Employment and Diabetes

Sounds like a good idea. I am not telling my employer for the reasons, I think I will either be discriminated, against, pitied, or allowances made for me. None of which I want. But very interesting to find out how this is viewed in the workplace.

This is so true- I have been a type 1 diabetic for 37 years and apart from disclosing my diabetes on a pre-employment medical form when I started at my current post 10 years ago I have never verbally spoken to my boss or colleagues about my diabetes. This is mainly due to the fact I actually work in Occupational Health and could not bare to be pitied or treated by all my work colleagues differently. This was proven last year when I was pregnant and had to tell my boss as I had so many umpteen appointments to attend and had no choice but to advise my boss. I kept being asked if I was OK and at a leaving party of another colleague was informed I better not have a piece of cake due to my condition !! I wish I'd kept quiet- I found it all very patronising especially as like most of us I constantly work on my control !!

You could use this bit of the forum.

viewforum.php?f=13

Hi, my experience is the complete opposite. As I was diagnosed during pregnancy, it was a complete shock to me and talking about it to colleagues really helped. I found out that there were others in the office with type 1 also, who I did not know about. I think my colleagues have been really considerate ever since and have genuinely took an interest in the condition to help understand what we sometimes have to deal with. 1 lady realised the other week that the lad next to her was having a hypo, as he didn't, she went and got him chocolate and alerted the other manager. He was grateful to her and appreciated her help. As I am pregnant again, just knowing that other people are also keeping an eye out for me gives me a lot of comfort.

Personally, keeping things quiet from people, especially your employer is not a good idea.

Diabetes is nothing to be ashamed of. It is an illness, nothing more , nothing less.

Ken

I agree with Ken, there can be little benefit in not telling work colleagues you have diabetes.
For one thing, I have to have at least 5 diabetes related medical appointments each year. Another reason is what happens if you have a severe hypo at work? Best to explain before it happens. I take it further than that and explain that if I'm a little snappy it's probably low blood sugar and not personal!

Would be a great idear haveing a page just on employment.
I went for a job and decided to be honest and said i am T2, transport manager said "Oh no he wont have that, how many days off have you had.
I never turned up for the trial day, no point giveing them a free days work.
When I became T2 my employer told me to my face "Your no longer able to do the job" at that point i was still waiting for medication. From then on I was made spare driver and never knew where or how much work I had to do that day or even how long the day would last so meals just went to the wall.
It`s about time the powers in charge TOLD employers about what they should be doing, we already know.
Graham1441 :twisted: :twisted:

You do have a duty to inform your employer - whether current or prospective - that you have a serious medical condition, but are given a great deal of protection in law for doing so. Very few employers would relish the prospect of being dragged into a costly tribunal and publicly ridiculed. Although saying that, I did work for one once who subsequently paid handsomely for making such a mistake... :twisted:

I HAVE BEEN A SELF EMPLOYED ROOFER FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS+
AND DUE TO MY UNCONTROLLED DIABETES WAS TOLD TO STOP
AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE [WHAT STACKING SHELVES IN TESCO]
WHEN IVE BEEN SELF EMPLOYED ALL THESE YEARS BUT NOW 2 YEARS
ON AND GETTING WORSE IVE HAD TO CALL IT A DAY 52 YEARS OLD
AND ON THE SCRAP HEAP BUT SAYING THAT THERES A TESCO EXPRESS
ACROSS THE ROAD I WONDER IF THEY NEED ANYONE.

THERE IS A LOT OF PREDUDICE IN THE WORK PLACE NOT JUST US DIABETICS
AND WITH WHATS BEEN SAID HERE I WONDER IF I WOULD HAVE SET ONE ON
ITS GOT ME THINKING [TYPE 2 NO PROBLEM]

GREAT IDEA KEEP IT UP

WILLY WILSON EX ROOFER NEW TO FORUM TODAY TYPE 1 DIABETIC 5 YEARS

Shipper said:

I am convinced that my Emplorer is trying to get shot of me.
Incresed workloads, impossible deadlines, short notice European travel.

I feel like my head is going to explode, levels all over the place due to the stress.

