Problems at work due to time off

[debbiedoo42]

Hi I'm just looking for a bit of advice really over the last 12 months I've had a lot of time off work due to various complications with my diabetes .... I've been type 2 for about 14 years now and on insulin for about 10 years .... metformin has always been a problem for me causing upset stomach and dioreah but last year seemed to result in me being quite unwell with lots of stomach upsets and as well as this went through a period of infection after infection I was given a disciplinary at work and given a written warning for absence, I did visit the Dr on each occasion but it never specified it was anything to do with my diabetes on any sick notes ... anyway that was that and in September last year i got married but that soon broke down and in Jan this year my husband became violent and the marriage ended which resulted in a lot of emotional trauma as well as physical. ... my diabetes became very unstable and I was off work again for 4 weeks during this time i managed to get my bm to a normal level but then started having hypos during the night which scared me being on my own as i started to panic incase i didn't wake up... i returned to work but 3 weeks later had to visit the Dr again as i had really bad migraines which i partly put down to the lighting at work but my gp also said could be a result of the hypos. .. I've now returned to work and have been told i will be having a disciplinary to discuss my capability in the role due to my illness which could result in dismissal and i really don't know what to do. Any advice would be great fully appreciated

 

[Scouser58]

I have just read your post, disaplinary for being off from work sick?, what type of company do you work for? Do you /are you a member of a trade union, absence form work without reprisals is one thing the unions worked hard for. Why did'nt your gp put on your sick notes diabetes, when it must have been very clear that why you were away from work, why did'nt you ask him to put that on them?. I wish you had asked your gp to write in your support, concerning your absence, and there for proving the case was genuine, did anybody from the company get in touch with you while you were on sick leave?, if not why not?.
The company you work for seems very hard and cold, that a person going through what you have gone through, have they no compassion, and understand your situation.
The company seems to think that all staff are robots without feelings and unsinkable and not be ill, wrong you are human.


If you are in a union get your rep on the case, if not see about joining one, or may be if there is time consult the unions information about illness, and work place disaplinary issues, and if they seem hell bent on going through the whole thing again, when they must be aware of your medical conditions, then maybe you have to take then to the industrial tribunal, for work place victimisation,or harassement, it could be they might be looking at you as somebody who they can treat in this way, and force you into constructive dismissal, don't let them, get help and support.
I have seen this before, when a shop greeter was given the 'push' because having been off from work, and they needed more time off, they were 'let go', without a by your leave, no union to give support, and defend the person.

Please keep in touch, and let us know how things are going and with work being so uncaring towards you, disgusting I say.ttfn

Please keep intouc

 

[debbiedoo42]

Thanks for your response I am part of the union and I've now got them on board hopefully they can help but I can't help think that union reps should be independent rather than employees who also have to think about their own position within the company... At the time of infections last year i honestly never connected the 2 together ie diabetes and infections I put that down to my own ignorance in the condition and stupidly assumed I was unlucky at the time it was only at the time of the first disciplinary hearing it became clear how important this information was and is something I've ensured whenever I've visited the gp since. My union rep as advised today that altho I have had a bad time over recent months that they can't really take this into consideration and has to be seen to be treating everyone consistently. I know that diabetes comes under the cover of the disability act but I'm embarrassed to say I really don't know what this means for me.

 

[jack412]

Your union rep doesn't know. Get him to refer you to union legal dept. or you contact them.
You also need to see the dr to work out what's diabetic and what's not and what he will support you in if it gets to that stage

 

[NorthCountryMaid]

My union rep as advised today that altho I have had a bad time over recent months that they can't really take this into consideration and has to be seen to be treating everyone consistently. I know that diabetes comes under the cover of the disability act but I'm embarrassed to say I really don't know what this means for me.

I don't understand what your union rep means by "they can't take this into consideration" - and though they have to treat everyone fairly, they don't have to treat everyone the same. This is partly where the disability legislation comes in. I would suggest that you ask your rep if they have any specialist advisers in disability issues. If they do, then those will probably be full time union officials with a more detailed understanding of where you stand legally over issues that are now seen as having arisen from disability - even if they were not so recognised at the time.

By the way, union reps are usually fairly free from the fear of harassment for any advice that they give or other union activities. But your local rep may not have a lot of time or training to cover more unusual cases - which is why I'm suggesting that you ask that your problem be referred to a specialist adviser.

