Type 1 Bradford Scale or sickness absence

conniecar

Well-Known Member
Messages
284
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi
I’m just recovering after a serious fall. I damaged my back and cut my leg, which resulted in an infection in it. I’ve just finished antibiotics and it’s still throbbing and hot. I’ve got mild neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease, so my legs are slow to heal. My employer said I’ve hit a trigger and need an interview to discuss my absence. Question : one absence was when I had a kidney infection and my blood sugars shot up and I had ketones. I said I had to go home to sort it and get advice. I ended up on a drip in A and E to bring my sugars down and more antibiotics. I work with a behaviourally challenged child and felt very unwell. Is that counted as sickness on this scale even though it’s related to my ‘disability’? I’ve heard it shouldn’t be counted if it’s related to diabetes, which obviously it is. It’s not been my year! My control is good though
 

Hopeful34

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,693
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Sorry you're having such a bad year. When I worked for the NHS my hospital appointments for diabetes were counted as half a day sick leave, even if I was only away from my job for an hour.
 

Rokaab

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,159
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
In my company, they use the Bradford Factor as well, if you hit the trigger you do end up having an interview afaik, but at that point if you have a known disability then this is taken into account when they and you decide what to do (which may be nothing) - but you still have to do said interview
 
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conniecar

Well-Known Member
Messages
284
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Thank you. To be honest the HR lady is lovely, and has a type 1 husband so knows the score. It’s just it’s been used as a tool against me once and it ended up being a union thing ( I won - hurray! ) but he was also bullying me to get rid of my job, but that’s another matter. It’s just when she uttered the words ‘Bradford’ it brought back bad memories for me
 

MaviesDavies2

Active Member
Messages
39
Thank you. To be honest the HR lady is lovely, and has a type 1 husband so knows the score. It’s just it’s been used as a tool against me once and it ended up being a union thing ( I won - hurray! ) but he was also bullying me to get rid of my job, but that’s another matter. It’s just when she uttered the words ‘Bradford’ it brought back bad memories for me

I work in HR; the Bradford score is used as a trigger for a conversation, where the reasons behind each absence are discussed. A lot of the time there is no formal outcome, but usually lots of useful conversations about support, reasonable adjustments (which your organisation is legally obliged to consider and adopt wherever possible!)

Well, that’s what the BF score is used for where I work.

Go in with your detailed account of each absence; ask if your disability can be taken into account; and offer solutions as to how you will try and improve your absence levels going forward, and how they can support you with that.

Ask if you can take a work colleague with you for support to the conversation. If they haven’t written and told you of your right to be accompanied, then there can’t be any formal outcome from the meeting. It can only be a chat. But still ask to take someone with you from work that you trust. They will be hard pushed to say no to a reasonable request.

Hope that helps.
 

conniecar

Well-Known Member
Messages
284
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Thanks all. I’m back tomorrow. I got cellulitis in my leg so have more antibiotics to take. I’ll just need to be careful what I’m doing or I’ll be off forever
 

TriciaWs

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,727
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
As part of any disability adjustments your contract should include whether you are allowed extra sick days before hitting triggers. In my last place that would be, for example 5 days a year off for migraine which were not counted towards the trigger points and in addition to the usual total.
If you don't have formal adjustments agreed already, then that meeting is the time to get them negotiated. Talk to someone in the union who deals with disability discrimination first if you can.