Return to work

[Scswp]

I’m hoping someone can advise me.
I am a teacher who has to return to work in September. It seems that teachers get no sympathy, despite the fact I have worked extremely hard during lockdown.

I am really anxious about the return to work. I have received no individual risk assessment and, even though it’s not until September, I am barely sleeping some nights because of the anxiety. I am expected to return to a full class, but I basically haven’t been out since March (except in the garden) and the thought just overwhelms me. My Headteacher knows exactly how anxious I am and I have explained that keeping my condition controlled during lockdown has been challenging, but he has simply said everyone needs to be back in September. No mitigating circumstances have been established to take account of my condition. I am so desperately worried. Please can someone advise me?

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
I think your best bet is to talk to whoever you need to talk to so your fears are addressed for starters.

Secondly are you in the vulnerable shielded as in had a letter to say you must shield? If you haven't then you need to take the plunge and start living again but keeping the social distances and being sensible so you build up your confidence and immunity to all other bugs under the sun.

Having diabetes does not put you at any greater risk of catching the virus, having other problems may do but even the most vulnerable are being encouraged to start living again 🙂 The longer you leave things the harder they are.

As I understood it the kids wont have to social distance but the teachers will so you will be fine.

 

[Hardy]

It is very understandable that you are anxious.
Your employer surely has a responsibility to undertake a risk assessment for all staff. Getting your fears addressed sounds a good idea too. The unknown does cause anxiety, but knowing how the school will be organised may alleviate some of your concerns.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Scswp

You dont state your diabetes type, but the official guidance for people with diabetes was to practice social distancing as Sue suggests, and only those who received the official letter or notification from their GP were advised to fully self-isolate.

Having said that, several members chose to self-isolate, for their own peace of mind, and others who were advised to shield decided that their circumstances meant shielding was of little additional benefit and continued to leave the house keeping to social distancing.

It is important that you keep the lines of communication open with your employers, and ensure that they are taking the appropriate steps to allow you to return to work safely. There are links to helpful sources of information and government guidance on this page:

Work and diabetes

This information is about how to manage diabetes at work and to support you in knowing your rights at work. Jump to:

www.diabetes.org.uk

Remember too that the individual risks of people with diabetes developing a serious case of covid are relatively low for those aged 40 and below, and not all that different whether people have diabetes or not - so depending on your age, weight and general glucose profile, your risk of a serious case may be fairly similar to your colleagues.

Are you a member of a teaching union who may be able to support you if you feel that your needs and fears are not being properly accommodated?

 

[Scswp]

Yes, I am a member of a union and I will contact them.

I’m over 40 (46) and my control is generally ok, but has been more challenging during lockdown.

Thank you for your advice.

 

[Bexlee]

Welcome to the forum @Scswp

I’m a teacher who’s also been out of school since March. Not shielding but just vulnerable. I haven’t been out much in 16 weeks but over the last week or so I have started going to Tesco just to get a loaf of bread and nipping to get my own Perscriptions with my hubby shouting after me one way system, wait until called in.......Yes it’s a bit scary going out and thinking about “the virus” but we do as a society need to start trying the new normal now infection rates are down etc.

Boris has said even shielders stop in 2 weeks.

I am anxious about going back to but I can’t wait to get back - odd suggestion the 1st evening of the holiday!

I haven’t seen final drafts of plans for September or been given an individual risk assessment because plans will keep changing right up until we go back as the situation changes. I have though seen a proposal for how they’re thinking September will be based on info they have now. It all seems thought out but very complex ......

It seems to be GROWN UPS 2m apart and not walking round classrooms / near kids. It’s ok for kids to be near each other BUT year groups (very big bubbles) shouldn’t mix or the kids be near us.

I work in a secondary school with about 700 children.

There is a clear plan for cleaning regularly throughout the day. Staggered breaks and lunches. Cleaning of lunch tables and rooms used as an overspill to keep numbers in one place down between sittings. Children coming straight to tutor base in a morning not waiting on playgrounds, KS3 leaving lessons 5 min early to reduce children in corridors and a timed departure by year group at the end of the day.

There’s a clear one way system round the site. Every room has sanataizer, cleaning equipment, PPE if we need to clean, multiple bins with lids etc. staff have a one in one out staffroom / toilets. Having read it it sounds mental and maybe OTT but that’s how it’ll be and it seems reasonable.

I feel more at ease after a colleague took me on a video guided tour today and it all seems clear and I feel really quite ok about it. I didn’t at the start!