 

[jode72]

Hi Debbie

have to say I read your post with a look of total shock on my face I am horrified at how you are being treated, I am very lucky have worked for the same employer for 12 years now which was long before I was diagnosed and have had nothing but support from them. I beleive as an Insulin using diabetic you actually have better protection than non insulin dependant diabetics if you are in the UK you may find the advice of the EHRC 0845 604 6610 should be able to give you really good advice on the Disability discrimination Act, Have you been given a chance to state your case to your employer, how long have you worked for them ?? what was your sickness record like prior to the 2 times in your post ?? Have they held any welfare meeting with you ?? I really feel for you you have had a horrid time and it's a viscious circle the stress of all this will effect your BG levels

I wish you all the best

Jo

 

[AndBreathe]

Hang on a minute everyone. The case, as described by Debbie is described from her standpoint alone, and, of course, that is quite natural.

Every larger employer I have encountered has a sickness policy of some sort. Provided it is applied, this allows a clear and systematic approach to absence, and it will be published somewhere; either in a paper manual, or more commonly these days, on an intranet site. Not all interviews/investigations relating to absence are threatening to the employees' livelyhood. Indeed, where occupational health become involved, it can clarify matters for line management who may not have an understanding of the challenges facing an employee, or indeed the knock-on ramifications of many chronic conditions.

I have managed many employees, over many years, and had my fair share of sickness processes to be dealt with (for them, not me, thankfully). Whilst some of those have resulted in warnings or managing an employee out of the business, others have resulted in the company spending thousands of pounds on specialised equipment, like orthopaedic chairs and raised desks for employees with back issues (these cost thousands of pound each), and two cases I can recall from the top of my head where an employee has had private medical treatment paid for, including surgery, in order to get them back to work more quickly than waiting in NHS waiting lists. Neither of those people qualified for the Company's private medical cover, so it was money from my budgets that paid for those treatments.

I do really hope the process goes well for you Debbie. Do ensure you have the right support in place before the process gets under way, and you must also do your own preparation, and have your case formulated in a clear, concise and factual way. Emotion, anger and bitterness will not help your case.

I suggest you ask HR for their records of your absence in the first instance. Who knows? Their records may not be factually accurate. Somewhere along the line, someone will have entered data; they can get that wrong. From there, match that up with your own records. Match up the ailments you suffered from, and also match up where you have had Doctor's sick notes, as opposed to self-certification. Then, you can attribute what sickness you feel is diabetes related, and which is unfortunate timing. Then you can review that hard data against the sickness policy. That is, after all, what the company will be doing on the other side of the table. But you must do it for yourself.

Alongside this, you need to write up a summary of your diabetes, and the impact it has on your daily life. Honestly.

Then, you can probably be ready to have a discussion with your union person.

This could take a while, and will be stressful. What is your relationship like with your line manager? Has he talked to you about the process at all?

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I'm going to take a hard-nosed view on this which is intended to be helpful although it may not appear so; sorry. First only by exception should diabetes be a reason for more than very occasional time off work if any. If you are on Metformin is it the Slow Release version? If you are and still having stomach problems may be you should stop it as it only has a small effect on blood sugar so there is no advantage in suffering. Were you overweight when you went onto insulin? Unless you were suspected of being a Late onset T1, insulin may not be that wise if insulin resistant as it adds to insulin that is already present so can cause excessive sugar swings due to large shot size. This can result in hypos. Have you been having a low-carb diet to help with weight reduction? Reaching a good BMI can mean insulin can be noticeably reduced or stopped whilst maintaining a good blood sugar level. There are other injectables such as Byetta that can help a T2 if overweight. What insulin regime are you on and have you had guidance on getting it balanced? It looks like you may not have had good guidance from your GP about your diabetes care. I hope my comments do help bit but I recognise you have been going thru a difficult time

 

[Scandichic]

