I am asking this question on behalf of my mother, who works in a UK factory. She recently had an operation that impairs her mobility.
Situation before the operation
My mother had an admin role that is office-based. She is well praised for her efficiency and she enjoys it.
Situation during sick leave
When my mother had her operation, she gave advanced notice and trained a colleague to cover her work. The colleague did an OK job, but she prefers being on the factory floor. This involves being stood all day and is physically demanding.
Situation when my mother returns to work
When my mother returned to work, she was informed that her role will be swapped with her covering colleague. This is allowed in her contract.
Now my mother is asked to work a role that is too physically demanding for her, and her colleague is asked to work in a role where the colleague is unhappy and less efficient.
A few days after returning to work, my mother visited the doctor and was given a sick note for another 14 days.
The question
To compound all of this, my mother's immediate supervisor is not approachable at all (he doesn't want to hear about the situation described).
Given this, my question is how can my mother go about resuming her old duties?