Type 1 My new boss won't let me have sweets in my pocket, what are my rights?

[Robinredbreast]

No, it's just "against the rules" to have anything in your pocket except work things. I personally keep my phone on me. If anything happens and no one is around, I will need it. Previous manager had no issue, even the horrible night manager had no problem with it when I told her one night when I was doing overtime I had sweets.

You have some helpful suggestions here, unfortunately some employers just can't see pass their own ego's. You are on Insulin, so some form of hypo correction sweets/glucose tablets should be on your person or within a safe distance. It is discrimination and a talk with a higher level member of staff does sound like a good idea. I have had type 1 for many years and hypo's do happen, sometimes there seems to be no rhyme or reason.
Good luck and all the best for a positive outcome.

RRB

 

[Pinkorchid]

Are all diabetics classed as disabled as someone mentioned the disabled register and are there specific rules that employers are obliged to abide by if they have a diabetic employee

 

[noblehead]

Are all diabetics classed as disabled as someone mentioned the disabled register and are there specific rules that employers are obliged to abide by if they have a diabetic employee

Read through the following @Pinkorchid:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/upload/How we help/Avocacy/Employment-advocacy-pack-2013.pdf

 

[Pinkorchid]

Read through the following @Pinkorchid:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/upload/How we help/Avocacy/Employment-advocacy-pack-2013.pdf

So it seems like it is a sliding scale then depending on how much diabetes affects the ability to do normal things and how well it is controlled so diabetics are not automatically on the disabled register I understand then by discrimination it means an employer cannot sack you because you are diabetic

 

[dannyw]

Diabetics are not on a disabled register. Diabetics are covered by The Equality Act because it is the condition that is covered. It allows for "reasonable adjustment" by employers. Reasonable is a two way street though. In the case of the OP, common sense would dictate being allowed to carry hypo treatment is reasonable and I cannot see this being denied if taken further. There is no disabled register of names though and not really a sliding scale either. Poor control does not automatically allow for more adjustments. Likewise, more meds does not mean more adjustment.

 

[Brunneria]

Back in the day, i worked in a supermarket for a while.

There was a clear, common sense attitude by staff and management - people could have sweets and throat lozenges in their pocket any time. They just had to have a brand that wasn't sold at our branch.

This meant it was physically impossible for them to have shoplifted the item.

 

[chri5]

I`m a type 2 so not very clued up on type 1 but aren`t you required to carry glucose of some description when driving? Now I know your`e not driving but the fact that it is a requirement in any walk of life should surely point up it`s general usefulness/necessity.

 

[Dillinger]

This is some advice on how diabetics fit within the Equality Act

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/Advocacy/Employment advocacy pack 2012.pdf

Whilst I doubt many of us would consider ourselves 'disabled' in the ordinary sense of the word we can be under the Equality Act.

The document attached is not very clearly written but I think for the purposes of this discussion you can assume that it applies to you.

As a Type 1 diabetic having appropriate medication and the means to immediately correct hypos are essential parts of your treatment.

An employer has a duty under the Equality Act to make reasonable adjustments to prevent a disabled employee from being placed at a substantial disadvantage by any physical feature of the workplace, or by any provision, criteria or practice of the employer (the way things are done) compared with people who are not disabled.

Also follow @BradleyWilliamson's advice; on a common sense basis your manager is being idiotic. Raise the liability issue including personal liability and they may overcome their bizarre views on this.

If you had asthma do you think it would be reasonable for your boss to deny you access to an inhaler?

Think of the publicity if something should happen to you because of this!

By the way if your boss insists on this then they are acting 'as' Sainsburys as far as you are concerned so you would have a direct claim against the company if anything went wrong. That might not go down very well in your manager's end of year appraisal...

Best

Dillinger

 

[Winnie53]

I understand the heated comments, but please remember, bosses are human too, and though often well intentioned, they sometimes by nature are overly reactive, and sometimes make decisions without thinking it through and out of ignorance. That said, I will acknowledge that some are jerks and over time do hurt both the employees and the company, but that's not a useful position or attitude to work from to resolve this problem.

I think this situation will be resolved, but the employee will have to engage in a process of educating the boss and company with the involvement of her doctor, and an intermediary, such as Human Resources - (not sure what you call it in the UK) - and/or her Union. Once this is accomplished, hopefully, no other employees with type 1 diabetes will have to go through this, well, for a few years at least. These issues tend to be cyclic with changes in management over time.