Hi I'm just looking for a bit of advice really over the last 12 months I've had a lot of time off work due to various complications with my diabetes .... I've been type 2 for about 14 years now and on insulin for about 10 years .... metformin has always been a problem for me causing upset stomach and dioreah but last year seemed to result in me being quite unwell with lots of stomach upsets and as well as this went through a period of infection after infection I was given a disciplinary at work and given a written warning for absence, I did visit the Dr on each occasion but it never specified it was anything to do with my diabetes on any sick notes ... anyway that was that and in September last year i got married but that soon broke down and in Jan this year my husband became violent and the marriage ended which resulted in a lot of emotional trauma as well as physical. ... my diabetes became very unstable and I was off work again for 4 weeks during this time i managed to get my bm to a normal level but then started having hypos during the night which scared me being on my own as i started to panic incase i didn't wake up... i returned to work but 3 weeks later had to visit the Dr again as i had really bad migraines which i partly put down to the lighting at work but my gp also said could be a result of the hypos. .. I've now returned to work and have been told i will be having a disciplinary to discuss my capability in the role due to my illness which could result in dismissal and i really don't know what to do. Any advice would be great fully appreciated

I was very sad to read your post and send you a big virtual hug!

 

[NorthCountryMaid]

Just to add to what AndBreathe has written:

You may want to ask your surgery's practice manager for access to your notes for the last 12-18 months. When you get them, make a copy. Make a copy of everything. You may well end up needing to send paper copies off the all sorts of people. What I would do is make sure you have a basic multi-function device (i.e. printer plus scanner) and then use the scanner to make pdf copies of any document so that you can always print out a new copy when you need one.

If you do end up unable to work (being pessimistic, but ...), then you may have to apply for ESA and, if you do, the sorts of records which AndBreathe is suggesting you collect will be extremely useful, though you may end up needing several copies (hence the advice on scanning up your records above). Also transfer any notes you have to the computer - again you will be glad you did so when you're suddenly asked to produce them in an email with 24 hours' notice.

I know (oh, how I know) that dealing with all this bureaucracy when you're already struggling with fatigue seems like just too much, so get help with routine chores (like the scanning) if you can. Or talk to someone close about how your diabetes affects your health and maybe they can help you turn that into something coherent.

Look at headings like "Fatigue - how much work brings on serious drop in energy / concentration levels, how long to recover. Does it stop you doing everyday things round the house - preparing meals etc - does it affect self-care." "Diabetes diet - does it make extra demands on your time in terms of extra cooking or shopping (e.g. can't use prepared sauces because they all have extra sugar added)" Do you have any problems with your eyes, your feet or your kidneys? Does attending clinics etc make significant demands on your time (careful with that one - make sure you aren't exaggerating, compare (for your own use only!) medical appointments with other excursions e.g. the hairdresser!) Does your diabetes involve regular testing and if so does it have to be done while at work? Does your diabetes limit your driving in any way? Are you prone to hypos - how does this affect your life? Does your medication impact on other areas of your health? And at each stage note if this adds significantly to your fatigue. Note how other infections are either triggered by the diabetes or make the diabetic symptoms worse - I have one T1 friend who is self-employed and just cancels all her appointments every time she goes down with a cold.

At the end of it all you will probably feel very depressed, so schedule some morale booster (even if it's only a silly video). You still have the writing up in front of you, but it will make things clear to you and to those who are trying to help - or judge - you. Try to be fair - don't exaggerate, but don't downplay either.

Good luck.

 

[noblehead]

My union rep as advised today that altho I have had a bad time over recent months that they can't really take this into consideration and has to be seen to be treating everyone consistently. I know that diabetes comes under the cover of the disability act but I'm embarrassed to say I really don't know what this means for me.

If your not happy with the Union Rep going in with you then contact the union Branch Secretary, they can represent you in disciplinary hearings and have more experience in dealing with such matters, I'm talking from experience as I was a union rep for several years.

Good luck and hope all goes well.

 

[this is too difficult]

I don't understand what your union rep means by "they can't take this into consideration" - and though they have to treat everyone fairly, they don't have to treat everyone the same. This is partly where the disability legislation comes in. I would suggest that you ask your rep if they have any specialist advisers in disability issues. If they do, then those will probably be full time union officials with a more detailed understanding of where you stand legally over issues that are now seen as having arisen from disability - even if they were not so recognised at the time.

By the way, union reps are usually fairly free from the fear of harassment for any advice that they give or other union activities. But your local rep may not have a lot of time or training to cover more unusual cases - which is why I'm suggesting that you ask that your problem be referred to a specialist adviser.

INEOS?