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I have a worn knee joint, can they really force me to work upstairs?
I would like some advice about problem/s I am having at work which are playing on my mind.
Some brief background information: I work for a company 50 miles away from where I live, and have a long commute each week to work. The company has been having “problems”, if I can put it that way, since 2007 when they bought out a competitor and in doing so nearly broke the company. This led to the company changing ownership, but things have been steadily getting worse for the last 3 years, and by my estimate has lost at least 50% of it's business to two locally based competitors. The company has three building, two next to each other and a third building about a mile down the road. Basically, the company needs a new building! I have been working for this company for 4.5 years.
The cause of my problem is this: The Engineering Department is expanding and is going to take over a room in one of the buildings previously used by Despatch. That means that Despatch has to move, and they have decided to put it in the main production building in the area where my department currently resides, and my department - 4 people - are being moved upstairs into the old Purchasing/Planning office.
So how does this effect me?: I have a worn knee joint, caused by an accident involving a step ladder about 20 years ago, when my knee joint suddenly gave out and I basically fell off the ladder. I'm OK on the flat, but my knee starts playing up when I have to climb stairs. My work also involves a certain about of lifting and carrying products, and some of this can at present be done using a trolley, unfortunately this isn't an option with a staircase! The prospect of climbing stairs everyday, especially if I have to carry items for test in boxes, is consequently not that appealing, and I am concerned that this is going to put extra strain on my knee joint. I have discussed this with my Line Manager, but all he seems to have come up with is to get someone in to do an “assessment”, and has suggested that if I'm having a “bad day” with my knee that I could work downstairs in the Calibration Lab. This would be better, but because of the layout of the building I could not use a trolley due to changes in floor level, the Calibration Lab is a small room designed for one person not two, plus he doesn't seem to get the fact that I have a number of long term health problems, the knee is just one. The move is probably due to take place sometime next month.
As I see it at the moment I seem to have 4 options:
1) Put up and shut up.
2) Find another job – Easier said than done, as it took about a year to find my present job.
3) Resign.
4) Talk to the company about the possibility of voluntary redundancy. There are currently 4 people in my department, and each of us has cyclic work, where the work is there one minute and as soon as it's done that's it. In my opinion there is a good case to make at least 1 of the 4 of us redundant, and due to the reasons I have previously mentioned I would like to be at least considered for it. The problem seems to be that the “r” word is a taboo subject with the management, as I think they fear that if they let anyone go they will go and work for one of the two local competitors, or if things do pick up they simply won't have the staff to cope with the work load...
Any advice?
What is my legal position as far as employment law is concerned?
Some brief background information: I work for a company 50 miles away from where I live, and have a long commute each week to work. The company has been having “problems”, if I can put it that way, since 2007 when they bought out a competitor and in doing so nearly broke the company. This led to the company changing ownership, but things have been steadily getting worse for the last 3 years, and by my estimate has lost at least 50% of it's business to two locally based competitors. The company has three building, two next to each other and a third building about a mile down the road. Basically, the company needs a new building! I have been working for this company for 4.5 years.
The cause of my problem is this: The Engineering Department is expanding and is going to take over a room in one of the buildings previously used by Despatch. That means that Despatch has to move, and they have decided to put it in the main production building in the area where my department currently resides, and my department - 4 people - are being moved upstairs into the old Purchasing/Planning office.
So how does this effect me?: I have a worn knee joint, caused by an accident involving a step ladder about 20 years ago, when my knee joint suddenly gave out and I basically fell off the ladder. I'm OK on the flat, but my knee starts playing up when I have to climb stairs. My work also involves a certain about of lifting and carrying products, and some of this can at present be done using a trolley, unfortunately this isn't an option with a staircase! The prospect of climbing stairs everyday, especially if I have to carry items for test in boxes, is consequently not that appealing, and I am concerned that this is going to put extra strain on my knee joint. I have discussed this with my Line Manager, but all he seems to have come up with is to get someone in to do an “assessment”, and has suggested that if I'm having a “bad day” with my knee that I could work downstairs in the Calibration Lab. This would be better, but because of the layout of the building I could not use a trolley due to changes in floor level, the Calibration Lab is a small room designed for one person not two, plus he doesn't seem to get the fact that I have a number of long term health problems, the knee is just one. The move is probably due to take place sometime next month.
As I see it at the moment I seem to have 4 options:
1) Put up and shut up.
2) Find another job – Easier said than done, as it took about a year to find my present job.
3) Resign.
4) Talk to the company about the possibility of voluntary redundancy. There are currently 4 people in my department, and each of us has cyclic work, where the work is there one minute and as soon as it's done that's it. In my opinion there is a good case to make at least 1 of the 4 of us redundant, and due to the reasons I have previously mentioned I would like to be at least considered for it. The problem seems to be that the “r” word is a taboo subject with the management, as I think they fear that if they let anyone go they will go and work for one of the two local competitors, or if things do pick up they simply won't have the staff to cope with the work load...
Any advice?
What is my legal position as far as employment law is concerned?
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