Girl Squad

Preparing for your Occupational Health assessment, so you feel prepared and confident...

❓OK so you've got your Occupational Health assessment in your calendar, now what? I’ve realised one of my ‘special interests’ is research - so I researched the s**t out of OH meetings and what happens in them 💪 It made me feel less nervous, knowing the doctor/nurse would be helping ME.

💁‍♀️I also researched ‘reasonable adjustment’ ideas to use as a basis, then emailed her the Excel file I made (after the meeting I added even more based on her recommendations). I’m happy to share the adjustment ideas if anyone wants examples.

💪What you need to remember is that you are the expert on you. The OH nurse/doctor is the expert on health at work. Working together helps translate what you need to your employer in a way they can understand.

👏I also want to say a big THANK YOU to -health-ltd who helped me with my OH assessment, they were absolutely amazing.

❤️Please share this with anyone you know is struggling at work with their health (even mental health eg anxiety, depression). Any other tips or advice anyone can share?

-rights-uk -foundation -menopause-charity

Did you know some mental health conditions are legally protected? ⚖️

If your condition is long-term and affects your day-to-day life, it may be classed as a disability under the Equality Act 2010. Your employer must make reasonable adjustments if you need them.

Learn more: 👉 https://bit.ly/36Epidw

❓So what exactly is an Occupational Health Assessment? It’s basically a confidential meeting (mine was online) with a health professional, to find out what you need to be able to do your job well.

👩‍⚕️ When I had my assessment I was so relieved - the doctor understood my struggles and let me review the document before sending it to my old employer. She even offered suggestions.

🙄 I’d already given my employer a letter from my CBT therapist (she was the one who suggested the flexible working adjustments), plus a letter from my endocrinologist (hormone doctor) and TWO from my psychiatrist (she was helping with my ADHD medication adjustments).

💪 My report made it clear that I could do my job just fine. That it was a lack of flexibility (and lack of adjustments) that were making me burn out over and over again, negatively affecting my health.

❤️ Please share this with anyone you know is struggling at work with their health (also mental health eg anxiety, depression). Any other tips or advice anyone can share?

-then-screwed

I’ve made a free template for an Occupational Health Assessment Request! Please share this post with anyone you think might need it ❤️

Asking for help can be really hard - it doesn’t show weakness, but that you’re advocating for yourself. Hopefully this template will help:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16aYaxExnpSn4OMkwpowW3Qo_eiVCfZTG/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=115462640973407722950&rtpof=true&sd=true

Here are a few organisations with more advice - please tag any others you think might be helpful

Companies are hiding this from you... Occupational health recommendations HAVE to be taken seriously.

Ok, so you’ve done the OH assessment and they’ve written their report. Now what? It can’t just sit on your manager's desk or be ignored by HR. This is where your knowledge is power! 💪

Your OH report is a really POWERFUL document! it’s not the same as a court order, but if your employer doesn’t follow the recommendations (without a very strong, documented reason), they will risk a discrimination claim under the Equality Act 2010 (I’ll be posting more on ACAS mediation, tribunal processes and the Equality Act over the next few weeks).

You can use the recommendations as LEVERAGE eg. you need flexible working as part of your reasonable adjustments. When I saw my own report it really validated my struggles - I wasn’t just asking for favours, these were things I NEEDED to do my job. It made it more official - from what I thought I needed to what a medical expert had actually recommended ❤️

Here are a few amazing organisations for more information and support

Feel free to ask questions and share your experiences - it could end up helping someone else!

Companies are hiding this from you... Occupational health assessments are done by a doctor, to help YOU.

“Occupational Health” sounds scary, like it’s something being done TO you by the company. But it’s actually a process that should be happening FOR you.

An OH assessment isn’t a disciplinary tool - it’s a confidential consultation with a doctor (mine was done online by a woman! You can also request a female doctor). Their job is to understand your health challenges and let your employer know how they can support you.

They’re kind of like a PROFESSIONAL advocate. They translate what you need into actual practical, actionable steps - the "reasonable adjustments" - your employer should help you with (I’ll be posting more on reasonable adjustments over the next week).

It's about helping you so you can do your job, not about if you’re ABLE to do your job. We’re warriors who’ve been juggling 100 things while STILL working - now we just need some flexibility.
Here are a few amazing organisations for more information and support

Feel free to ask questions and share your experiences - it could end up helping someone else ❤️

-Trap

Companies are hiding this from you... You can ask for an external occupational health assessment.

I didn’t know this until a mental health nurse suggested I request one, and she was the one who told me to advocate for myself. I know from personal experience what it feels like when the person you’re talking to at work doesn’t understand what you're going through. If you're neurodivergent, dealing with the sh*t show of menopause, or have a specific long-term health condition, often even YOU don’t know what you need.

Your employer won’t always tell you this as it’s in YOUR best interest, not theirs (plus they have to pay for it) - but you can ask for an external Occupational Health assessment. You have the right to ask for an actual expert/doctor. This means the advice is customised (you can give feedback and offer suggestions) and it’s genuinely focused on YOUR health and needs.

Don't be scared to advocate for yourself - you can get experts to help you for free and it's your health and career. Here are a few amazing organisations for more information and support Menopause Society

Feel free to ask questions and share your experiences - it could end up helping someone else.

The only reasons they can say no to your flexible working request...

The fear of hearing "no" can be the hardest part of asking, but it didn’t stop me, and neither should you. Remember, knowledge is power.

Your employer has to consider your flexible working request in a 'reasonable manner'. If they say no, they must justify it with one of these eight official business reasons.

Don't let a vague rejection stop you. Use this list as a tool. You can (and should) ask your employer to specify which of these reasons they’re relying on. This holds them accountable and helps you understand if their reasoning is legitimate or worth appealing. If they say no, you can also get free advice from ACAS

You are your own best advocate - don’t rely on the system to help you. If you've had a request refused without a clear reason - you're not alone. Please support each other in the comments ❤️

What is a flexible working request?

Ever feel like you’re fighting a system that wasn't built for you? I've been there. Juggling work, being a single mum, and late diagnoses of ADHD and perimenopause (and PMDD!) showed me that the system is built for men.

My struggles are why Girl Squad exists - I want to share what I learnt the hard way, so you don't have to. It starts with knowing your rights and options.

"Flexible working" can feel vague, but it gives you real, practical changes that can make the difference between thriving and burning out. It's all about what works best for YOU. Whether it's compressed hours that free up a weekday, to working from home when you need to manage your energy, these aren't 'perks'.

Let's normalise talking about what we need to have the work/life balance that women haven't been getting.

Please comment and share your experiences or advice - your story could help someone else to make a change.