I think work stress accelerated Type 1 (LADA) – now facing redundancy.

[EL-Wisty]

I was diagnosed with late-onset Type 1 diabetes (LADA) in 2023 after a period of extreme work stress, little sleep, and covering several unfilled roles during COVID. I'm seeking medical advice to confirm that stress and lack of sleep is likely to acclerate T1D symptoms.

Despite perfect attendance since diagnosis and carefully managing my condition, I’m now at risk of redundancy in a company restructure.

At the time of not knowing if I was T1 or T2, HR openly told me the business does not have and support in place for diabetes, largely in terms of medical insurance.

My former boss (VP), her boss (SVP) and the new leader of the business unit are all aware of my condition, but am unsure whether this is formally logged as a disability and has therefore may not have been taken to account in the process.

I’m considering raising this as disability discrimination under the Equality Act (UK) but I’m unsure how best to approach it.

Has anyone else faced redundancy or lack of support as a Type 1 diabetic?

• How did you handle it?
• Any tips for negotiating a fair exit or getting recognition for the condition’s impact?

Feeling a bit isolated as haven't a big T1D support network - any advice or similar experiences would be appreciated.

 

[becca59]

Just put your question into Google. The answer is yes. It is classed as a disability and covered under the Disability and Discrimination act 1995. They are in the wrong and heading for trouble.

 

[Jaylee]

Hi @EL-Wisty ,

Welcome to the forum. Sorry to read of your predicament..

Anecdotally.
I’ve had a couple of room shrinking sweaty collar side eye sheepish back down causes HR in my time.
One incident unbelievably I was anonymously accused of carrying a “spy pen?” To my surprise by management & a rep.
What this? As I pulled the top of a Novopen..
another job I was pulled up for carrying “food.” Untill a brief explanation on why the sweets..
Then I was pulled for having a phone on the shop floor.. I opened the Libre app & instantly the team leader recognised it saying, “don’t worry. My daughter is T1.”

But I am fully awair of “reasonable adjustments in the workplace” for conditions such as diabetes.

With regards to your job & how you should proceed.
I personally would be looking at who else within your company is affected by the restructure?

Despite great support from an operations manager, once (he backed me to the hilt.) I still managed to be made redundant along with others.

This might help? If you haven’t seen it already..

Disability rights

Find out about protection for disabled people from discrimination at work, in education or dealing with the police

www.gov.uk

Best wishes.

 

[Nicola M]

Technically your company can still make you redundant, it’d be up to you to prove that they did so due to your disability rather than for other reasons. Your best bet would be to speak to citizens advice and see what assistance they can offer

 

[Pipp]

Just put your question into Google. The answer is yes. It is classed as a disability and covered under the Disability and Discrimination act 1995. They are in the wrong and heading for trouble.

The Act was replaced by the Equality Act 2010,

@https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance

 

[Pipp]

There is a help / advocacy service in the other uk diabetes organisation.

Work and diabetes

This information is about how to manage diabetes at work and to support you in knowing your rights at work. Jump to:

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[DiabeticBear]

Sorry to hear you are going through this - my blood sugar levels are certainly susceptible to work stress and this situation will not be helping you. My understanding is that a person being put at risk of redundancy involves the company providing the person with their 'selection criteria' on which a person is identified. I am not sure if you are at that stage or not. If that is in a situation whereby the role simply no longer exists as part of a restructure e.g. they simply no longer need people to perform a particular role, they will probably put that forward as the reason i.e. not a personal performance or circumstance simply the role will no longer exist. If there is a situation where the role exists but needs to be reduced - e.g. there are 3 people in a team doing the same role but they need to reduce to 2 people, I thought the company has to give their rationale/selection criteria to the individual why they were chosen not the other people. I would have thought that *should* be performance/experience related criteria - I certainly don't think they would dare cite a medical reason for the reason ( even if the person truly believed that was the real reason ) as that would be more likely to raise legal issues. As Nicola says above, it would be a case of assessing whether you can prove this is genuinely to do with your medical situation rather than an unfortunate circumstance of a restructure. Good luck with it, I hope you get a good outcome.

