Posted By Ian Brough Hi All, We have a problem where one of our employees (shop floor based and weighing around 30 stones or more) is destroying chairs. The process itself requires then to sit, so we cannot remove the problem via this method. The best chair we can obtain off the shelf is only guaranteed for up to 25 stones and they broke that within 2 weeks of purchasing. I can obtain chairs for up top 35 stone, but they are officed based and would not be suitable for the processes involved. Has anyone come across this problem before and if so, what was the solutions? Any guidance on this issue is gratefully appreciated. Ian

Posted By Anthony Edwards Tricy one Ian, I know a dentist who made a secretary buy her own after she broke 3 weighing in at a similar amount. Is the employer not putting the employee in a place of danger (possible injuries from the chair breaking). If they do not manufacture a suitable chair then the emploee may have to be given another role or as I am sure everybody will be thinking tell the employee he has to loose weight if he wishes to carry on doing that task, (or is that fatist?)!!!! Nutty

Posted By Mitch Andrew, Why her?

Posted By Mitch Monica Denise Arnold? Ain't Google a wonderful thing, not my cup of tea I'm afraid!! I can't see where these modern warblers get the description R&B from, perhaps I'm just too old

Posted By Mitch You've just put me off my cigar!!

Posted By Lilian McCartney In addition to finding a suitable chair and assuming the weight is due to a medical problem not involved with over eating, have you considered assistance to the employee to reduce their weight? To explain what I mean, if you had an employee who advised you that they were an alcoholic you would make arrangements and agreements for them so why not weight? Where I used to work we had a young person who was greatly obese and couldn't go up the ladders as their weight broke the rungs. We transferred them for a while on the understanding that they attend the counselling classes we had arranged and took active steps to reduce their weight. They did and it all worked out well - apparently they felt it was the boost they needed to stop eating so much. I've out the above just as an additional factor Lilian

Posted By VJM Geoff, I agree with Lilian, if a person in the workplace advises they have a problem with alcohol, the company has a duty of care to offer them support e.g. counselling etc. We caught someone drinking on duty (threw up in front of their manager) and rather than fire them on gross misconduct, offered them counselling. It didn't work as they did it again, but at least we could then defend ourselves when they did get the boot. We have someone who is the same sort of weight as Ian is describing and we have offered them counselling and it is helping. Thankfully they haven't broken any chairs to date though. Obesity may be self inflicted by eating too much, but there is usually a reason why they are eating too much, beyond the fact they enjoy a pie or two. This is where the duty of care comes in. I would contact an ergonomic supplier and get an assessment done on this person at the very least and they can source an appropriate chair, in the long term it will cost less than replacing on every couple of weeks! VJM