Hypos at work - discrimination.

[knightsbliss]

That disgraceful and upsetting to hear I had a very similar experience at a place I worked at and long since walked out from,just needed to occasionally to check sugars and rest should they go low.had all of one really bad hypo and they started being funny with an extra breaks and not really wanting to understand my diabetes and other co workers trying to get more brakes to smoke and making out it was put on made it stressful to the point I walked out

 

[dannyw]

Lots of people are uneducated about the effects of cancer treatment - but does that make it okay to insult someone because they have lost their hair?

Even more people don't fully understand the effects of asthma on a person, but does that mean they should be penalised for taking their inhalers at work?

In this day and age ignorance is NEVER an excuse for intolerance.

I never suggested anything should be tolerated. My point was that education is a better tool than anger. A hypo can be mistaken for many things, baldness cannot. I also said I didn't know what was said, nor do you, therefore, it's difficult to give definitive advice.

 

[smag3]

Sounds like constructive dismissal to me. Put that in writing and see how they feel! I hate bullies. Living as a diabetic is hard enough without this sort of behaviour. If it was me or one of my children I would take them to task big time.

 

[crazycatlady42]

I'm sorry that she felt she had to leave due to poor treatment, but glad that educating people has come out so strongly in the advice. Ask your nurse for a guide for employers to take along to her next job.

 

[hollyslot]

wow this is so upsetting. i am 19 and also work part time in a cafe. it is very difficult not to go low, because as a waitress you are constantly on your feet, and don't get breaks, until lunch time which is usually very late (around 2.30/3 for me). i hope your daughter is ok xx

 

[elaineadams]

My 16 year old daughter works part time in a restaurant and had a bad hypo today. Her manager and colleagues clearly did not understand her condition and made inappropriate comments verging on bullying. One colleague said to her that he had no energy because he had done a long shift but he doesn't need to stop and treat himself! Her manager even suggested she was putting it on. My daughter came home in tears and was very distressed. She wants to leave. I really don't want her to have this stress so early in her working life. I am furious. I am going to print off an idiots guide to diabetes and take it into the restaurant. I think she will leave. I really feel like putting a strong complaint together.

Phone the manager, explain what has happened to your daughter. Tell him or her that you are not happy about the situation and that to prevent something like this happening again you would like to offer a Diabetes Awareness and Information talk to all the staff in the restaurant, explain that it should not take any longer than about half an hour so would fit nicely in with the weekly training session or the weekly staff meeting, and that it would benefit them all in the future as they will understand what your daughter needs to do to get her through any hypo she may have in the future. Ensure that they understand that while your daughter has very good control of her diabetes sometimes things like the weather throw a spanner in the works. It is obvious that these people need educationg and it is up to us, the diabetics and our carers, to ensure that they receive the education and become aware of what their role is when they are around colleagues, friends and family members with diabetes. If your daughter feels that as a result of this she needs to leave, contact your local employment tribunal office and find out if she can put in a claim for unfair dismissal...citizens advice would also be able to advise with this. You will probably find that she has a case for discrimination, particularly in respect of the one colleagues comment about "not needing to stop to treat himself" he needs a fright, a big one.

 

[AndieC]

My 16 year old daughter works part time in a restaurant and had a bad hypo today. Her manager and colleagues clearly did not understand her condition and made inappropriate comments verging on bullying. One colleague said to her that he had no energy because he had done a long shift but he doesn't need to stop and treat himself! Her manager even suggested she was putting it on. My daughter came home in tears and was very distressed. She wants to leave. I really don't want her to have this stress so early in her working life. I am furious. I am going to print off an idiots guide to diabetes and take it into the restaurant. I think she will leave. I really feel like putting a strong complaint together.

I don't know if anyone else has suggested this so apologies if they already have. After the experiences I have had, I would recommend that any employee with an illness that is covered by DDA (disability discrimination act), which all types of Diabetes are then it is really sensible to join a union. You don't have to have an active union in your current workplace. You can join UNISON for example for a small monthly fee (between £5 to £10 per month depending on the membership you select). This covers you in all kinds of ways and means you have a rep that will assist you with any difficulties like this and they deal directly with the employer on your behalf with all the current knowledge of what they can and cannot do......not to mention what they should do to accommodate an employee with this complex condition whether full or part time. It doesn't matter how big or small the employer, you have a right to protect yourself in the workplace. I would especially suggest this for your young daughter who may be taken advantage of or at the very least treated inappropriately because of her age. I hope this experience hasn't put her off being confident enough to go out and work. Good luck xx

 

[Shirl Bill]

That is so sad hope she is ok it's hard enough trying to manage diabetes without people making awful comments when u have a hypo

 

[mikej3252]

Check out the links included in this post. Not only are they guilty of bullying in the workplace, but they are blatantly in breach of the disability discrimination act.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-oy9uZlaMOsJ:https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/Advocacy/DiabetesUK_Advocacy_Employment_08-10-2009.pdf+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uky

http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=113

Also
I used to work for a charity in Liverpool, called 'Local Solutions', one department within that organization was called 'Bully Busters'. Even if you are not from Liverpool, it may be worth giving them a call, if they can't help directly, they may have contacts in your area who can give you the advice you need.

