Returning to work - chair advice please

[doog]

Interesting. I think then I should make a few phone calls to HR etc. Not had to do this for any of my staff members so will be a very useful learning curve.

OH should do an assessment of your office, desk and computer. It's entirely their responsibility on a return to work..what if you buy the wrong chair ?

 

[Bazzer]

I'd contact the LEA and ask for one of their assessors to come to the school. At work we have trained assessors and they assess as part of the display screen assessment, if you self assess that equipment doesn't "fit" for whatever reason. They then suggest adjustments, or equipment gets changed if it can't be adjusted.
There are all sorts of criteria. For example if you are above a certain weight, then standard height adjustable chairs cannot be used. If you are taller than (I think) 6'4", the desk has to be adjusted.
I was assessed because of backache when sitting at work. Turned out to be connected with the length of my thigh bone and not being properly supported.
When I returned to work after my broken leg an assessment was offered, but because the chair I had supported the full length of my thighs and I could make other adjustments with the chair, I was able to sit comfortably.

 

[srw]

I would have expected O/H to recommend a suitable chair, worth asking

This. Your responsibility is limited to following the advice of the experts. It's a Health and Safety matter - if the budget you've been given doesn't suit then you should ever so politely, and with the support of your union remind your employer of their obligation. And of your obligation as the line manager of the other teachers in your school!

 

[ufkacbln]

Unfortunately (or fortunately) you are an individual with unique problems and issues


What you need is a proper formal workplace assessment

 

[fossyant]

My chair has cost about £600. I get to use it next week !! Mine has an adjustable lumbar support (broken back). You need an expert to assess what you need. I also have a height adjustable sit stand desk, that was another £550.

Stupid expensive, but your employer has to do it.

PS bet you get kudos with the kids for breaking yourself on a bike - didn't know you were a head teacher !!!

 

[postman]

Apart from the chair.Have you thought about a few hours per day for a few weeks,just to get you settled in.

 

[fossyant]

What Postman says, it's taken me July and August to build up to full time. It's been hard, and has meant I can't exercise as I'm too tired. Only done one full week so far. Ended up in bed on pain killers a fair amount.

 

[mjr]

I've worked alongside colleagues with back issues and they tried "Kneeling Chairs".

I have one of those too. It doesn't get used that much unless my shoulders are playing up (see helmet thread if you want to discuss how that happened), except in summer when I sometimes work outdoors. It's much much easier to carry than the KAB one (mainly as it has no back and it's less than half the weight). It's fine and a nice change sometimes, but I couldn't use it for the whole day because the backs of my knees do get a bit sweaty in that position - and other discussions on here suggest I'm less sweaty than many.

 

[subaqua]

Interesting. I think then I should make a few phone calls to HR etc. Not had to do this for any of my staff members so will be a very useful learning curve.

and there should not be a fixed budget there should be the correct equipment to enable you to carry out your tasks.

OH should have made the recommendation(s) so you can choose what works for you. most good suppliers (manufacturers) will let you try chairs before purchase.

 

[Mrs M]

I have an RH Logic chair at work, recommended by OHS and much better than the standard office chair.
I also had a Bambach saddle chair but can't use now because of hip pain.
Recommend both but the saddle chair (without back) keeps you in correct posture and was surprisingly comfortable.
Both expensive but what price health?
Well done on your recovery and return to work
Best wishes x

 

[The Jogger]

As said, you need a Workplace Risk Assessment (WRA), a DSE assessment for sitting at the computer, and a meeting with your manager and HR to arrange reasonable adjustments, which may include reduced hours with a build up to normal working hours. These reasonable adjustments should be officially recorded.

 

[macp]

One of the most adjustable and comfortable chairs is the Herman Miller Aeron range, but they are reassuringly expensive http://www.hermanmiller.co.uk/products/seating/performance-work-chairs/aeron-chairs.html I'm sat on a secondhand one now.

We all use these at work and they are excellent although you still get numb bum after a while but best chairs we have had. We bought ours used from ebay for a about £300ea and they were virtually mint.

 

[Katherine]

Good luck with going back to work.

 

[Zeffer]

Thanks for all the advice. I have just had fifteen 17 year olds round for my daughter's birthday, should have taken OH advice before doing that!

I will make phone calls tomorrow when I go in and let you know how I get on. I will be pushing for a proper assessment based on advice here.

Even sat at home on a sofa then dining chair is causing a great deal of discomfort so I must get this right.

The children at school do think it's cool I broke myself in a cycling accident. They all think it must have been great fun walking round all day on crutches! I hope they never find out how wrong they are!

Thanks for the good wishes, I have agreed that I will work from home semi-regularly during the first few weeks to ensure I don't destroy myself. I'll also be doing shorter days as necessary.

 

[marinyork]

Actually many organisations do actually have some kind of budget against which there's a pot of money for dealing with disability issues. A spend can be deemed unreasonable in theory.

However the £800, this is probably just a pie in the sky number OH has come up with. As an everyday starting point this is probably all right though.

The issue here is proportionality if it is in fact a reasonable adjustment. The factors that matter in what is proportional are things like the budget of the school probably something massive like £2.5m +. The salary of the employee here probably extremely high. The amounts spent on other RAs (this might be on a local authority basis as a comparator. How cost effective it is - able to come back to work etc. The cost of training up another employee to do their job permanently compared to the outlay. LOL. Given all of these factors if I was called in to go and represent zeffer arguing with HR then if £800 quid turned out wasn't suitable you'd just demolish them.

It's not a case of following the advice of OH blindly so much. The reason why employment law is phrased as it is is because if it was written such that the burden on the employee to come up with all the ideas then employers would go lalalala you are stupid you can't even come up with ideas to help yourself, we're not going to help you. So the burden is on the employer. However it does not mean that employers can outright dismiss suggestions made by the employee.

Statutory code of conduct

6.24 There is no onus on the disabled worker to suggest what adjustments should be made (although it is good practice for employers to ask). However, where the disabled person does so, the employer should consider whether such adjustments would help overcome the substantial disadvantage, and whether they are reasonable.