Reasonable Adjustments at work

First, why would you need to change your basal insulin times? Does your profession not allow you to step away for 30 seconds and give yourself an injection?

Second, a medical trial is a choice rather than a requirement. Unless there’s more to the story, it may be wise to reconsider moving forward with this.

Third, if your job previously required you to work a 2-10 shift then you’re asking for a much more “Convenient” schedule. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if they were to honor it it would be to respect your work/personal life balance. While that would be a nice thing to do, I can’t see it being a requirement.

It sounds like you would benefit from a position with more set hours and with a company that takes more of an interest in the lives of its employees. With that said, I can’t see how any of your concerns would be protected by law as none of them are requirements to managing your condition.

I'm afraid I agree with @TorqPenderloin on this one @Gunn3rs6.

While I appreciate that you have been getting used to living with T1D, the occy health guys are quite right in that you could work any of those shift patterns with MDI. You would simply need to step out to inject your basal.

I have thought long and hard about doing medical trials as I recognise that, for example, being put on a pump and the education that requires, is rather different from trying to take time away to participate in a trial.

If I was your employer in this position, I would be thinking that you were asking a lot. Many families don't sit down for dinner together, and while I appreciate that you may be concerned about both of you being diagnosed as T1 at the same time, let me replay what you said about your girlfriend back in a slightly different way so you can consider what you said:

Gunn3rs6 said:

my last concern is a personal concern. 7 weeks after my diagnosis my girlfriend was also diagnosed Type 1 diabetic. we have a small child and we all have tea together as we have to eat properly. also i would like to be at home when my girlfriend is at home in-case anything happens to her whilst having the child

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Or from your girlfriend's point of view "He doesn't trust me to take good enough care of myself to leave me alone with our child". Being able to look at both sides of the coin is quite an important skill.

For what it's worth, I went through a period where I worked overnight shifts, dependent on call. I just took my basal insulin with me.

Gunn3rs6 said:

I understand an appreciate where you are coming from but i dont think im asking for a lot off my employer just instead of workin till ten i can do slightly earlier. As im sure you will also appreciate that every one is different when it comes to management and living with this

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Sending you best wishes and I hope a solution can be found. I know how much my teenager worries about me, at times, so I don't think you are being unreasonable or demanding, but sometimes though, a bit of give and take from both sides, employer and employee, may resolve an 'issue' to stop it from getting out of hand. Plus, who wouldn't want to spend more quality and more quantity time with their children and loved ones.
Good luck and all the very best RRB

Hi @Gunn3rs6 - surely your biggest problem here is being a Gunners fan?!
Sorry, couldn't resist!
Seriously, I am afraid the others may be right - your company do have an obligation to help as Diabetes is classed as a disability. However, the pattern of shift you describe would not really stop you injecting at a similar time each day. You may have to go with the flow for a bit and see what happens. If you are then unstable and suffering you would have grounds to go back to the OT and review the situation.
Alternatively, you may have to look around for a job that suits your hours better but don't get fired up and hand your notice in - take your time and look around.
Good luck, I hope it all works out.

Gunn3rs6 said:

I understand an appreciate where you are coming from but i dont think im asking for a lot off my employer just instead of workin till ten i can do slightly earlier. As im sure you will also appreciate that every one is different when it comes to management and living with this

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I think we all empathize with your situation and I hope you don't feel otherwise. However, the issue is around whether or not your employer is REQUIRED to make these accommodations. That's what our comments were in regards to.

My fiancé works 2000 miles away in NYC and travels 100+ days a year. It's not always easy, but we make it work and it's what we both "signed up for." The minute we could no longer make it work, we'd make the necessary adjustments.

I think that the 'reasonable adjustments' for diabetics are normally concerned with being able to keep supplies nearby or being allowed to eat when/wherever if you hypo. Worrying about your girlfriend's condition definitely wouldn't be considered under this anyway as the worry is nothing to do with your own disability - otherwise all our families/friends could be demanding adjustments.

As @TorqPenderloin says, the issue is that by law they would not need to consider these adjustments. However many of us are lucky enough to have employers that go above and beyond the legal requirements. Sometimes it's just not realistic for employers to make changes just for one person though.

The other option, if you're worried about timing of basal doses though, is to see if you would qualify for an insulin pump - I think I've read somewhere that shift patterns can be considered when trying to get one funded (anyone know if I've imagined this??)

Gunn3rs6 said:

I understand but i am askin for ONE SIMPLE adjustment which will help my situation.

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Your company probably feels that they've already made reasonable adjustments in providing you with time and space to allow for injecting and glucose testing, plus the time to become acclimatised to your diagnosis by temporarily stabilising your shift patterns.

I have no idea about your employment contract, but I suspect part of the reason that they are unwilling to make this change is because the occy health team have already said that it's not necessary. It then becomes a case of one rule for you (and if you've mentioned about your family situation, then it will be registered as a change for personal reasons, not medical reasons) and one for everyone else, which I'm afraid no company is going to sign up to. Sadly, as an employee, there are very few companies that you can hold to ransom over medical conditions.

