How do I discuss my sight loss with my employer?
If you are finding it difficult to do your job because of changes in your sight or working conditions you may benefit from some help to stay in work. Talking your situation through with your employer is important, but it is also advisable to seek guidance from specialists and other people outside the organisation you work for.
Before arranging a meeting with your employer think about the things you want to talk about. You need to be clear what you want to get out of any meeting and you also need to establish what your employer wants to get out of it. In your first meeting you may want to cover things like:
- aspects of your work that you are having difficulty with
- any ideas you have about how these difficulties could be overcome
- aspects of your work that you can do well, and any that you particularly enjoy
- any changes that your would like to make, bearing in mind your expectations.
A full checklist of things to think about before raising your sight loss with your employer can be found on RNIB's Staying in work webpage, along with a copy of their Let's work together booklet. It’s a simple and straight forward guide designed to help employers keep workers with sight loss, which you can use during your discussion.
Please also see Should I tell my employer about my sight loss?
