Hi all I have been type 1 diabetic for 6 months and I am 26 years old. I work do shift work and my shifts range from 7-3 and 2-10 with an occasional night shift on the odd occasion. My problem is that on my early week I work 6 earlys on the trot, with a day off at the end followed by two more earlys... it has always been a problem for me, I always feel extremely lethargic towards the end of that week. Now that I have diabetes I find my control towards the end of the week goes in the window and I end up with high blood sugar levels... I have asked if i can change the last two days to lates so that that it breaks the early pattern and I feel better. I never like to use diabetes as an excuse, and I dont feel like it is an excuse because my levels and stress levels really do rise at the end of that week... I was hoping my employer (the government) would meet me half way here and swap round just two of my shifts, i've explaned to them why i want to change them but they just keep giving me excuses as to why they cannot do it - i've even had people offer to swap there shifts with me... but my boss won't do it, she just fobs me off with excuses. I've read about employers needing to accomadate employees with diabeties in certain ways, is there anything legal with this I can bring up? I suppose it annoys me a bit because other workers get there shifts changed all the time, now i've got a valid reason and it feels like im asking them to change the world...
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shifts and stuborn employer
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Paul1976
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Hi!
Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995,your employer is expected to make 'Reasonable adjustments' in the workplace and with your health condition I would say what you're requesting is a reasonable adjustment.
I wrote a letter in the past to my HR department when I was struggling with my Crohns disease,my bowel symptoms were worse in the morning and I was alternating early and late shifts and requested to move to permanent lates,I was refused by my line manager so I wrote a letter to my HR department,quoting the Disability Discrimination Act and Reasonable adjustments and my request was granted.
It could be useful for you to google 'Disability Discrimination Act 1995' read up on it and possibly try the action I did with my employer-worth a try!
Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995,your employer is expected to make 'Reasonable adjustments' in the workplace and with your health condition I would say what you're requesting is a reasonable adjustment.
I wrote a letter in the past to my HR department when I was struggling with my Crohns disease,my bowel symptoms were worse in the morning and I was alternating early and late shifts and requested to move to permanent lates,I was refused by my line manager so I wrote a letter to my HR department,quoting the Disability Discrimination Act and Reasonable adjustments and my request was granted.
It could be useful for you to google 'Disability Discrimination Act 1995' read up on it and possibly try the action I did with my employer-worth a try!
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Are you in a trade union lettey?....if you are then this is something your union representative should be able to assist with, failing that take it up again with HR as Paul suggests.
