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Date: 01.08.2013
From: Karen

Subject: Reasonable changes at work

Hiya,

I've had RA for 5 years now, I have an extremely physical job and my work load and condition has got worse in the past 6 months. I have recently contacted my work and a 3rd party regarding making "reasonable changes" in my workplace.

How do you guys get on with your job? have you had changes made? have you been made redundant because you are no longer fit to do the job?

Very stressed and worried at the moment :-(

Oh, I'm on Enbrel
Karen
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Date: 02.08.2013
From: Heather

Subject: Re: Reasonable changes at work

Hi Karen
I used to work for a children's charity and that's when I started to have my RA symptoms (back in 2005). A year later my hips were affected and I was struggling to even walk, then there were the side effects that I got from sulph which had me off work for 6 weeks. I went back to work part time and gradually built up to full time again.
At the time, my job was very physically demanding as I was running training nationwide and it required me to be away from home for 2 nights a week and working very long hours.
My boss was amazing and far more knowledgeable about 'reasonable adjustments' than I was at the time and she took me off working on the events. I was gutted as I loved it. However, it turned out that she had bigger plans for me and knew that we were going to be expanding shortly after that, where I was promoted to running the admin for the whole department.

I now work for a different charity as an Office Manager and they are also supportive, but I often have to ask for what I need (and am entitled to under the EA act) as my manager is not familiar with the affects of RA. this includes taking work home with me if I'm having a flare up, in case I feel as though I can't get in to work (but feel able to undertake some work), getting voice recognition installed on my PC and making sure I ask for help for the more physical aspects (such as emptying the dishwasher, putting out the recycling, using the step-stool to get files etc.).
I think it helps if you are able to identify the aspects of your role that you have difficulty with and try to think of possible solutions - and employers always like the ones that don't cost them much money!
Ultimately, I know I am going to have to drop my hours at some point, but I'll keep doing what I can for now. No one knows what is going to happen in the future (especially as I'm due to start Humira in the not too distant future).

Is your manager supportive? Do they know what RA is, I mean, what it really means? I presented my current manager with an employers guide which she has found very useful: http://www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/media/CLT/ResourceUploads/20871/1_nras_employersb_a_guide_for_employers.pdf

Good luck and keep me posted x
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