Back Pain and Work – A Daunting Situation
It can often be very worrying when your back condition is causing you so much pain that it results in time off work. Below is a collection of useful tips, links and advice to try and help eliminate some of the concerns and worries you may be experiencing. You will also find some practical suggestions to help you manage your symptoms within the workplace.
Your Entitlements
The law, as it currently stands in the UK, is that you are not required to provide your employer a Fit Note/Sick Note written from a doctor unless you are off from work for a total of seven days in a row (this includes non-working days and bank holidays).
If you are off work for more than 4 weeks this is then classified as being long term sick and you are entitled to Statutory sick pay ttotaling £92.05 per week. This is paid for a maximum of 28 weeks.
Your employer may also provide occupational sick pay this amount is decided by your firm and may have certain procedures and requirements that you must meet in order for you to be eligible.
Read about popular relief for back pain that can be used in the comfort of your own home.
Approaching your Employer
In such a situation it is advisable to arrange a meeting with your employer to discuss your personal situation and see if it is feasible for you to return to work by perhaps arranging less demanding duties or possibly working reduced hours for a period of time.
Your employer may be obliged to make changes in the workplace, Reasonable Adjustments that might be hindering your work due to your disability or health condition. Alternatively, if your require changes not covered by your employer you can apply for an Access to Work Grant. Things that can be covered are adaptations or equipment to enable you to carry out your job role or other options such as helping you commute to your place of work.
Download a free information sheet on how to reduce back pain with out the use of drugs.
Keeping in work.
If you have a desk job it might be helpful to read about how to sit correctly as a large amount of back pain can stem from poor positioning. Or if you have a manual job read about how to lift properly. Taking regular breaks, while also staying active is also vital to keeping your back pain at bay.
There are also useful information sites available such as Fit for Work, which offer advice on how to manage your back condition at home and at work. They also provide information and support to help you return to your work after a period of absenteeism.
We hope you have found this article useful and it has helped to point you in the right direction regarding your workplace entitlements.
Below are also some other support groups representing a variety of organisations (recommend by the NHS) that you may also find beneficial.
Long-term back pain is a scary prospect but sometimes knowing where to find the appropriate information as well as having support from fellow sufferers can really help to improve what can often be a very daunting and worrying situation.
Support groups
The material provided in this article is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author and publisher and both disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this content.
