UK Employment Law/Injury at work question...

[RUSSandRACHEL 3]

I am a beauty therapist and one of 7 therapists in my workplace. I work for a large hotel in the UK and work in the spa department. 5 of my collegues (including myself) have suffered from severe tendonitus due to an excessive amount of massage treatments we have been given. I have been a therapist in several workplaces during the past 6 years and have never been asked to carry out this amount before. We also warned our supervisor before the injuries occurred that the workload was dangerous and excessive. One girl has been told she may never be able to do treatments again and has been off work for 12 months with depression because of this... hostility at work etc...

Our HR department has now asked us to change jobs within the hotel (ie they've suggested waitressing, switchboard, front desk etc) as 'we are not able to carry out the full amount of massage requested daily from clients'. Please note, we are 'beauty therapists' not massage therapists and therefore, our job description covers a large range of treatments so this is not because we cannot do any of our job role anymore.

I would just like to know, can your employer force you to change job role (and also department, take a lower salary, shorter/longer hours etc) due to injury which has been inflicted because of your workload? They are also insisting that we all pay for private physiotherapy (at our cost) despite each of us having doctors notes. Is this right?

Does anyone have a clue about UK employment law when it comes to this? We've all worked very hard for our qualifications and accepted our jobs under the terms given to us at the time (pay, hours etc). Now they're suggesting we accept minimum wages? This doesnt sound correct to me but wondered if anyone else knew better...?

Thank you!

[Peikko 1,575]

If you have a genuine question, them my best advice is to visit a Citizens Advice Bereau. Look up the nearest one to you in the yellow pages. They are the best source of free advice and will point you in the right direction regarding legal advice.

Edited March 5, 2010 by Madame Cleo

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I am a beauty therapist and one of 7 therapists in my workplace. I work for a large hotel in the UK and work in the spa department. 5 of my collegues (including myself) have suffered from severe tendonitus due to an excessive amount of massage treatments we have been given. I have been a therapist in several workplaces during the past 6 years and have never been asked to carry out this amount before. We also warned our supervisor before the injuries occurred that the workload was dangerous and excessive. One girl has been told she may never be able to do treatments again and has been off work for 12 months with depression because of this... hostility at work etc...

Our HR department has now asked us to change jobs within the hotel (ie they've suggested waitressing, switchboard, front desk etc) as 'we are not able to carry out the full amount of massage requested daily from clients'. Please note, we are 'beauty therapists' not massage therapists and therefore, our job description covers a large range of treatments so this is not because we cannot do any of our job role anymore.

I would just like to know, can your employer force you to change job role (and also department, take a lower salary, shorter/longer hours etc) due to injury which has been inflicted because of your workload? They are also insisting that we all pay for private physiotherapy (at our cost) despite each of us having doctors notes. Is this right?

Does anyone have a clue about UK employment law when it comes to this? We've all worked very hard for our qualifications and accepted our jobs under the terms given to us at the time (pay, hours etc). Now they're suggesting we accept minimum wages? This doesnt sound correct to me but wondered if anyone else knew better...?

Thank you!

Never mind. UK. I no nothing about that.

Edited March 5, 2010 by Lone Ranger