How to cope with RSI as a temporary worker?
June 18, 2022 3:42 AM Subscribe
I've suffered with RSI for several years now. In a 7 year job I eventually got Dragon (voice activation software) after an arduous struggle. I am now a temp worker so my current workplace (an Independent hospital chain) is even less inclined to pay for it, in-spite of just extending me.
I work via an agency who have told the hospital they would pay for half of it. This seems very reasonable of the agency to me as they are a small business. Hospital says it 'can't facilitate it' (they had originally said they had it in the first site I worked at but it never materialised).
I'm in the UK so had prior contact with Access to Work (who in theory assist with these things to keep you in work). After months of dead end conversations they closed my case. The debates seem to be who should pay for it and what's the point anyway if I'm 'only' a temp worker and can't take it with me.. they just don't say it like that.
Its not likely I could get it put on my own laptop due to data protection issues of the material I write up.
I'm currently taking 2 weeks off work in the hope the agency will get somewhere with the hospital. I will likely approach access-to-work again, but am not hopeful. I should maybe get a splint? Though I have tried to avoid this.
Sometimes I try and share the work between my 2 arms but then get (lesser) aches in my other arm.
I fantasise about learning touch typing but never have the time to slow down that much.
I voice message now instead of texting - any tips on how to ease other activities that aggravate RSI are appreciated.. not sure which ones stress it the most? I spend a lot of time picking tiny bits of Lego off the floor and hoovering feels bad.
I feel quite frightened about long term damage and how to cope with this. It's hard for me to understand how this isn't much more widespread/talked about?
It does not seem to count if you ever need disability benefit down the line because you can't use your arm?!
Has anyone got any advice? It's so hard to keep up the momentum to keep trying to get this quite basic (?) thing sorted and I'm naffed off that for the cost of all the chit chat to sort it out I could have got Dragon a few times over.
I am not techy at all and the desktop at work is pretty pants - no microphone or video. Any tips appreciated.
I work via an agency who have told the hospital they would pay for half of it. This seems very reasonable of the agency to me as they are a small business. Hospital says it 'can't facilitate it' (they had originally said they had it in the first site I worked at but it never materialised).
I'm in the UK so had prior contact with Access to Work (who in theory assist with these things to keep you in work). After months of dead end conversations they closed my case. The debates seem to be who should pay for it and what's the point anyway if I'm 'only' a temp worker and can't take it with me.. they just don't say it like that.
Its not likely I could get it put on my own laptop due to data protection issues of the material I write up.
I'm currently taking 2 weeks off work in the hope the agency will get somewhere with the hospital. I will likely approach access-to-work again, but am not hopeful. I should maybe get a splint? Though I have tried to avoid this.
Sometimes I try and share the work between my 2 arms but then get (lesser) aches in my other arm.
I fantasise about learning touch typing but never have the time to slow down that much.
I voice message now instead of texting - any tips on how to ease other activities that aggravate RSI are appreciated.. not sure which ones stress it the most? I spend a lot of time picking tiny bits of Lego off the floor and hoovering feels bad.
I feel quite frightened about long term damage and how to cope with this. It's hard for me to understand how this isn't much more widespread/talked about?
It does not seem to count if you ever need disability benefit down the line because you can't use your arm?!
Has anyone got any advice? It's so hard to keep up the momentum to keep trying to get this quite basic (?) thing sorted and I'm naffed off that for the cost of all the chit chat to sort it out I could have got Dragon a few times over.
I am not techy at all and the desktop at work is pretty pants - no microphone or video. Any tips appreciated.
How much motion can you tolerate in your hands?
Would an ergonomic keyboard like a Kinesis FreeStyle help you? or even a chorded keyboard like Tap?
posted by kschang at 7:05 AM on June 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Would an ergonomic keyboard like a Kinesis FreeStyle help you? or even a chorded keyboard like Tap?
posted by kschang at 7:05 AM on June 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
It seems like this hospital is potentially violating reasonable accommodation laws in UK, so one path might be seeking out a lawyer.
posted by brookeb at 7:07 AM on June 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by brookeb at 7:07 AM on June 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
I know and use as many keyboard shortcuts as possible to avoid using the mouse, which gives me tendinitis. I’m a pretty good hunt & peck typist and shortcuts speed that along.
