work and breaks

Naughty, is there someone higher you can talk to and explain the situation, if not I am sure someone here can point you to the relevant piece of legislation you could print off and hand to her.

what time is it that you work from and to...........

i agree your boss could be more accommodating, however I wouldn't say you need more breaks for a 5.5 hour shift, a meal and its insulin dose can last that long you see.......


so again it depends on when your working and how long since your last meal....

do you have hypos often? if so I can understand why you may feel you need more breaks, but in the long term, you should be looking to fix that problem if it exists.....

Do you find you need something to eat at a specific time? If you need a snack at the same time each day, this is something you should address with your manager. However, there are a number of ways you can go about this. If you don't want to give a long speech explaining the ins and outs of the situation, you could simplify it for them. Say you have been feeling faint recently, at the same time of day, as a result of your diabetes. Explain you need to eat, or you will pass out. I used to do shop work, and tried to fit in with the rules concerning breaks. However, my manager would let me have a snack in my pocket if I was going to go without a break at a time I needed to eat. I was worried about eating whilst on the till, but everyone was fine with it once I explained. If I was serving with a large queue, I would say 'I'm terribly sorry, but I'm a diabetic and require my mid-morning snack.' I would have something discreet and easy to eat, so I could finish without too much disruption. If your manager doesn't want to play ball, the best thing to do is speak with your diabetes team, and see if you can get them to back you up in writing. That way it comes across as a genuine need, rather than someone trying to get an extra break .

Hi Hun, I really sympathise with you I used to have a boss like that, I ended up leaving my job because of the lack of understanding with my diabetes. I do hope you manage to get things sorted, I would also suggest maybe speaking to your DS team and see what they say xx


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Aw Hun defo speak to DS team then your manager if nothing changes I would go to hr personally xx


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claireabell2011 said:

Hi well even when the area manager came in the other day she was upstairs with the manager for two hours, lunch breaks was meant to have started, i phoned from the shop floor phone, saying i feel very hungry, manager didn't come down until an hour after.
And i also have fibromyalgia where i get very tired, and need some form of energy, i'm on my feet for hours...some days i'm doing 9-5.30, and don't get my break till 2.30
And i have been trying lots of different ratios to get blood sugar stable, but i keep getting shaky, i actually had a really low sugar at work, but it dropped so suddenly i felt sick and thought i was coming down with a virus, it was only half hour before i was due to finish, so i asked if i could go because i really didn't feel good....she didn't even check to see if i could walk okay before i left.

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Why don't you ask if you can speak to her? Say you've got a problem and need some advice (flattery usually works - we all like to feel valued!) explain the problem as quickly as possible. Stick to facts. Ask what she suggests and offer solutions or alternatives. Make sure you know what you want exactly before the meeting so that you are clear in your head. That way, if you don't get anywhere, you can approach HR and explain what you have done! Good luck and let us know what happens!

claireabell2011 said:

Thanks, she's just a very dippy manager, forgets things, forgets to give me a break

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Then she just needs a gentle reminder. No you shouldn't have to but at least she's not a cow!