I used my employer's HR form to request an assessment for 'reasonable adjustments' relating to disability. Requests are outsourced to a specialist provider.
They said I needed to supply my phone number as all assessments take place over the phone.
Their company's mission statement is: to create an inclusive society which embraces diversity and releases potential to advance humanity.
And they only do business by phone.
And yes, I specifically asked if the request could be handled via a different form of comms. They said no, all assessments must be done over the phone or else the request would be cancelled.
They've now offered to hold the assessment via a comms channel my company (i.e. their client) has blocked.
And they called me by the wrong name.
Ugh. I remembered something a colleague said last night at our work drinks.
Colleague: There's a programme to encourage hiring of people with *real* disabilities. You know, like blind people and wheelchair users. Last year they hired eight people to work as greeters in the head office. When you come to the office and you're welcomed to the building by *these people*, it can't help but bring a smile to your face.
Everyone else at the table: Oh, that's lovely.
Me: #DiesFromCringe
Breaking!
The 'Leading Workplace Adjustment and Assistive Technology Partner' got special permission to hold my assessment via Zoom. Just this once. As a treat. Because I asked so insistently.
Ha ha ha ha ha haha ha ha ha.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Sigh.
To recap…
I used the form to request ‘reasonable adjustments’ at work. In my request, I said I was looking to move to a permanent work from home contract due to my health condition.
They said they’d need to do an assessment.
Lots of faff about the method of completing the assessment.
This morning, we did the assessment.
At the end of the assessment, what did she say? Any guesses?
Employee contracts aren’t something they deal with or can help with. But if I need a more ergonomic desk, they’d be happy to help with that.
I said in my request what #ReasonableAdjustments I was looking for.
They could have replied to say that wasn’t something they were able to help with.
They could have said they’d be happy to help with XYZ, but don’t get involved in employee contracts.
There was zero need to waste my time with this assessment.
Employers: We have a nice, friendly programme that allows disabled people to perform meaningless, unskilled jobs for (heavily subsidised) minimum wage. Could we perhaps interest you in one of those?
Disabled people: But we have actual skills you could put to use in proper jobs?
Employers:
All you people guessing that the answer would be some euphemistic form of no have clearly not spent enough time navigating the murky waters of corporate BS.
No is a final answer.
Bureaucracy doesn't do final answers. It just mires you in layers upon layers of red tape until you get fed up and stop asking the question.
It's absolute crap. I've had basically same response after jumping through reasonable adjustment process and disclosing things to new (fortunately supportive) manager, only for HR to say we can't change contract to WFH even though that's what you've now done for 4 years without problems, get back to the office.
So if I have a burnout in a couple of months and end up on sick leave until Christmas, whose fault will that be...
So I've got a manager who says ok but HR says no, while you've got HR who say yes but a manager who won't fill in the form to make it official.
Why are employers so pathetic!
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