Is there a rehabilitation program that would give you a copy to take with you to any job? And maybe even pay for a typing course and time to take it?
posted by theora55 at 7:37 AM on June 18, 2022
Is there a rehabilitation program that would give you a copy to take with you to any job? And maybe even pay for a typing course and time to take it?
posted by theora55 at 7:37 AM on June 18, 2022
If this health system as a radiology or emergency dept, they probably have something already, if not Dragon then something else for dictation. The question is whether this other thing will work for your purpose or not. It's probably configured for medical dictation and not as an assistive device.
posted by fiercekitten at 8:01 AM on June 18, 2022
posted by fiercekitten at 8:01 AM on June 18, 2022
First, I want to tell you that it's not OK that this is being done to you. You are getting caught between a number of people who are, at the very least, ignoring their moral duties, and, in at very least one case, quite possibly failing in legal duties too.
You need what appear to be reasonable and commercially practicable adjustments to be able to work, and it seems these are not being made. Fundamentally, I don't see your condition as the problem. Your condition is just a fact, it is becoming problematic in work because of the way that others are acting.
It is an employer's legal responsibility to both identify and make reasonable adjustments to ameliorate substantial disadvantages resulting from an employee's disability if they know, or reasonably should know, that it exists. For contract workers this duty applies to both the direct employer (the agency in your case) and their principal (the hospital, here, of course). Your condition, as described, appears to be long-term and to substantially impair your ability to engage in day-to-day activities in at least one major domain (the workplace). Per s6 Equality Act 2010, that would appear to meet the definition of a disability. Failure to comply with the duty to make adjustments is explicitly defined as discrimination in the Act. From what you have told us, it appears that you are an employee of the agency. It is highly unlikely that you are genuinely self-employed in such a role, even if not on PAYE, and reputable agencies don't try to pretend otherwise.
As all usual caveats that this is not legal advice apply, I strongly recommend that you seek qualified advice as soon as you can. Ideally, you would get legal advice from a firm of solicitors, but this may not be affordable. It is worth seeing if you might get legal aid. It sounds like your legal issue is in scope for legal aid (discrimination is the only bit of employment work still covered, but it is covered). You may or may not be financially eligible. Please use this site to check your financial eligibility. It can be difficult to find a legal aid firm (link to search tool) with capacity to even give initial advice, but the squeaky wheel gets the oil, so it may be worth persisting. I would recommend contacting law centres first and Duncan Lewis only if you have tried literally everyone else in England*. If you are in a position to pay for advice, the Law Society’s "Find a Solicitor" page is the place to look.
If you can't access formal legal advice for whatever reason, or cannot do so quickly, you may want to seek advice from ACAS (number at first link above), a local CAB, or another free advice service (link to search tool).
I naturally can't tell you if you'd have a legal argument, but you do have legally protected rights that I think it very much in your interests (and, admittedly, my interest as a disabled person who has faced discrimination in the workplace and wants employers forced to try much harder) to get advice about.
I also think it might be wise to see if you might be eligible for some amount of Personal Independence Payment. This is not a mean-tested benefit, but rather assistance to address additional needs arising from health/disability, with a primary purpose being reducing exclusion from the workplace. It may be that some extra income you could dedicate to your own needs could make a real difference to staying in work while minimising harm. Turn2Us has useful tools for checking, and you can call them freephone if you aren't sure.
* Interestingly, it doesn't look like that would even be a real option, as DL don't seem to have any legal aid discrimination contracts anymore. But, in any case, fuck Duncan Lewis.
