Telling your Boss
You have been diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, you will soon be starting treatment and you have surrendered your Class2 driving-licence to the DVLA. That means you must not drive; not only can you not drive your truck, but any motor-vehicle, including fork-lift trucks, motor-bikes and small vans are all forbidden. Until you get your licence back.
Without a driving-licence you cannot work as a driver, and your employer’s reaction to this news will inevitably depend on the company you work for and the relationship you have with your manager.
If it has been fairly obvious for some time that you have a problem with your health, starting treatment will be a welcome step forward to reaching full health and, as your employer can see you have made the decision, he should be sympathetic towards your new predicament.
Your employer has two choices: he can say something on the lines of ‘I’m sorry, but if you can’t drive, I can’t keep you on the pay-roll.’ Or he may ask how long you expect to have to wait before you’re able to drive again.
Your OSA has at last been diagnosed and you already know that the CPAP Therapy that has been prescribed for you is pretty much guaranteed to be successful. You know that you will only get your licence back when the DVLA are satisfied your OSA is under control. So, the answer to the question: ‘How long must I wait before I get my licence back?’ you can say three months at the most.
Of course, a lot will depend on your employer’s circumstances. A large fleet operator will find it easier to absorb a member of the team into other duties: servicing and cleaning the vehicles or general warehousing duties, for example. A smaller operator may take a different view.
It may also depend on how long you have been with your employer and how you are regarded by senior management. Again, it may present an opportunity to bid farewell to that employer and start afresh doing something completely different.
Before you leave, make sure you’re clear about any pension entitlements you may have accrued during your time there. You can have your pension transferred either into a private pension of your own, or into that of your new employer. There are some useful websites shown below.
If you leave your job, make sure you leave on good terms: you might want your job back when the DVLA returns your licence.
You may find the following websites useful:
www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk
Whatever you do, don’t let OSA rule your life or your career; take it in your stride, deal with it and move on.
Truckers Health UK 