Work and Diabetes

[Dee2]

Hi..I'm just wondering if anyone can help?

I work full-time in a restaurant for a high street department store..which will remain unnamed.. I have been under the care of the Mental Health Team after being diagnosed in Dec 2010 with recurrent depressive disorder..happily I am now in remission and returned to my job 3 months after being diagnosed

I was diagnosed in March of 2011..with type 2 diabetes and my blood sugars have been extremely high on occasions (20 - 29) over the last six months and I have had the misfortune to have 1 or 2 hyperglycaemic episodes at work.. where I was operating machinery (hot ovens and fryers) my blood glucose was 27 on this occasion..I asked to go home but I was point blank refused because there was no one to cover me!

My blood sugars are still high and I am working on them daily.. cutting out white bread.. pasta.. rice and potatoes..this has helped my sugars a lot and my base level (morning reading) is now down to 13 although Wednesday I had a fasting blood test and it came back at 14.8..the doctor today increased my evening gliclizide by 80mg so hopefully it will come down further

I have been under a lot of pressure at work over the last month ..covering staff holidays and having my work load doubled on occasions..this has caused me a lot of stress which I relayed to my Mental Health Team who wrote a letter to my company's HR department asking for a referral to the Occupational Health Department..I was in agreement to this and it was the 2nd attempt to and I quote "to ensure her health needs are being taken into consideration in the workplace"

I have been suffering stress incontinence and sometimes don't quite make it to the loo(this includes at times wetting the bed) so at work I have been using the nearest loo all be it public..which I know I shouldn't..but because I don't want to wet myself I do..but I was caught and told not to use it..so I don't..so sometimes I do wet myself!

I have asked the store manager if it would be possible that I could use it and she was in agreement (by way of doing a risk assessment and allowing me to on medical grounds (I think my high blood sugars are causing me to need to wee more often) only to be told by HR the next day that I wasn't allowed

Any way because I asked to see Occupational Health "to ensure her health needs are met in the work place" I have now been told that they want me to have a medical..and the implication of this means that they could find me.. and I quote.."UNFIT TO WORK DUE TO MY DIABETES" in which case the store manager has told me I could lose my job

What do I do?

 

[smidge]

Hi Dee2!

I'm not an expert in employment law, but diabetes is covered under the Disability Discrimination Act and your employer has to consider making 'reasonable adjustments' to accommodate your condition. Generally, the bigger the employer, the more 'adjustment' they are expected to make. They can dismiss you on grounds of ill-health if you are unable to perform your job safetly. However, they must show that they have considered 'reasonable adjustments' and that either these were not possible or they did not work and you were still unable to perform your job safetly. With a large employer, if your particular job can't be performed safetly with 'reasonable adjustments' being made, they would be expected to consider moving you to another suitable position that can be performed safetly. I suggest you call Diabetes UK's support line and see if they can give you some support and advice on your situation. I'm guessing as you work in a shop, you are not in a union? Obvioously, if you are, speak to your union.

Smidge

 

[shop]

Dee Hi,

I can't answer re the work situation or your mental health issue but felt I should speak up about the incontinence!

Without seeming too intrusive there is a difference between stress incontinence and urge incontinence.

Stress incontinence is also a problem when coughing and lifting things aswell, and this usually needs either specific excercises or in severe cases surgery.

Urge in continence however can simply be treated with pills. This is usually caused by an irritable bladder and the main symptom being no time between realising that you need to pee and actually doing it but no problem when coughing lifting excercising. If you have already spoken to you Dr about this then I apologise.

If you haven't it seems that you could do with 1 less thing to worry about and if a simple pill could help then great. High sugars in either situation will however make it worse. I hope that you are able to get your sugars down and keep your depression in remission. There are some great T2's on here who can help with diet to help reduce your blood sugars.

Sending best wishes,

Lucy xxx

 

[Fraddycat]

Hi Dee,

I agree with Smidge, I work in HR and know that Diabetes is covered under the Disability Discrimination Act. All that Smidge said is true and also you have the bargaining chip that this is obviously a well known store. If they start to make your life difficult then you can go to the press and make a big fuss, no big high street company wants rotten publicity.

Also do you have legal cover with your house or car insurance? You can use this to get legal advice on any matter so a lawyer is there if you need it.

Its a very stressful situation but you have rights and they should not be pushing you around. Try to stay strong and stand your ground.

Good luck
Jane x

 

[viviennem]

Do see your GP about the incontinence problem - no need to be embarrassed 'cos it's a common problem :wink: . In the meantime, get some Tena Lady pads - they really do work.

Viv 8)

 

[GraceK]

Dee - I've just read your post and I'm absolutely disgusted with your lousy employers! But there are a lot of them about these days. If I were you I'd put your health first and foremost and either DEMAND for your health needs to be taken into consideration and use the damned loo WHENEVER the need arises and tell your employers this is 2012 NOT 1812 and if they'd rather you pee on the floor in front of customers, that you'd be happy to do so! Urinary frequency is a well known symptom of diabetes and whether you wear Tena Lady's or not you still need to go to the loo and should NEVER be denied that right. Get on to your Occ Therapist and HR and give em all what for and while you're at it - give them the link to this forum and enlighten them.

So many employers are getting away with unreasonable demands and that includes NHS Trusts I might add. Despite the NHS being a health service, in my experience it's not at all sympathetic or helpful to those of us with medical conditions who need to work, in fact it can be downright hostile in some cases. Sad but true. The only way forward is to stop apologising for having a medical condition, there are plenty of able bodied people at work who drag their heels and aren't as productive as some with disabilities or medical conditions and I've pointed that out on several occasions at work myself.