** my experience is that the quality of CAB adviser can be inconsistent due to the franchise nature of the setup. That's not a knock: they have a model that at least functions in a hostile environment, I don't expect anything like perfection. CAB is definitely still worth trying, and you might well get excellent assistance, it just shouldn't be seen as the only or always the best option for free advice.
posted by howfar at 8:13 AM on June 18, 2022 [4 favorites]
You need what appear to be reasonable and commercially practicable adjustments to be able to work, and it seems these are not being made. Fundamentally, I don't see your condition as the problem. Your condition is just a fact, it is becoming problematic in work because of the way that others are acting.
It is an employer's legal responsibility to both identify and make reasonable adjustments to ameliorate substantial disadvantages resulting from an employee's disability if they know, or reasonably should know, that it exists. For contract workers this duty applies to both the direct employer (the agency in your case) and their principal (the hospital, here, of course). Your condition, as described, appears to be long-term and to substantially impair your ability to engage in day-to-day activities in at least one major domain (the workplace). Per s6 Equality Act 2010, that would appear to meet the definition of a disability. Failure to comply with the duty to make adjustments is explicitly defined as discrimination in the Act. From what you have told us, it appears that you are an employee of the agency. It is highly unlikely that you are genuinely self-employed in such a role, even if not on PAYE, and reputable agencies don't try to pretend otherwise.
As all usual caveats that this is not legal advice apply, I strongly recommend that you seek qualified advice as soon as you can. Ideally, you would get legal advice from a firm of solicitors, but this may not be affordable. It is worth seeing if you might get legal aid. It sounds like your legal issue is in scope for legal aid (discrimination is the only bit of employment work still covered, but it is covered). You may or may not be financially eligible. Please use this site to check your financial eligibility. It can be difficult to find a legal aid firm (link to search tool) with capacity to even give initial advice, but the squeaky wheel gets the oil, so it may be worth persisting. I would recommend contacting law centres first and Duncan Lewis only if you have tried literally everyone else in England*. If you are in a position to pay for advice, the Law Society’s "Find a Solicitor" page is the place to look.
If you can't access formal legal advice for whatever reason, or cannot do so quickly, you may want to seek advice from ACAS (number at first link above), a local CAB, or another free advice service (link to search tool).
I naturally can't tell you if you'd have a legal argument, but you do have legally protected rights that I think it very much in your interests (and, admittedly, my interest as a disabled person who has faced discrimination in the workplace and wants employers forced to try much harder) to get advice about.
I also think it might be wise to see if you might be eligible for some amount of Personal Independence Payment. This is not a mean-tested benefit, but rather assistance to address additional needs arising from health/disability, with a primary purpose being reducing exclusion from the workplace. It may be that some extra income you could dedicate to your own needs could make a real difference to staying in work while minimising harm. Turn2Us has useful tools for checking, and you can call them freephone if you aren't sure.
* Interestingly, it doesn't look like that would even be a real option, as DL don't seem to have any legal aid discrimination contracts anymore. But, in any case, fuck Duncan Lewis.
** my experience is that the quality of CAB adviser can be inconsistent due to the franchise nature of the setup. That's not a knock: they have a model that at least functions in a hostile environment, I don't expect anything like perfection. CAB is definitely still worth trying, and you might well get excellent assistance, it just shouldn't be seen as the only or always the best option for free advice.
posted by howfar at 8:13 AM on June 18, 2022 [4 favorites]
I should add that the fact that the agency is offering half (suggesting they think they have to; they are a business, after all) is potentially significant and I'd make sure it's among the things you mention early if seeking help.
posted by howfar at 8:19 AM on June 18, 2022
posted by howfar at 8:19 AM on June 18, 2022
This is a tiny, technical detail, but if you had a work-only laptop that had Dragon Dictate but was otherwise used only for each current employer, perhaps that is enough like a physical help that goes with you to reframe the issue in someone’s checklist?
posted by clew at 10:15 AM on June 18, 2022
posted by clew at 10:15 AM on June 18, 2022
I use a comparatively inexpensive drawing tablet for a mouse and it has helped me so much with mouse related pain. Might be worth a try.
posted by hilaryjade at 8:51 PM on June 18, 2022
posted by hilaryjade at 8:51 PM on June 18, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by childofTethys at 4:42 AM on June 18, 2022 [2 favorites]