If you aren't happy with what they are offering you, then I'd agree with others. Look at what else is available and make sure you have something else lined up that fits you better, rather than storm out and hand in your notice.

Gunn3rs6 said:

I understand but i am askin for ONE SIMPLE adjustment which will help my situation.

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Speaking from the employer's perspective, you're asking for an accommodation that will now mean they must find coverage for your role between 6pm-10pm. There aren't many people jumping at the opportunity to work during those hours and that will be a very difficult time slot to fill. Now, it would be a different story if you hadn't worked that shift in the past and they were suddenly asking you to start doing it, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Again, you don't need to plead your case to all of us. We're only trying to help you prepare for what your employer might say.

Gunn3rs6 said:

Thank you Like you say bit of give an take from both sides but with my company its all take no give.

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Some companies can and will 'accommodate' certain employees conditions, changes at home, different days or hours, personal issues, but I have read threads from members who have being discriminated or bullied in the work place, because of type 1 diabetes, shocking that it goes on.

Gunn3rs6 said:

I understand an appreciate where you are coming from but i dont think im asking for a lot off my employer just instead of workin till ten i can do slightly earlier. As im sure you will also appreciate that every one is different when it comes to management and living with this

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Your quite right in what you say that everyone is different...

Maybe I'm a special case...

I have my routine for basal 8am and 8pm plus my oral meds throughout the day...

I work internationally at very short notice, one minute I'm packing the shopping in Asda (other retailers available!) the next I'm dumping my shopping and on my way to the airport... My shifts/rotations/off duty are never set in stone... Due to the travelling I often have timezone changes and depending on where and what I'm sent to do my role varies dramatically from one minute being sat with a laptop programming a machine to next abseiling 150ft to carry out maintenance... In what can only be described as one of the most dangerous environments to work in...

For me I do NOT adapt my routine for my work or social life I just make it work, for me it sometimes means a little more testing during the day but if that enables me to manage a more stable level then so be it...

I don't understand why anyone should have to make huge changes if any to their working day/night... I'm 1,000,000% happy with my job and I would absolutely devastated to lose my job because of diabetes and there is no way I would let it... I see it as a challenge for not just me but my work life, training whatever, for me these come first and I will do whatever it takes for them to not effect them as far as possible...

I can't really answer with respect to your partner as I am not in that situation so wouldn't like to comment...

But as you say we're all different and we all deal with these things in our own way...

I hope you find the answers you need from work...

Izzy

I would consider you employer has made adjustments for a period whilst you get used to your new life. It's your new life, not theirs. If you were employed to work shifts then if you say you can't do your job, then I would say you have the issue, not them.

We have no idea what other considerations your employer has, with other workers and staffing requirements. We have no idea of the our work is easy to cover or highly specialised and or how they cover that period you never want to work.

I think you must at least try working with your employer to honour your job requirements. If you can then show that for some medical reason it doesn't suit and it is making you I'll or affecting the safety of you or your colleagues then revisit HR.

I must admit I would be somewhat unsympathetic to your requirements, as you have described them.

I have never worked shifts, but I have worked very little long hours, with sometimes extreme commutes to be done in my own time. If f you like the job you probably just have to get your head around this s requirements. If you are less bothered then you could be best served looking for a job with only day shifts, but I imagine your current role includes a certain financial enhancement for your shifts and antisocial hours.

Good luck with it all.

Gunn3rs6 said:

Thanks i understand u dont want to leave your job as it does sound excitin. I on the other hand have lost a lot of respect for my company and think its time for a change of career an a fresh start.

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Actually, I no longer work in the traditional sense, I was just trying to say my life hasn't always been 9-5, local working.

Does the work you only ever happen in shifts? Does your employer have any people, doing your job, working premi days? If they do, could you not wait it out for an internal transfer?

Trust me, I'm positive there are potentially much worse employers out there by the sounds of it.

Gunn3rs6 said:

AndBreathe i am gonna go to work on thursday and aee if there is any thing they can do including swappin departments as there is people doing the hours that i have asked for thats why i dont think it is unreasonable me askin for them hours

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Having some work the hours you want doesn't oblige them to accommodate you.

Just before in finished working I had a request from a maternity returner to work reduced hours. Literally 3 or 4 weeks later I was asked by another young woman for exactly the same thing. She was declined. She had a strop, but the law was on my side.

A business still has to function, in the light of any accommodations it makes. All requests should be considered on their own merits and within the needs of the overall business.

You can imagine, I don't receive Chrstmas cards from the second young woman, but I couldn't accommodate and continue to provide the services required of my departments. It's rarely the individual managers decision. And changes or refusal of changes must be documented, along with the underlying reasons, so that the record remains should there ever be a dispute.