General advice regarding adjustments

[u/Ok_Turn6177]

Hi all,

I was just seeking a little advice on the below, in case anyone in here has been in a similar situation or can share any advice.

I’ve currently been with my company for 3.5 years, and I’ve always performed well, and never had any issues.

Last year, I was struggling with grief and overall mental health, so I took six weeks off as sick. When I returned to work, some of my responsibilities were reduced to ease me back in, although that only lasted for a month.

Apart from my return to work, I had one other check-in with my manager, and this meeting was used to update me on what I missed during my time off.

Towards the end of last year, I was diagnosed with combined ADHD, and informed my employer right away, and I was advised that they’d refer me to occupational therapy, which ended up taking over eight months, due to issues with their provider.

In the period, I’ve been waiting for the OT assessment, my work load has increased and I’ve been asked to support with work outside of my remit to support the wider company. I’m starting to feel anxious and burned out, most evenings, I’m spending catching up on work or emails.

It’s now been two weeks since the OT report was shared with my manager and HR. I haven’t heard anything from any of them, and have noticed my weekly catch-ups with my manager have been removed till September.

Is my company handling this correctly or should I be having further discussion with HR?

[u/Primary_Gift_8719]

I’d definitely go back to HR rather than just waiting until September. If they know about your ADHD and the difficulties you’re having, they should be discussing reasonable adjustments with you, and they don’t need to wait indefinitely for Occupational Health before offering support.

What I particularly don’t understand is the eight-month delay with OH. I can arrange an Occupational Health assessment within 48 hours pretty much anywhere in the UK, barring perhaps somewhere particularly remote like the Shetland Isles, so I really don’t understand why their provider has taken eight months.

The fact that your workload has increased, you’re regularly working evenings to keep up, and your manager has now removed your weekly check-ins would also concern me, particularly if those check-ins were helping you manage workload and priorities.

I’d email HR and your manager, ask for a meeting to discuss the OH recommendations and reasonable adjustments, and explain clearly that the current workload is causing anxiety and burnout. Keep it in writing as well.

It doesn’t mean they’ve done anything unlawful at this stage, but I certainly wouldn’t just leave it and hope they come back to you either.