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Discrimination

T

themedicalengineer

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Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help me? I have been a type 1 insulin dependant diabetic for 11 years now. To date my being diabetic has never caused an issue until now. My employers are telling me that I CAN'T inject at my office desk! I am not allowed to use my blood meter nor am I allowed to store any kit in my desk (which is always locked anyway). I am being told that I must go to our medical room that is on the level below me at work. Is this covered by the DDA and can they do this?? I need as much advice as possible please!!
 
Hey the medicalengineer!

What type of job do you do?

I don't know the law around this, but i would have thought it hinges on whether it is a 'reasonable adjustment' they would be expected to make or whether there is a risk e.g. H&S that means it is inappropriate for you to store and use needles etc at your desk.

Smidge
 
I agree with Phoenix that you should contact Diabetes UK and ask for their advice, failing that ask your Union to intervene (if your in one) or contact the Citizens Advice who are always helpful in these matters.
 
Smidge,

I am a tooling engineer for a well known company that not only makes insulin injection devices, it also makes blood sampling devices too. My job is office based and all of my kit is locked away when I don’t use it. All sharps are disposed of in a sharps bin. I sit in a corner out of the way and inject quietly and discreetly. In all my years I have never been treated this way!

HELP!!!
 
If they have a medical room then it may be part of their Health and Safety policy that you have to use it for injecting, testing etc?

I work in a small office and test at my desk I also inject my Humulin S at my desk but now that I am injecting Levemir 3 times daily I use the board room to do that one (in my leg), if we had a medical room then I would be happy to use that for all my injecting and testing.

Lorna
 
Hi themedicalengineer!

It does seem very odd that a company that manufactures insulin devices and BG monitoring equipment would take this stance. I suspect Lorna is right and they have some kind of H&S policy that states all medical-related activities should take place in the medical room. Do you have an HR department? Perhaps you could arrange to see an HR advisor and ask why they have introduced this rule. Explain your preference to test and inject at your desk and listen to their reasons. If they have good reasons, you would probably have to accept it and just make arrangements with them to ensure you always have access to the room for testing and injecting. You might find, though, that it is just an individual department manager's preference - in which case, HR would probably support you and help sort it out. Personally, I would welcome a medical room to use for my injections, but I would want my tester and supplies with me at all times in case I needed to test in a hurry if I felt I was getting a hypo. I would also probably not be happy storing my insulin pen in a medical room that other people have access to, so you might ask how your insulin would be kept secure. Perhaps you could try to reach a compromise whereby you inject in the medical room, but keep your tester and insulin with you at your desk?

I don't know if you have a case under the DDA because the company clearly is making reasonable adjustment by providing a medical room - as long as it's not too far away, your supplies are stored securely, they don't try to restrict your access to it or the number of times you can test and inject etc. I find with work-related problems that it is always best to try to sort it out amicably first. At the end of the day, you still have to work there and being in dispute with your managers is never pleasant. Also, if you do end up in dispute and want to make a case for discrimination, you will need to show that you have behaved reasonably as well. Keep notes of all dealings over the issue and make sure yoou get any reasons, agreements etc in writing.

Hope you get it sorted out quickly.

Smidge
 
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