‘I miss the office banter’

As working from home becomes the new normal, is it really all its cracked up to be? Or could it actually be making the situation worse for disabled staff? Simon Minty chats with Nana Marfo who lives with a permanent tracheostomy tube and has been working from home since March. He misses catching up with colleagues, but on the plus side; no commute means a lie-in! Lilu Wheeler has found working from home to be a mixed blessing – staying at home accommodates her auditory processing difficulties and ulcerative colitis – but she can feel out of the loop and misses those watercooler conversations. The government has said it will give financial support to disabled staff who want to work from home in the long term, by extending Access to Work. That's great for those who enjoy it, but could it also prompt some employers to be less accommodating and encourage their disabled staff to stay away from the office permanently? Produced by Kirstie Brewer. Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or ask 'Ask the BBC for Ouch' to your smart speaker.