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Good Morning everyone

 

We currently have a situation where an employee has been attending Occ
Health due to anxiety and depression following alleged bullying and
harassment by his supervisor and colleagues in the workplace. The dept
has had several documented cases of issues around dignity at workIn
order for us to facilitate a return to work the employee was allocated a
temporary position in another department in the company. Throughout the
month that he has worked there he has significantly improved and he was
no longer experiencing any anxiety. He was happy to return to work and
was showing positivity and drive to succeed. He understood that the
position was temporary and has been in meetings with management to
discuss a phased return back into his original dept.

He recently spent an hour working in his old department and states that
he is still being' sent to Coventry' which has caused his anxiety to
return. He reported all this during routine health surveillance and he
was visibly distressed. HR have basically told him that if he can't go
back in there that he will have to find another job, which again has
added to the pressure that he is already experiencing.

 

The OHA advised that he is temporarily unfit to return to work in his
original dept and has made an appointment for him to see the OH
Physician.

 

HR didn't take kindly to the advice and tried to manipulate what the OHA
wrote in the report including a request for the report to be sent to her
only and not the manager. As you can imagine my very experienced
colleague stood her ground and declined on both counts.

 

I guess what I'm asking is... Is anyone aware of any case law involving
an individual who has lost their job because they couldn't return to an
area because precipitating factors at work  were affecting their mental
health?

HR seem determined to rule out permanent redeployment regardless of his
health needs or the fact that he is extremely productive in his
temporary role. Obviously I am aware that creating another post for
someone isn't likely to be deemed a reasonable adjustment. However, the
company currently employs 650 people and I'm not sure if they would be
expected to try and make the adjustment.

 

Please note that we will not be getting involved in the management
decisions, my request is based on wanting to increase our understanding
and knowledge around how this may cases such as this may be treated in
relation to employment law.

 

Kind regards

 

 

 

Paula Highton RN BSc(Hons) SCPHN (OH)

Occupational Health Manager

Medical Centre ext 272 

  Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd. | Sheffield S9 2RW | Email: 
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>  | Tel: 0114 244 9071 Fax:
0114 243 2711

www.sheffieldforgemasters.com <http://www.sheffieldforgemasters.com/> 

 

Please be advised that all e-mail communication relevant to assisting in
the management of the OH process will be entered into the individual's
OH file. This may therefore be disclosed to the client under the Data
Protection Act (1998).

 


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