 

[mark1313]

Hi. I work in Sainsbury's as an online shopper for the last 2 years. My previous boss had no issues with anything I needed. (like testing, or having to go buy sweets, keeping my phone on me, etc). I don't generally have hypos at work as I start at 4am and my 8pm dinner dose (30/70 mixed insulin) is enough to cover a small breakfast at 3:30am. I take my main big dose when I get home at 9am.

Anyway, in a few weeks I may be changing to basal bolus. I mentioned this to my new boss (who nobody likes!) in a return to work meeting. She is trying to discipline me for slipping on a puddle at work and hurting my back which is bad enough. I told her that as I will be having a dose before work in the future, I will need to keep sweets in my pocket. If I accidentally miscalculate how many carbs are in my breakfast, I assume even 1 extra unit of short acting can cause hypos. My job is very physical as well. She told me no, and said I can "maybe" keep sweets in the back room, which is really far away from the shop floor! Surely this is illegal or certainly worth asking the union?

I'm a Sainsburys Union rep plus on a insulin pump .Ring the union office I work in the south west (Wiltshire?) Can I help ? What Sainsburys do you work for .?

 

[elaineadams]

Hi. I work in Sainsbury's as an online shopper for the last 2 years. My previous boss had no issues with anything I needed. (like testing, or having to go buy sweets, keeping my phone on me, etc). I don't generally have hypos at work as I start at 4am and my 8pm dinner dose (30/70 mixed insulin) is enough to cover a small breakfast at 3:30am. I take my main big dose when I get home at 9am.

Anyway, in a few weeks I may be changing to basal bolus. I mentioned this to my new boss (who nobody likes!) in a return to work meeting. She is trying to discipline me for slipping on a puddle at work and hurting my back which is bad enough. I told her that as I will be having a dose before work in the future, I will need to keep sweets in my pocket. If I accidentally miscalculate how many carbs are in my breakfast, I assume even 1 extra unit of short acting can cause hypos. My job is very physical as well. She told me no, and said I can "maybe" keep sweets in the back room, which is really far away from the shop floor! Surely this is illegal or certainly worth asking the union?

quote the Disability Act 2010 at him or her. I'm just getting my employer on that one, along with Health and Safety. I was moved from office on the 2nd floor that despite having four large windows the sun didn't shine directly into, so it was cool and there was enough light to work without artificial lighting to an office on the 5th floor with fixed furniture and the sun blazing in the window directly on the back of my head, and companion who in temperatures of 30C has to have supplementary heating on because she is frozen, so no air, and the choice of burnt head or working the dark all the time, because even with the lights on it is permanently dark. Obviously the heat and lack of breathabe air has caused huge problems with my BGLs. H&S have told them that I should be in an office by myself, purely because of my condition, and according to the disability act they have put me at a disadvantage and I am unable to carry out my work efficiently and effectively.

 

[Ren1971]

As stated above you are covered by the Disability at Work Act which requires the employer to take any reasonable steps to ensure they implement changes in your routine or conditions of employment to make allowance for your medical needs.

You should first of all advise your manager of the medical need for the sweets or other items to be kept on you at all times and ask them to contact the company occupational health or HR to confirm this and to ensure that this is recorded so a similar situation does not occur in future should the manager/supervisor change again,

If your manager fails to do this contact HR directly yourself and highlight the situation including your managers refusal to assist as they are opening the company up to a serious level of negative publicity that could surround a tribunal also severe business liability claim should something happen to you at work due to you not having access to the sweets/sugar source at a time of desperate need leading to a severe incident.

 

[Tjtommy]

Just a couple of things. Something to bring your sugars should NOT only be used just during settling in period as lots of factors can cause hypos from heat to amount of total carb intake to working harder than usual and mis calculations. You should always bring your sugars up as quick as possible or face loosing your symptoms and like me your driving license. Also being on a Dafne corse sweets are considered a hypo treatment as they are also glucose. Back to the question... if you have a union or council try them first as they may have cases similar and can help you speak to the manager. If not speak to Hr explain you feel vulnerable and see if you can get them to email your boss with there response. Good Luck.

 

[Drewac25]

our works should have a occupational health section through HR department, you are within your employee rights to ask for a OC health referral (get in formal that you need them to assist in controlling your sugar levels as mangers have to go by the OC health recommendations) also if you are in the union speak to your trade rep, also go on the TUC web site find out your rights in relation to having diabetes at work ( https://www.tuc.org.uk/know-your-rights )