Enforced holiday time

pshawfocus

Active Member
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26
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Morning all. A bit of background. I'm a well controlled type 1 (30 years), controlled by 2 x Novomix 30 injections each day; the same regime I've been on since diagnosis in my early teens. No other health conditions beyond a moderate cycling fetish. I live by routine - flexing each of the three amigos (diet, insulin and activity) to ensure I stay in the right BG zone.

My career has involved working for a variety of banks both in London and New York. I'm typically office based but can spend as many as 5 days a week out and about seeing clients; here in the UK I tend to do that by car. Over the past few years the compliance regulations have gotten ever louder such that one of the things I'm required to do due to my seniority is take an enforced 2 week holiday each year, the theory being that in my absence anything that I've been doing which is untoward would unravel. As this regulation is quite low down a very long tally and holiday list admin is rarely a role anyone covets, my lack of adherence has gone unnoticed.

So you might ask, why don't I want to take 2 weeks holiday? Well, first lets look at my usual pattern - my default preference is long weekends, typically UK or Europe based. Minimal change of time zone, short term change to wider routine. I don't mind 5-7 days (max) as I can still easily slot back into my work life routine without needing much adjustment. However, if I extend that long weekend to a 2 week break (something I've only done maybe two or three times in my entire life), naturally my routine is changed for a longer period and thus slotting back involves more focus.

As I get (a little) older these changes are things I seek to avoid for the sake of my long term health. I'm very happy with my typical routine, I don't feel I'm missing out on anything and I don't begrudge my condition. For some, returning from a far flung 2 week break might only necessitate some closer monitoring, but for me that's not the case and it impacts my levels, sleep and general well being. I'm very sensitive to levels, any BG above 12 immediately impacts my mood, concentration and energy levels.

Wow - didn't meant to write quite so much but I'm sure you get the gist. Anyone else had the same issue or have any thoughts on whether I can ask for some workplace adjustments? I'm more than happy to have my access to systems (to be fair, I have access to hardly any anyway) revoked or some other such monitoring or oversight put in place.
 
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andcol

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3,176
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I reversed my Type 2
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Well there is no need to go off to sunny climates for those 2 weeks. You could do a long weekend followed by a little voluntary work then another long weekend. Some decorating, etc...

My job often gets in the way of me having a 2 week break. Often I have a week in the summer and then left with all the rest of my holiday that has to be taken at the end of the year (we are not allowed to carry it over). So it ends up being use it or lose it as long as I have had the statutory requirement. I quite often end up with December off. What I do with my time is courses/training/interests/self learning. Could this be an option for you in those 2 weeks?

If you want to keep your current regime then feel the work period that is fulfilling for you. Just some suggestions - hope it helps
 

AndBreathe

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11,320
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Whilst I had a bit more control over my holiday leave entitlement, I often used to end up with a short time to take quite a bit of leave, but somehow I got it done. :) These days, my work.life balance is significantly different so I not longer have a juggling act to maintain.

I'm curious as to why being away from work has such disruptive impacts on your control and wellbeing. By nature, I am an early bird, so am up with the larks, wherever I am in the world. OK, if that's in a differing time zone, it might seem a bit odd for a few days, but in UK, if we're away on a break or staying with friends, I'll still be up and pottering at 05:30-06:00. I just put the kettle on, as I would at home, and read the papers online; again as I would at home.

Surely when you are on holiday you have at least as much control over when you get up, go to bed, eat and drink - including what you might eat and drink?

I worked for a large part of my later working life in a similarly regulated environment as you do - although my role was not covered by an FS regulation, so I do appreciate both sides of the coin, but if them's the rules, it feels to me like you either comply with them or face the potential backlash at some stage.

My knee-jerk reaction would be if there is ever an audit on your activity, if you have been wilfully and serially non-compliant, you could expect the audit to be significantly more onerous than usual.

For the avoidance of doubt; I am not casting aspersion on your activities or integrity, just thinking through how Risk Management/Compliance/Internal Audit, or indeed (although unlikely) the FSA might react. Past business reviews are a nightmare on all ends of many sticks.
 

copepod

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735
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Many of us have to cope with lots of different types of days. In my case, currently, I juggle 5 different jobs: office based on 1 to 3 days per week, usually about 6 days per month throughout the year; events & education activities at various council parks, farm & bird garden, irregular days, approx 20 per year; invigilating exams for 3 or 4 days for up to 3 periods of 2 or 3 weeks per year, which involves lots of walking and carrying heavy boxes of papers; physical care work for periods of 2 days to 2 weeks, usually total 3 weeks per year; marshalling on various mountain running and cycling races and triathlons, approx 8 weekends per year. I haven't had a holiday in nearly 3 years, but hoping to be able to afford on this year. I have to make sure I do enough days work and training to maintain my professional qualification, which takes some doing, but I would not want to put my registration in doubt.

So, I think that it's essential that you fulfill the requirements of your professional association. If that means taking 2 weeks off, then that's what it has to be.
 

pshawfocus

Active Member
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Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Thanks for some of the suggestions. I'm going to have a chat with my manager about options and go from there.
 

Brunneria

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I love the idea of using the two weeks for some kind of structured education. The possibilities are endless.
 

himtoo

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why can't everyone get on........
i really get where you are coming from ( routine wise )-- and the nature of the role in banking with all the funny business in the banking sector definitely means that 2 weeks out of the role has to be seen to be done.

Can you possibly ask your boss if there are any out of the normal responsibilities you could perform that would take you away from your hands on ability to affect the numbers ??
so a complete change of work duties ( for 2 weeks ) that would allow you to keep your normal life routine.

I find routine is one of the things that has helped keep me fairly stable over 43 years with the D
 

Mep

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1,461
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Insulin
I also have the enforced 2 weeks minimum recreation leave per year. I'm also questioned why I'm not taking more breaks. I probably should be doing that too because I was forced to reduce my working hours to part time because of health. So I did plan to take a break every 6 months, although usually I wind up taking a break every 12 months. I prefer a minimum of 3 weeks though. I find 2 weeks is too short of a break for me as I take the first week to wind down, then the 2nd week I'm starting to feel I'm on holiday, then suddenly the next week I'm back at work. Whereas my theory with 3 weeks is obviously wind down the first week, the second week I'm feeling relaxed, the third week I'm prepping myself to get back to work again. I do have about 136 days of leave for recreation and long service available to me right now. I'm just waiting for my boss to have a talk to me as I haven't been on leave since September last year. I haven't taken a long break for a while either. Because I'm subject to regular medical assessments which involve being assessed by the work doctor and my doctor and they both look at what leave I'm taking too. That was one of the questions I got asked last assessment... why haven't you taken a decent amount of leave this year? My situation is obviously different to yours. If you like what you're doing, then keep at it. Although if I had my time again after 26 years in the workforce I'd take more leave than I have done.
 

slip

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3,523
Type of diabetes
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I wonder if you're stuck having to have such a regulated structured day because you are on novomix and not on Basal/Bolus regime?