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Is this for real?

D

Dee2

Member
Messages
16
Location
Hertfordshire
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Wasps..seafood..stray dogs
Hi.. I am an Insulin dependant diabetic and wear 2 medic alert wristbands

One says type 1 diabetic..and 1 says Insulin dependant diabetic

I am lucky enough to work

At work today I was asked by my Line manager to take off my medic alert wristbands as they were deemed (by him) to be bracelets and bracelets were jewellery that didn't comply with the company rules and jewellery policy

I refused. :)I was then told that to continue wearing them I would need to have a note from my doctor to say why I needed to wear them

Flabbergasted I asked my manager if he had any common sense to which he replayed no (sarcastically I fear)

I told him to discipline me

Do you think he is discriminating against me because of my disability?

Please help as I am about to resign
 
hi Dee2
please don't resign -- your boss is being an a**
( unless health and safety prevent wearing something because of machinery )

you could revert to a necklace instead of a bracelet if that would alleviate ( though I don't thinkyou should need to )

do you have an HR dept at your works ?
can you ask for their guidance on this ?

ultimately you have to be safe in your work environment so wearing bracelets fits with this and I would keep wearing them and defy your boss.
 
I had a boss like that before. He was a complete jerk.

I politely told him that if I take my band off and anything was to happen to me while at work, or even while I was on break, I would be holding him personally responsible and would take him to court, etc. Funnily enough, he never asked me to take it off again.

What type of work is it you do? I have worked in kitchens where I have had to take band off but that was because of health & safety.
 
I work in a restaurant..but for the sake of my health I refuse to take of my bands.. What would happen if I did and had a hypo or hyper? I have both

Is it worth going to HR or my union. This guy has bullied me before and caused me distress
 
It is 100% worth seeing about!!!

The only times I take mine off is working in kitchens or having a shower.

No one can force you to take it off.
 
there are peeps on the forum that are versed in rights and the like in the workplace -- unfortunately I am not one of them.

i shall research and try and tag some to see if they can offer some help.
might take a day or so though

keep wearing them !!!!!

ps -- @Alisonjane10 has replied :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi @Dee2. STOP, and take a deep breathe. You're upset, & rightly so. But when people act impulsively, they tend to regret it at a later date. You need to gather information to protect yourself. Diabetes is classified as a disability under the Equality Act 2010. Take a look at the following link. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/upload/How we help/Avocacy/Employment-advocacy-pack-2013.pdf The only time I would ask a person to remove a bracelet is if it could cause a risk to others or there is legislation. For example, a nurse or food industry worker shouldn't wear any jewellery below the elbow for infection control reasons. That is, apart from a wedding ring of course. As a nurse, I even remove my engagement ring, but wear a crucifix around my neck at all times. I wear it on a 24" chain so it drops inside my tunic or scrub top without being seen. Maybe a medic alert necklace could be the way to go. So, unless there's a clinical reason for you not to wear your medic alert bracelet, then I think your boss is being unreasonable & is discriminating against you. The following link covers just about everything, from an employer & employee perspective. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-guidance Are you a member of a union? If so, it would be a good idea to speak to a rep & get some advice. Good luck hun. I wish you well.
AJ. X
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dee2 said:
Is it worth going to HR or my union. This guy has bullied me before and caused me distress
Click to expand...

Of course its worth it, especially if this manager is bullying you, but its proving it so make sure you have a good case before involving HR or your Trade Union.
 
He is probably doing it because he is trying to bully you. It's called constructive dismissal. The strategy is to make you feel so uncomfortable that you resign, because he's a jerk. If he was a competent and effective manager he wouldn't treat people this way.

Whether or not you decide to stay in this job, IMO if you want to continue working in restaurants, you might want to consider the necklace kind of medic alert disc, so that you don't run into this problem again. Paramedics know to check the wrists and the neck area for medic alert discs.
 
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