 

[Kazsyn]

I was diagnosed with late-onset Type 1 diabetes (LADA) in 2023 after a period of extreme work stress, little sleep, and covering several unfilled roles during COVID. I'm seeking medical advice to confirm that stress and lack of sleep is likely to acclerate T1D symptoms.

Despite perfect attendance since diagnosis and carefully managing my condition, I’m now at risk of redundancy in a company restructure.

At the time of not knowing if I was T1 or T2, HR openly told me the business does not have and support in place for diabetes, largely in terms of medical insurance.

My former boss (VP), her boss (SVP) and the new leader of the business unit are all aware of my condition, but am unsure whether this is formally logged as a disability and has therefore may not have been taken to account in the process.

I’m considering raising this as disability discrimination under the Equality Act (UK) but I’m unsure how best to approach it.

Has anyone else faced redundancy or lack of support as a Type 1 diabetic?

• How did you handle it?
• Any tips for negotiating a fair exit or getting recognition for the condition’s impact?

Feeling a bit isolated as haven't a big T1D support network - any advice or similar experiences would be appreciated.

I was diagnosed with late-onset Type 1 diabetes (LADA) in 2023 after a period of extreme work stress, little sleep, and covering several unfilled roles during COVID. I'm seeking medical advice to confirm that stress and lack of sleep is likely to acclerate T1D symptoms.

Despite perfect attendance since diagnosis and carefully managing my condition, I’m now at risk of redundancy in a company restructure.

At the time of not knowing if I was T1 or T2, HR openly told me the business does not have and support in place for diabetes, largely in terms of medical insurance.

My former boss (VP), her boss (SVP) and the new leader of the business unit are all aware of my condition, but am unsure whether this is formally logged as a disability and has therefore may not have been taken to account in the process.

I’m considering raising this as disability discrimination under the Equality Act (UK) but I’m unsure how best to approach it.

Has anyone else faced redundancy or lack of support as a Type 1 diabetic?

• How did you handle it?
• Any tips for negotiating a fair exit or getting recognition for the condition’s impact?

Feeling a bit isolated as haven't a big T1D support network - any advice or similar experiences would be appreciated.

Hi
If you are unsure if your diabetes is down as you having a disability, then the first thing to do is get that fixed. If you send an email explaining what you have, then the first date it was diagnosed and finally the date they became aware of your diagnosis that will cover you under the disability act. If you only do it verbally they can deny it being said so email or written if you can’t email is the first step. As a retired union rep I have dealt with many similar cases. So any correspondence must be written. If you think about it logically, if you only do things verbally (with anything work related health or otherwise) it can be denied. Emails can’t. Then if you need to use the disability act in future , you have proof.
Secondly, no matter how big or small your employer is they still have to abide by redundancy/employment law. As long as your disability has a substantial and long term effect on your day to day activities (which I sure it does) you are covered. As for not covered by medical insurance to have a type 1 diabetic working for them, quite frankly they are talking through their ****. Can you imagine if they stood up and said that at a tribunal? Seriously you need to question that statement as well (by email)

 

[Kazsyn]

Of course I forgot to say, it cannot just be used as an excuse for not being made redundant, it’s only if you are sure that is the reason. Good luck

 

[margot_c_wallace]

I was diagnosed with late-onset Type 1 diabetes (LADA) in 2023 after a period of extreme work stress, little sleep, and covering several unfilled roles during COVID. I'm seeking medical advice to confirm that stress and lack of sleep is likely to acclerate T1D symptoms.

Despite perfect attendance since diagnosis and carefully managing my condition, I’m now at risk of redundancy in a company restructure.

At the time of not knowing if I was T1 or T2, HR openly told me the business does not have and support in place for diabetes, largely in terms of medical insurance.

My former boss (VP), her boss (SVP) and the new leader of the business unit are all aware of my condition, but am unsure whether this is formally logged as a disability and has therefore may not have been taken to account in the process.

I’m considering raising this as disability discrimination under the Equality Act (UK) but I’m unsure how best to approach it.

Has anyone else faced redundancy or lack of support as a Type 1 diabetic?

• How did you handle it?
• Any tips for negotiating a fair exit or getting recognition for the condition’s impact?

Feeling a bit isolated as haven't a big T1D support network - any advice or similar experiences would be appreciated.

You absolutely not be fired because your diabetic, check your contact