- Messages
- 43
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
Evening all,
Hope you’re good!
Apologies in advance for the essay.
So I’m reaching out for advice and to also understand if anyone has been through this before and what you would do in this scenario.
I work as an account manager for a media agency and the people that need to know I have type 1 diabetes are aware of this.
Basically this morning I encountered a situation which made me feel degraded, ashamed and angry.
This month I got my reminder letters for my appointments via text, as you do, and emailed the senior members of the team to let them know my appointment dates and times. One was retinal screening which was last week, the other the appointment with a specialist at the clinic.
So this morning I added a calendar invite for my appointment on Thursday at 11:30 and sent to the necessary people. The appointment actually coincided with is meeting with a provider which ran 9:00-13:00, however didn’t see an issue as I’d already previously let management know of this, so they were aware and send someone instead of me.
No longer than 10 minutes after the diary invite, one of the directors (who is not even a line manager of mine) came over with no subtlety and said ‘what’s this appointment on Thursday’ (in front of other members of staff) ‘we’ve got a meeting on Thursday which I can’t attend’. I said it’s my appointment for my diabetes - now declaring something I like to keep private in front of others - and he said ‘can you change it? When did you find out about it?’. I’m there thinking well I already made you aware of it last week. I said I couldn’t change it and he was like ‘******* ****’ and you could tell he was ****** off. I said I can’t help that I have to go to the things, and he was like ‘yeh i understand but we need to think about these meetings etc.’
So as he was going on I said ‘I’m going to stop you there, I don’t appreciate how you’re speaking to me right now, and I’m going to leave the office before I get any more upset’.
I went and sat in the bathroom for like 30 mins wondering what has just gone on. On the verge of tears I was shaking and ashamed and annoyed.
He emailed shortly after to apologise but I didn’t read it. Three of my colleagues heard this and said they were shocked and couldn’t believe his reaction.
Just want to add in here that upon reading the ‘sorry’ email it was only to say he didn’t mean to upset me and still more of a rant about me not being able to make the meeting.
I spoke to ACAS and they said this is disability discrimination.
So I filed a grievance with HR as this is not acceptable. We shouldn’t be spoke to like that in the workplace full stop, and certainly not for having a medical condition.
They (ACAS) also said I could take this further and seek legal action.
What’s more difficult is I don’t want to go back to work to see him now either as I’m walking on egg shells and I don’t want to work for a company that allows this.
What’s even more ironic is that it’s ‘wellness’ week at work and I’ve been made to feel degraded in front of my peers!
So just wondered:
- Am I overreacting? Should I just draw a line under it?
- What sort of grievance should be approached? Formal/ In formal?
- Should I seek legal action?
- Has anyone been in this scenario?
Thanks for reading and look forward to your responses!
Cheers
Rick
Edited by Mod
Hope you’re good!
Apologies in advance for the essay.
So I’m reaching out for advice and to also understand if anyone has been through this before and what you would do in this scenario.
I work as an account manager for a media agency and the people that need to know I have type 1 diabetes are aware of this.
Basically this morning I encountered a situation which made me feel degraded, ashamed and angry.
This month I got my reminder letters for my appointments via text, as you do, and emailed the senior members of the team to let them know my appointment dates and times. One was retinal screening which was last week, the other the appointment with a specialist at the clinic.
So this morning I added a calendar invite for my appointment on Thursday at 11:30 and sent to the necessary people. The appointment actually coincided with is meeting with a provider which ran 9:00-13:00, however didn’t see an issue as I’d already previously let management know of this, so they were aware and send someone instead of me.
No longer than 10 minutes after the diary invite, one of the directors (who is not even a line manager of mine) came over with no subtlety and said ‘what’s this appointment on Thursday’ (in front of other members of staff) ‘we’ve got a meeting on Thursday which I can’t attend’. I said it’s my appointment for my diabetes - now declaring something I like to keep private in front of others - and he said ‘can you change it? When did you find out about it?’. I’m there thinking well I already made you aware of it last week. I said I couldn’t change it and he was like ‘******* ****’ and you could tell he was ****** off. I said I can’t help that I have to go to the things, and he was like ‘yeh i understand but we need to think about these meetings etc.’
So as he was going on I said ‘I’m going to stop you there, I don’t appreciate how you’re speaking to me right now, and I’m going to leave the office before I get any more upset’.
I went and sat in the bathroom for like 30 mins wondering what has just gone on. On the verge of tears I was shaking and ashamed and annoyed.
He emailed shortly after to apologise but I didn’t read it. Three of my colleagues heard this and said they were shocked and couldn’t believe his reaction.
Just want to add in here that upon reading the ‘sorry’ email it was only to say he didn’t mean to upset me and still more of a rant about me not being able to make the meeting.
I spoke to ACAS and they said this is disability discrimination.
So I filed a grievance with HR as this is not acceptable. We shouldn’t be spoke to like that in the workplace full stop, and certainly not for having a medical condition.
They (ACAS) also said I could take this further and seek legal action.
What’s more difficult is I don’t want to go back to work to see him now either as I’m walking on egg shells and I don’t want to work for a company that allows this.
What’s even more ironic is that it’s ‘wellness’ week at work and I’ve been made to feel degraded in front of my peers!
So just wondered:
- Am I overreacting? Should I just draw a line under it?
- What sort of grievance should be approached? Formal/ In formal?
- Should I seek legal action?
- Has anyone been in this scenario?
Thanks for reading and look forward to your responses!
Cheers
Rick
Edited by Mod
Last edited: