, ignoring my verbal details of atos's physios recommendation and making me work in an unsuitable role with extended hours than standard - possibly making me go sick until he receives the report and adjusts if he sees fit.

I think it would be better all round if i ring him monday in advance of me just turning up tuesday expected to carry out an unsuitable role for more hours than i work normally, and then me refusing to do this, at least he would have to cover the duty if he is pre-warned and i can get a decision before hand.