Reasonable Adjustments for Phone Calls in Work

Hello! I would really appreciate input from anyone who might have had some types of phone calls excluded from their job as a reasonable adjustment.

My job was changed without us getting the choice a few months ago. I am really good at my job but we were always told that we didn't need to get on the phone to strangers if we didn't feel comfortable doing so. This was repeated over and over. 

Since the job role has changed for the whole department this is now mandatory. I find this type of phone call really triggers the worst symptoms of my autism including panic, anxiety and a lot worse. I sometimes lose the ability to talk and it causes me a lot of distress. 

When I brought up I can't make this change due to my autism (which is well known about) I was told that it wasn't related to my autism, it's a personal preference and we all have to do things we don't like.

I would like to have this put in place formally as a reasonable adjustment, but I don't know if this is possible. I continue to be excellent at all other aspects of the job.

Any advice from anyone who has done this before or something similar would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Parents
  • Ask to see a copy of the employee grievance procedure.. When asked why you want to see it, say "In order to keep performing in my job, I need a reasonable adjustment to be made, and this has been denied". 

    I'd also be taking a look around the jonb market and seeing if you can snag the same sort of work but with more money. They made you do it...

Reply
  • Ask to see a copy of the employee grievance procedure.. When asked why you want to see it, say "In order to keep performing in my job, I need a reasonable adjustment to be made, and this has been denied". 

    I'd also be taking a look around the jonb market and seeing if you can snag the same sort of work but with more money. They made you do it...

Children
  • Thank you, I might just do this! I think I will move in the medium term, but I'm waiting for a heart scan which might be followed by heart operations with quite a long recovery time, so I need to stay here for the time being.