Action for ME has been called to give oral evidence to the UK Government’s Women and Equalities Committee inquiry Equality at work: flexible working and disability, alongside Arthritis UK, Disability Rights UK, The Down's Syndrome Association and Scope.
This is an important opportunity to put the voices of people with ME at the heart of discussions about employment rights.
The session will be broadcast live online on Wednesday 15 July, starting at 2.20pm and running for around 90 minutes.
The inquiry is examining the value of current laws, workplace practices and support schemes for disabled people, including those with ME, and what more needs to be done. Following the inquiry, the Committee will publish a report to Government setting out its recommendations.
Giving evidence remotely, our Head of Services Clare Ogden will explain why flexible working is essential for people living with this fluctuating condition.
Because symptoms can change from day to day, people with ME need the flexibility to adapt how, when and where they work. This can include working from home, adjusting hours, taking rest breaks or reducing workloads during periods of relapse.
We will highlight that, while the pandemic led to greater acceptance of remote and flexible working, many disabled people have not seen the benefits translate into lasting workplace change. Too often, access to flexibility still depends on individual managers, workplace culture or assumptions about how a role should be carried out.
We will also make it clear that many people with ME are simply too ill to work, no matter what support is put in place.
