Health & Safety Leave

OutOfMyMind18

Evening!
Currently 27 weeks pregnant. I have pelvic girdle pain and the constant repetitive up and down to the printer makes it worse. I do a lot of printing in my job and have tried limiting the up and down. It results in me being out for a day or two to recover.
I suggested moving one of three printers onto my desk so as to do away with most of the repetitiveness. Initially it was a good idea, then health and safety got involved and refused flat out. Health and safety of all.
They haven’t tried to adjust my work environment. I told them the doctor and physio have cleared me to work if the necessary adjustment was made and I would even bring in my own printer (which is annoying)
Can they put me straight on Health and Safety leave without making adjustments first?
It’s hard to get around H&S it’s their way or the highway.
Currently out on leave this week due to a nasty kidney infection. But dreading going back in on Tuesday and being told I’m on leave. I will go totally insane for 11 weeks (which would have been my official finish up date)

_Brian

I don’t beleive there is a compulsion to change your work environment.

If they do an assessment and deem its unsuitable, and no alternative is available you can be placed in H&S leave for your protection.

Clashmore

Health and Safety Leave also means a big drop in pay as employer is only obliged to pay you for 3 weeks, then you can apply for H and S Benefit which works out the same as the dole.
Bearing this in mind is there any way to come to a compromise or a suitable arrangement for work with your employer

bingbong500

_Brian wrote: »

I don’t beleive there is a compulsion to change your work environment.

If they do an assessment and deem its unsuitable, and no alternative is available you can be placed in H&S leave for your protection.

There is a compulsion to change it if its possible and reasonable to do so. For example you can't send someone off on H&S leave if all they needed was a chair and it was easy to give them a chair, you just didn't want to. H&S leave is for when reasonable adjustments are not possible.

Getting up and down to a printer does not sound like an impossible task to overcome with a little common sense

Augme

http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Workplace_Health/Sensitive_Risk_Groups/Pregnant_at_Work_Frequently_Asked_Questions/