At work with MS Changing roles
There are many reasons why you might feel the time is right to leave a job. The nature of the particular job may present more barriers because of worsening MS or you may be looking for new experiences and career challenges.
"If you are considering retirement tell your health professionals and get them to write in support. I got my MS nurse, GP, consultant and vocational rehabilitation team all to write. The weight of medical qualifications impressed the office into action."
The workplace may be such that reasonable adjustments cannot be made (perhaps the company cannot afford the alterations necessary; perhaps the alterations would not fit into the existing building). However, if you are considering leaving a job because you feel your employer has not accommodated you, seek legal advice before you resign. This may cost money but the investment will be worthwhile in the longer term.
There are big financial implications if you are leaving paid employment and these should be considered seriously; explore all avenues and examine long and short term aspects. You may be entitled to receive a company ill health or early retirement pension but make sure you read the small print of your scheme prior to making this decision. Voluntary redundancy packages can be substantially less than medical retirement and it is always wise to consult before making a decision. You might consider the impact of a lump sum payment over longer-term smaller increments. Just handing in your notice and leaving work may make applying for benefits difficult.
Employment should only be terminated if an employer can prove that MS renders someone incapable of performing their work duties even when accommodations are in place, and other avenues have been explored. However, both employer and employee must take advice, to ensure the process has been managed fairly as failure to do so could be a breach of the Equality Act. Medical retirement could be considered in such an instance.
Working from home
Working from home can be a really good way of sustaining employment. It is particularly effective it you are able to negotiate flexible hours which allow you to take regular breaks, which may not be feasible in your normal workplace. However if you take that step here are some things to consider:
- how will you keep in touch with colleagues and make sure you are included in any social activities?
- are you disciplined enough to take breaks at regular intervals and to stick to your contracted hours, so you don't end up working longer hours than you would if you were at the office?
- keep work separate from your home life – you need to ensure that your home is still your home. Keeping all work activity confined to one room will ensure you can shut the door on it at the end of the day.
"I am finding it difficult to decide whether I can carry on in my job. I have already tried to return to work once, six months after a bad relapse, but my main problem at work was with acute soreness at the back of the head after concentrating, so I went off sick again after only five mornings. When I feel good I think yes I can go back, but when I feel bad with symptoms I think no I can't. I hope to try again before the end of one year."
"My previous job entailed a lot of driving; not knowing what job was coming next, nor what obstacles (stairs, parking, distance from car to job) I was going to face next. I found this impossible to cope with. I now do a job that I really enjoy and that provides the right balance. It has totally transformed my outlook on my situation."
"My work has been greatly affected by MS. I think perhaps if I had been in office work or something that didn't need fine hand skills and coordination, I may not have felt so down."
"It can be very difficult to reduce your hours and job role because of MS whilst remaining in the same company. You can easily end up trying to do the same amount of work in half the time in order to try and prove you aren't any less part of the team."
Self-employment
Becoming self-employed can seem attractive; you can take control over when you work and what you do. Having greater control can be very positive, however self-employment brings greater responsibility, you have to commit to keeping good records, and keep up to date with any legal requirements. Also if you are not well enough to work, you won't earn any money. There are some insurance schemes which cover illness, but you would need to check if they would cover a condition like MS, and the premium would be another overhead in your business.
There are courses run by the HM Revenue & Customs to help you set up your business and tell you what you need to do. They also have useful information on their website covering issues such as National Insurance, and links to other sites and documents which may be of help. DirectGov also has links to information to help you make an informed choice about whether self-employment is for you.
The social side of work
Work is one of our main sources of social contact. It's probably stating the obvious, but how well you get on with your colleagues can make a real difference to how much you enjoy your job. Having MS can make you worry that if you tell people they will treat you differently. You have to decide what is right for your situation, but if you change your behaviour – for example you stop going out after work or going to special do's because you are tired, people will notice and may treat you differently.
If you change jobs you will have to put in extra effort to establish new relationships which on top of learning about the job can be tiring.
If you decide to stop working, you need to make sure you have a social network independent of work so you don't feel isolated. Just like someone who might be preparing to retire you need to think how you will spend your time when work no longer provides the structure and routine for your week.
"When seeking work, be true to yourself and be realistic about how many hours you can manage comfortably and the sort of environment you are comfortable in. From my experience it is easy to overestimate and feel deflated later when it doesn't work out."
"The most important thing is to find a job that you enjoy doing and that provides maximum job satisfaction. It may mean less money but the reward is looking forward to work rather than dreading it."
"Working for myself has enabled me to stay at work; conversely it keeps me at work when I probably should be resting. You can't tell the clients you have MS – they think you will be unreliable and move their business elsewhere."
You might want to consider retraining or returning to education. There may be grants available to support study; once again a Disability Employment Advisor will be in a good position to discuss your needs.