My only major concern is I have a different break time and lunch time each day over a 2 weeks period because it’s staggered and I’m a little worried about routine / injection / eating but we’ll come to that in September. I’ve had a look and made a suggestion which we’ll try.

Try not to overly worry it will all be ok. Speak to your head? Dept head? line manager? HR?

But most importantly yes we have worked hard over the last 4 months, some people will have no idea or realise how hard nor understand the challenges but we’ve done it and I feel we can generally be quite proud of ourselves but now (or very soon) it’s the holiday enjoy it and forget school for a while. September will be all Ok 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Yes, I am a member of a union and I will contact them.

I’m over 40 (46) and my control is generally ok, but has been more challenging during lockdown.

Thank you for your advice.

Yes many people have found lockdown and the enforced change of routine (plus fewer opportunities to exercise) vary difficult.

Hope the union can help. In the NHS England paper that looked into covid mortality in the UK (which all initially looked pretty horrifying) T1s in their 40s were at pretty low risk and there were no T1 covid deaths below 25. I am not sure, but I think the picture was similar for T2s.

Most of the covid deaths seem to be in 70-80 year olds, so while you are right to want to take all the sensible precautions to avoid catching it, your age helps reduce your individual risk enormously I think?

 

[Scswp]

Yes many people have found lockdown and the enforced change of routine (plus fewer opportunities to exercise) vary difficult.

Hope the union can help. In the NHS England paper that looked into covid mortality in the UK (which all initially looked pretty horrifying) T1s in their 40s were at pretty low risk and there were no T1 covid deaths below 25. I am not sure, but I think the picture was similar for T2s.

Most of the covid deaths seem to be in 70-80 year olds, so while you are right to want to take all the sensible precautions to avoid catching it, your age helps reduce your individual risk enormously I think?

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate it. I worry about it frequently and, tbh, feel quite alone in my thoughts. Everyone else (colleagues etc...) seems quite happy about going back, so I feel all alone with the way I feel.
Your advice is appreciated.

 

[freesia]

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate it. I worry about it frequently and, tbh, feel quite alone in my thoughts. Everyone else (colleagues etc...) seems quite happy about going back, so I feel all alone with the way I feel.
Your advice is appreciated.

I'm a TA in primary ks1 and have been back at work since the beginning of June. Its been fine, staggered start/end to day, staggered break/lunch, frequent handwashing and sanitising, adult toilet one in one out..loads of safety precautions. I've felt safe enough and all have been really good remembering to social distance as much as possible. I needed to feel i was getting back to "normal" so i'm glad i went back. For me, i knew the longer i left it to go back, the harder i would find it. Could you try and put it out of your mind for the summer. When you get back, speak to the head about your concerns, he/she may be able to pur your mind at rest. Have a good rest.

 

[trophywench]

Yeah - I'm 70 and in the extremely vulnerable group the Gov't told to stay in until 1st August - same as husband who only has c half his lung capacity anyway so yep.

You know what we think? It's driving/already driven an awful lot of people stir crazy.

Go to wherever - and if you are horrified by the situation when you arrive - leave !

That is exactly what we'll be doing. I absolutely wasn't looking forward to going in a shop but am actually a lot happier and mega relieved now most people will be legally obliged to wear masks, however I do NOT want the staff or anyone else to not socially distance themselves from me or to breathe in my face either and will soon be telling them to keep their distance if they overstep. If they don't I'll drop any shopping I have on the floor and walk out again.

 

[Stitch147]

I don't work in a school but work in a supermarket and can tell you my experience. I've worked since the second week of panic buying just before the lockdown and throughout the whole lockdown period. The panic buying week was crazy. Our shop was packed, busy and hectic.
Lockdown started and we restricted the amount of people coming in. I was scared about catching the virus at first but that eased and my stress levels went down.
I've had good days and bad days and know that if things get bad I can take myself off to the stockroom and find something to do.
All the managers have been great.
We have recently increased the numbers in store, anything up to 118 now. I was very worried at first about this, but it's not been as bad as I thought it would be. I've read the company risk assessment and only had a query over one bit, which I'm still waiting for an answer.
Some customers don't quite get the whole social distancing bit and will stand next to you or stretch across you to get something.
Things aren't as bad as I thought they would be and I'm not as stressed as I was. But I still have bad days. But I just go to work, do what I've got to do, my hands have never been so clean and go home again.