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Police Shift Work With Type 1 Diabetes

R

richie69

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi

I am hoping for a little advice please. I work for the Police and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes about 12 years ago (totally out of the blue at the age of 37) and am insulin dependent!

I was quite ill in the early days and I was taken off shift work and put in an office job and it has taken a long time for me to sort my blood sugars out and get them stable with good diet, regular eating patterns, sleep and exercise. I eat religiously at the same times each day, carb count to establish units of insulin and need a good 8+ hours sleep.

Unfortunately all of a sudden, I feel that I may be being "coersed" back into shift work and I know that this just wont work for me as if I try to change anything too much my blood sugars lapse (I am always on the low side) and I hypo.

Occupational health have advised me that there are "other type 1 diabetics" within the force that manage to maintain shift work positions, and they don't understand why I cannot go back on shifts. I have tried to explain to them that not everyone with type 1 is the same and they have letters from my GP and nurse advising that I generally air on the low side and that shifts would not be recommended because of this. Just because some people will eat mars bars all shift to keep their blood sugars very high, I am not prepared to do this and affect my long term health.

Does anyone here have any experience of this or know of anything within the disability act that can prevent them from forcing me to change my working hours to shifts (this would include very early shifts, very late shifts and night shifts), or would I be fighting a losing battle with them?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
With the correct insulin regime you should be able to skip/delay or bring forward a meal without fear of a hypo, I'd go back to your health care team and discuss why the diabetes is stopping you from having a normal flexible life style.

I'm guessing this isn't what you want to hear though
 
Why don't you gather data and a letter from your GP and/or endocrinologist to back your case wt a good union behind you.... I am sure your HR will then sit up and listen..

Unfortunately the service needs sometimes have to come first otherwise there won't be anybody on the front line or doing shifts.... good luck
 
Have you thought about going on a pump? It could make your life much better and more flexible.
 
I'm pretty sure police officers are exempt from the employment protections under the equality act (certainly used to be under the DDA) so usual advice about reasonable adjustments might not be applicable. Maybe the Police Federation might be able to give some advice? Sorry, employment law and the police is pretty specialist.

Are you only being managed by your GP? It does sound like your management isn't working for your life, might be worth trying to discuss how to make it work for you. Investigating technologies like pump/cgm might also open up a bit more flexibility.
 
Iv recently just sent in my application to the police (dunno how it will go well being diabetic) but it does say they they give full consideration reasonable adjustments when it comes to the medical side of things so don't see when you should be any different to a recruit
 

That they use the same term, "reasonable adjustments" doesn't mean they are the same adjustments as any other employer might make. The reasonableness of any adjustment has to really be within the bounds of the individual still fulfilling their role, within the employment unit.

Whilst @richie69 says he works for the police force, I can't see where he says he is a police officer. As I understand it, police forces employ lost of civilians within their organisations, doing all sorts from desk driver up through the activity levels.

@richie69 - As I say, I don't know what you do or for that matter much about a police force's obligations to make whatever quantum of adjustment, but as a manager, that you can be a "regular runner" (as stated on your profile), you clearly can manage activity and your bloods, otherwise I assume you wouldn't do it. Have you perhaps got yourself into a bit of a comfort zone on this? Change is challenging and the natural thing for most people is to resist it, and maybe after 12 years of adjustments you could give it a go? If it really doesn't work for you, then might be the time to work with HR as you might have demonstrated how and why it doesn't work for you.

For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not suggesting you deliberately make yourself ill, but maybe a trial period on shifts would be fair all round?

I'll get my tin hat and flack jacket.
 
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