I became type 1 while working for them. I was on a major project, 16hr days and away from home for a month. After it finished I took a holiday in the Sun and contracted Diabetes, lost three stone in two weeks. Ay 40 with no family history it was a bit of a shock.

And the chances of getting another Job now.......non-existant, not with this condition.

But who said life was fair?

Ship

Click to expand...

Ship,
you don't say what industry you work in but I worked in IT and your description of the increasing pressure sounds familiar.
I was diagnosed as T2 after a long period of high pressure work with long hours, irregular meals, stress etc.
Subsequently I started to set limits on the amount of work I would take on, and felt a lot better for it.
I made no secret of the fact I was T2 and booked time off for blood tests etc. and this was never held against me. I felt very uncomfortable if I had to say that my diabetes could be affected by stress, but neverthless I was prepared to do this if necessary.
I suspect that you are feeling down and feeling that the pressure is personal. I would suggest that it may not be personal - they are probably leaning on everyone.
I have seen a lot of individuals and teams pressured into working ever longer hours and after a while it starts to seem normal and expected, and nobody wants to be the one to refuse to do extra hours.
You have to make your health your priority, and push back. Nearly always, when you push back you will get no arguments, and if you do you can nail them to the wall because your health should not be put at risk by your employer.

There is plenty of legislation to protect people with health issues from discrimination during employment and when going for new jobs. I appreciate that diabetes can be a special problem for driving jobs but apart from that you should not have major problems.

I think your main problem is that when you start to go under from work stress then everything looks impossible - and it is very hard to take positive action when you are feeling negative.

In general, my workmates used to forget that I had diabetes and offer me sweets and cakes, so it was obviously not a major issue amongst my peers

Best of luck, and think positive!

LGC

Hi Willy,

There is another alternative to giving up the roofing work - get your diabetes under control. Then you can carry on doing what you do best. So what is it that stops you from controlling your diabetes?

When anyone says the word, Tribunal my employers answer is "OK BRING IT ON, I DARE YOU".
I still mantain that something should be sent to all employers which will give them no excuse to say they didnt know ablout it.
Graham1441 :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Ship, I got a lot more than £15k. The point is never to be put off by some idiot saying "bring it on". Yes you have to prove what happened but that wasn't difficult in my case, and often just amounts to telling the truth, again as in my case. Good luck, you are doing exactly the right thing.

Check web ...mygrievance.com.

The reality is that taking your employer to an ET is stressful and the last resort. The average for ET DDA is £15,000 and the highest figure ever has been £550,000 and anything over £30,000 is taxed.The odds are not good but that is because very few people with disabilities have well paid jobs and a good attendance record.

Before you go that route, get medical advice and put in writing a request for 'reasonable adjustments'. You may wish to give them some ideas but it is the employer's job to resolve.

There is help out there but don't act before you are well aware of the options.

And just who would an employer take any notice of when they know full well an employee can do nothing.
Laws are just something else for them to ignore.
Graham1441 :twisted: :twisted:

The odds are not good but that is because very few people with disabilities have well paid jobs and a good attendance record.

Click to expand...

I must take issue with this statement, it is a wild over generalisation. Whilst I acknowledge it can be a bit like swimming against the tide if you have a disability, many people with disabilities have regular jobs and good attendence records and some of them even manage to hold down very well paid and responsible jobs.

Thinking of my own workplace, I can identify several people living with disabilities and long term illnesses who have very good work records, these people include a senior manager. These conditions include cerebral pasly, visual impairment, an amputee, epilepsy, someone with a colostomy bag, skin cancer, several back problems and a few other conditions besides. I can also identify a few able bodied people who have regular time off work sick with colds, flu and tummy bugs.

But I do agree that going the employment tribunal route is very very stressful.

Graham1441 said:

And just who would an employer take any notice of when they know full well an employee can do nothing.
Laws are just something else for them to ignore.
Graham1441 :twisted: :twisted:

Click to expand...

With respect I think this is a naive view. Fortunately most of the population tend to abide by the rule of Law, which is there for when they do not. I do agree with the other comments though, tribunal IS a stressful process.