Can I rant please

[PaulaSB12]

I got a letter from work on Saturday. I was giving me an appointment for my 3 yearly health check. Now I find it irritating but that isn't what has really got me mad. Its for tomorrow morning at 9am in the morning. This would be fine if I was day shift this shift pattern but I am not I am night shift so they are expecting me to stay up after a 12 hour shift for an extra 2 - 3 hours with a drive at a time which pushes me to close to driving over tired (I have learned my limits for driving after a night shift and will not drive past it because I don't want to drive over tired I have done it once about 12 years ago and nearly drove into a tree at high speed! I did think just ring work this morning and get them to rearrange but its a bank holiday so there isn't going to be anyone in the office!!!!!!

This is what they are checking for
Dermatology (never done that one before)
Lung function (because of the dust but it always gets me laughing why did the other word get blotted out)
Blood pressure (in the mood I am in its going to be high
BMI and height they measured me before I started work and I aint shrunk
visual acuity and colour vision (I don't have binocular vision ho hum on that test)
urine test
audio
night work assessment
I also have a whole lot of questions to fill out including the interesting question do you pregnant or a nursing mother, and that is exactly how it is put in the form.

 

[alisonbestford]

Hi

Even though you'd be leaving it until the last minute (not your fault) I'd call them first thing and explain.

As you say, you know your limitations and a health assessment should be performed when you're well rested etc - especially, in my opinion, the night work assessment part

I worked Night shifts, as a nurse, many years ago and would have been in no fit state to attend a medical such as this.

Good luck but I'd definitely be looking into going straight home, to bed, from work and giving them a call

 

[PaulaSB12]

Hi

Even though you'd be leaving it until the last minute (not your fault) I'd call them first thing and explain.

As you say, you know your limitations and a health assessment should be performed when you're well rested etc - especially, in my opinion, the night work assessment part

I worked Night shifts, as a nurse, many years ago and would have been in no fit state to attend a medical such as this.

Good luck but I'd definitely be looking into going straight home, to bed, from work and giving them a call

What on earth do they do for a night work assessment? I have been working night shifts at this job for 8 years and I was permanent night shift for 5 years before I don't understand this one at all

 

[alisonbestford]

I think they just talk and see 'if you're suited' to night work.....lol

I remember we had some sort of psychologist visit to see whether some of the staff were suited to working the 14 hour shifts they wanted to do (gave them more days / evenings off to see their boyfriends, go clubbing etc .......)

There doesn't seem anything on your assessment list that wouldn't wait until a more convenient appointment - unless they desperately want to do it after a night shift which seems unlikely to me

 

[PaulaSB12]

I haven't had such a chat before that is why having it on the list made me wonder. As for the eye test and questions I don't have binocular vision, I used to see an eye specialist but haven't needed to for years according to my optician 80% of people with my eye condition loose the sight in one eye by the time they are 30 with me all its meant that because one eye is lazy its long sighted (that is the side I wear glasses for) and the right is short sighted. Which means I read with my right eye and do distance stuff with my left. The optician was fascinated by the way my eyes do that.

 

[Pegasus928]

I used to do shift work and would definately be calling to ask them to rearrange.
In my experience when this sort of 'clash' happens it's normally because the person doing the booking and arranging either didn't realise you were on nights the night before (some day staff at our place thought that someone pulled a big plug out of the wall when they all went home and didn't understand 24 hour process at all) or didn't understand how doing this after a night shift could have a detrimental effect on the results.

 

[higgy66]

Hi

Just a quick note...

I book annual medicals for our company and these have to be booked a couple of weeks in advance.

We always write out to the technicians advising them of the dates but there are always cases where shift patterns change or they go to work at different locations - it's the nature of our work.

If this is the case they just call the office and we amend the booking. We would never ask our guys to work nights and then go for a medical.

Do they get sight of your shifts? If not they should ask you to contact them so you can arrange a suitable date/time.

Hope you get this sorted as it's irresponsible to ask you to be driving anywhere after a 12 hour night shift!

 

[Trilli-magic]

Did you get it re-booked?

We have medicals quite a lot where I work - It's an office job but we sell medical material!! To me they are a waste of time lol, we go to the nurse answer a load of questions, lay back lift a leg in the air etc!!!! we also have eye tests every two years!!

 

[wilma-bride]

What happened in the end Paula? Were you able to change it?