Freephone Helpline: 0800 169 6928
Website: www.bullybusters.org.uk

Local Solutions Facebook Page

https://twitter.com/LocalSolutions_

 

[Emmotha]

When I was first diagnosed I sent my team an email about signs and symptoms of hypos and how to treat them. I think I would do the same if I started a new job. My advice for her next job would be to speak to the manager / managers to let them know how to treat it. This way it's just very factual and comes across as responsible, and would help to keep her safe.

I'm lucky that I work with another T1, so people do understand it a bit more. But when they don't the best thing you can do is be factual. I know someone that even used to give out the hypo flyers lol

 

[dannyw]

Not knowing about diabetes is fair enough, but the alleged bullying isn't. It's even worse to do it to a young person.

I'd hit the roof if it was my daughter.

"hitting the roof" rarely brings about satisfactory resolution. Bullying is not tolerable and should be dealt with but education is key. The OP's daughter is likely to encounter many more situations like this throughout her career. I'm not suggesting this is right or fair but learning to deal with issues like this now will prove valuable later on. Teaching her that "hitting the roof" is the answer is not the best advice in my opinion.

 

[Lordy100]

I really feel for you with this but one of the things you don't mention is about whether you or your daughter told everyone she was diabetic when she started the job. It is in your own best interests to tell a few people, if not all, you are diabetic and what your symptoms are when you are low. I work in a hospital and have to tell people what to look out for when I'm going low because they think you are "normal" unless you tell them different.

On the bullying front this is unacceptable and should be addressed by the line managers or HR

 

[Brunneria]

I cant comment on the incident at the restaurant - or anyone's behaviour there.

But i can say, with certainty, that when i was 16, if my mother had stepped in to sort out 'issues' at work, i would have died of embarrassment.

I can remember (when i was working in a cafe, aged 14 or 15), one of the saturday staff wanted a weekend off. The manager refused, because the boy had already used up his holiday entitlement. The boy's mother arrived and spoke to the manager. It made no difference to his holiday entitlement, of course.

Poor lad never lived it down. Mummies Boy was the least of the things he was called. Call it bullying, call it friendly joshing - makes no difference - his mother stepping in did him NO FAVOURS at all.

 

[Scardoc]

It is obvious that these people need educationg and it is up to us, the diabetics and our carers, to ensure that they receive the education and become aware of what their role is when they are around colleagues, friends and family members with diabetes.

I disagree, employers have a duty of care and should, when taking on staff, be asking if there are any medical conditions they need to be aware of. If there are, then they should be action it. For example, when I started in my current role, my T1 was raised at my induction (as it was on the health questionnaire) and I was asked to speak to the trained first aid staff and give them information on my condition, how hypo's effected me and what to do if I collapsed.

The comments and attitudes from the OP daughters colleagues are inexcusable and as the employer was described as a "large chain" I'm surprised they hadn't been briefed on T1 when the girl started work there. However, it could also be down to individual personalities. The World is full of assholes.

 

[Smwood]

That's aweful. I'm so sorry that happened to her. My suggestion would be to enlighten people. Whenever I first start a job I always make sure that everyone knows everything about my situation. I explain what might happen and how things should be handled. Most people don't understand diabetes, especially type one. So the best we can do is enlighten them.

 

[spaceman]

My 16 year old daughter works part time in a restaurant and had a bad hypo today. Her manager and colleagues clearly did not understand her condition and made inappropriate comments verging on bullying. One colleague said to her that he had no energy because he had done a long shift but he doesn't need to stop and treat himself! Her manager even suggested she was putting it on. My daughter came home in tears and was very distressed. She wants to leave. I really don't want her to have this stress so early in her working life. I am furious. I am going to print off an idiots guide to diabetes and take it into the restaurant. I think she will leave. I really feel like putting a strong complaint together.

im type 1 diabetic myself, this is disgusting what happened . yes i would send that letter of complaint, regarding your daughter might leave , well i would wait until, there were going to have a busy day and not turn up for work. let them suffer ie shortage of staff. it happened to me , and i know how she felt.