Sitting at a desk for 8hrs a day in a windowless office is ruining my health

[GiveMearoomwithaview]

NHS. Senior management. Since Covid and the advent of teams all meetings are online.

I often spend days back to back in meetings. Many of them are centrally organised so no option to move or not attend.

As the hospital has expanded more and more admin space has been taken for clinical areas and the remaining admin space re-purposed for clinicians/administrative staff with managers expected to hot desk. I have no issue with that except it precludes any sensible Occy health assessment for seating or desk set up.

Ive been in private physio for over a year relating to lower back pain from sitting for so many hours. I have osteopenia and two stress fractures which were unprovoked. My doctor recommends “moving more” but it is utterly impossible with my job role.

The latest “office” the managers have been sent to is a windowless rectangle which I’m informed was previously a store cupboard. I’ve been in there for 6 months. Horribly depressing.

I thought that legally, you weren’t allowed to call a space an office if it didn’t have a window? Certainly where I work, this would not be allowed. Could you get a standing desk? Totally hear you re the Teams meetings being back to back. It’s relentless and I hate the people who schedule them over lunch too!

I agree, horrible. No wonder you feel bad with no natural light all day.

Have you spoken to your line manager about it all?

Is there no option at all to WFH? Especially with your health issues as well?

The “office” I am currently in is benched out down both sides - not individual desks so a standing desk cannot be fitted. Because it’s first come first served I have to readjust every chair I sit in but even they they are the basic cheapest office chairs you can purchase so make very little difference even when adjusted.

We are allowed to WFH one day in 10!

Where i have worked, if you have a health related need for a particular set up then a desk is set up for your needs and you don't have to hot desk. So if you need a sit/stand desk then that is reserved for you and not thrown in the mix for hot desking.

Since you are really suffering with this, I'd speak to occupational health and try to get some assurances about your desk set up. A sit/stand desk works great, even a more supportive chair could make a big difference.

Definitely don't ruin your health for the sake of your job though. This isn't olden days down the mine, they have a duty of care not to injure you at work.

What has your boss said when you’ve raised this?

Buy one of portable stands that you can put on any desk to turn it into a standing desk. Do not be stubborn and hold out for your employer to pay when there’s little chance they will.

Leave each meeting five mins early and do a lap of the corridors, don’t be a wet blanket and accept this misery, advocate for yourself, it’s the NHS, they’re not going to fire you

You can get standing desk converters, basically a frame that will sit on top of a standard desk. We have several set up where I work, and staff that need them take priority. Like

https://www.leitz.com/en-gb/products/computer-accessories--supplies/ergonomic-products/leitz-ergo-cosy-standing-desk-converter-with-sliding-tray/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_id=20580184281&utm_campaign=GB_Leitz_NonBrand_Ergonomics_Sub-Category_SEA_Self&utm_content=167947041596_714608250174&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20580184281&gbraid=0AAAAADm75mQnnzFVbNxvz-2fgxCAPg_0x&gclid=CjwKCAjwuO_QBhAWEiwAIkVhU2APnpP7P7sO1fGz1k9ENTnhim80pRMebDHUMIxB3Syv50g_FhebqRoCPvEQAvD_BwE

Agree with PP if you have a health condition then you should not be hot-desking.
You should have an assessment through Occ health and a workstation should be set up with equipment, everything at correct height for your sole use. It sounds like you should have a standing desk.

You need to self refer back to OH and get all this properly assessed. Managers in the NHS should be fully aware of this as it’s a very large employer so there will always be people affected.

I could have written this. Also NHS, also in a windowless office , also osteopenic with recent severe fractures due to low impact injury. Occ health of limited value because there are such limited resources for office space. We also hot desk or lug around really heavy laptops. Feel like my health is really taking a toll due to my working conditions ( not counting the stress, the abuse and unfortunately violence that comes with thf role)

I don't understand why you aren't getting Occupational Health involved. It sounds horrendous. The NHS treats it's staff as badly as they think that they can get away with.

I am too short for one of those standing desk converters ca only use it in standing position 😭

You need a occ health referral, perhaps part of the recommendations will be WFH a lot more. This has made a massive improvement to my life. Plus a decent chair that fits that no-one else can adjust.

Have to laugh at the idea the better spaces are going to clinical staff. I spent years, as a consultant, in a windowless office. One day I came in to find the ceiling had collapsed on my desk. The NHS doesn’t treat any of its staff well.

No answer but sending sympathy. Our desks are so far from the windows / blocked by meeting rooms so it’s a windowless room of depression. Thankfully I only go once a week and I take my team on walking one to ones to get us outside. OH should be able toto help with desk/chair - we have some named chairs for people with back issues.

I was once made to sit on “Jane’s” desk because the senior director overruled my hot desk booking. The issue was Jane is 6foot and has a raised desk and chair that can’t be adjusted. I had to climb into the chair with my feet dangling a foot from the ground. when I first started in the nhs we had an ergonomic assessment for sitting correctly now we have to got hot desk and lump it.

You need to get occupational health involved. Ask for a letter from your GP supporting you.

If you are just on Teams calls all the time why do you have to go into that office anyway? You could do that from home surely?

I work in the NHS and we have to hot desk too. It's too crowded with too many people per long bank of desk, the cheap office chairs are all semi knackered and can't be adjusted, the desks are too low, there are no laptop risers and there are no private areas to take calls. We share an open plan office with three other teams from different bits of the NHS so there is no confidentiality.
We do have windows but you can't open them so there is no fresh air and it's like an oven. Last week it was 36 degrees in the office. It's absolute hell and I experience sensory overload and stress working in that awful environment.
I went to occupational health due to back issues and now have an agreement that I can work from home for half my time, it's a life saver.
OP go to occupational health.

I’ve been to occupational health. Once before the stress fractures and once afterwards.

The suggestions and reasonable adjustments

• regular breaks from my desk (which is not feasible with my job role)
• NHS physio (already pay privately as the waiting list is horrendous)
• Workstation H&S review. This was interesting because they came, looked around, said adjust your chair each day and recommended a standing desk. That does not mean the trust has to purchase one, it’s a recommendation. Given they would have to rip out the benching they said it wasn’t reasonable - but see point 1 take regular breaks
• The artificial lighting meets standards so the lack of a window doesn’t count
• A helpful link to an NHS website showing basic “desk based stretching exercises”

This.
And if you’re in online meetings all day who oversees whether you’re in the office or not.
Advocate for yourself. WFH.

Union? I think you’re going to have to be a very squeaky wheel. It’s not worth your health.

Sounds like my hospital. Our ‘staff room’ is also previous windowless store cupboard and is shared with people doing non clinical work on the computers. It’s just awful.

If they can’t accommodate the adjustments you need in the office you will have to wfh. You can say you’re willing to come to the office when the adjustments are in place.

You haven’t said why you can’t buy a desk converter? Honestly pls don’t be passive in this. You’re senior management. Book your meetings with breaks.

The NHS should be thoroughly ashamed of itself.

So you go back to Occ health and say the recommendations are being ignored. You keep making a fuss! I know what the NHS are like I did 26 years there and dh works for them too, you have to shout very loudly for yourself! Really they do have to make adjustments for a health need or it could be seen as discrimination. I would push for working half the week at home.