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Posted , 7 users are following.

molly1957
molly1957

i have just been redeployed to a new store where I will be working in the food department , I had thought I would be doing a bit of everything such as filling stock and going on the tills but it seems like they are just putting us on the tills for all of our shifts as they are so pleased that we are till trained, my concern is that this won't be good for me to sit all shift and push stock along a conveyor belt as it is very repetitive am I right to be concerned

0 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

  • Silver49
    Silver49 molly1957

    Posted

    I would agree with you Molly. I find if I sit too long I have some discomfort in my legs. I also find if I stand in one spot for too long I have the same problem. I wonder if the repetitiveness will affect your arms and shoulders. Do you have any department to which you can go to explain the situation? I think it would be discriminatory if they were unable to offer some solution to your present situation. Are you a member of a union with which you can discuss your concerns? I think this should be your first port of call for advice.

     

    • molly1957
      molly1957 Silver49

      Posted

      Yes silver that's what I find If I I sit or stand for too long I have discomfort and definitely have problems in arms and shoulders with repetitiveness, in previous store they were really good about this , my first shift is a 7 1/2 hour shift and I really don't think I can sit for 4 hours before a break then do it again , we do not have a union , and I know you can not just get up and leave your till , I will have to see what line manager says regards this and hope he is understanding 
    • Silver49
      Silver49 molly1957

      Posted

      I did wonder if there would be a union. I think you would be protected by law. CAB could advise if you find your line manager is not helpful. It Is difficult enough coping with PMR without having to work. I don't know how you manage. I worked when I had ME and it was a struggle. I had to ask my husband to pull me out of bed then and he was very concerned that I insisted on going to work when I wasn't able. I would arrive home and go off to bed. It wasn't wise but I was young then. I hope you find some suitable solution to the situation.
  • audrey80537
    audrey80537 molly1957

    Posted

    I would have had a problem with that job  even before PMR.   

    I'm thinking you would really have to try it before you know for sure.  I also think they may better respect your judgement knowing you gave it a try.

    Are they aware of your condition?  If it doesn't work out perhaps a doctor's note after you give it a try would help.

  • gillian_25383
    gillian_25383 molly1957

    Posted

    I would think that being on th a till all of the time would not be a good idea as all the sitting will probably cause your joints to gel and the repetitive movements with goods on conveyor belt will not do your shoulders and arms much good.Hopefully if you have a word with someone in personnel they should be able to help.If they are not willing maybe your GP could supply you with a "fit"note then your employers would then have to make the adjustments to your work arrangements
  • audrey80537
    audrey80537 molly1957

    Posted

    OK. Got it!  Cash Register.  Like in a grocery store.  

    I think I could do that 😀. I had confused it with an enormous conveyer belt and large items.  

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga audrey80537

      Posted

      We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.  Oscar Wilde.
    • EileenH
      EileenH Anhaga

      Posted

      "England and America are two nations divided by a common language" George Bernard Shaw
  • EileenH
    EileenH molly1957

    Posted

    It all depends - I think being on the till might actually be easier than having to do relatively heavy work all over the place. I'm not sure that the repetitiveness of till work is the sort that would be too difficult - but not having done it I couldn't really tell. The girls in our village supermarket seem to be able to move around a bit - bit different with mega queues in Sainsburys I suppose!

    As the others have said, can you speak to your union rep or the Occupational Health people. One lady on another forum has been seen by a doctor to assess her because of having been off work, he recognised PMR immediately and basically assured her she was protected by disability law - that is certainly the case with GCA, less sure about PMR. Providing you are able to get up and move a bit every short while the stiffness shouldn't get too bad and you should get less tired.

    Really I think you have to discuss it with your employer and see how accommodating they will be, try it and work from there.

    • lodgerUK_NE
      lodgerUK_NE EileenH

      Posted

      Occupation Health people, Union and also a Physio.

      I am thinking that the constant swivel to reach the food, then pick it up and place it down could put extra effort onto the shoulders.

      I could be so wrong, but rotator cuff can occur in pmr people.  I don't know what causes it but perhaps Eileen can help me out here.

      Most people at the tills I use, sometimes stand up, to if you timed yourself and stood up and moved around for about five minutes every hour, that would keep you moving. 

    • molly1957
      molly1957 lodgerUK_NE

      Posted

      There is no room at all behind tills to move around the space is tiny and my main concern at the minute is my neck and shoulders as I already suffer from frozen shoulders so the constant pick up and swivel as you mention is a big worry , one of my old colleagues has rheumatoid arthritis and told them she has difficulty picking things up and can't sit for 4 hours at a till they said that would not happen but then did exactly that !!!
    • EileenH
      EileenH molly1957

      Posted

      Can you afford a few sessions of Bowen therapy? That is very good for frozen shoulder but it may well be that it isn't frozen shoulder but bursitis associated with PMR - and in that case a local cortisone injection might also be very helpful. Bowen will probably help anyway. Also - keep your neck and shoulders warm.

      But this is all stuff to discuss with your employer.

    • molly1957
      molly1957 EileenH

      Posted

      I've suffered from frozen shoulder for almost 7 years now whilst I don't have the pain now I never regained the full movement in either shoulder , I tried physio saw an osteopath who couldn't help and had two cortisone injections , I was offered manual manipulation at the beginning but after researching that on the internet decided against that as it didn't have fantastic results , the consultant said it usually gets better on its own eventually well 7 years on I still can't raise my arms above my head 
    • EileenH
      EileenH

      Posted

      And I'll also lay odds you have had PMR to some extent for those 7 years. One of the typical signs of PMR is being unable to raise your arms above shoulder level. Frozen shoulder in both shoulders is unusual.
    • molly1957
      molly1957 EileenH

      Posted

      I was told it was quite common to occur in the other shoulder mine was caused after surgery to remove abnormal cells from breast they said arm would have been in awkward position for too long 
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