Work, illness and diabetes

[Thelma21]

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a bit of advice/moral support.

I've been T1 diabetic for 21 years and never had complications or taken time off work due to hypos or general illness.

I started a new job last June, the building is quite old and we're looking to move but there have been 10 new workers employed since I started taking a small open office up to thirty people.

The office is only cleaned once a week and by a friend of the receptionist so not a lot is done in terms of wiping down surfaces or commonly used items like the microwave or fridge.

I've had five cold viruses since December, three of which have made me take time off work because they're so bad, this recent one making me have fever and chills.

I have already been 'spoken to' about my sick days as I've gone 'over the threshold' - my employer hasn't allowed for any additional days sick due to my diabetes, and while colds and such aren't the same as having a day or morning off for a hypo being sick this frequently is severely impacting my immune system.

In this discussion I explained that a reasonable adjustment would be to have the office cleaned more regularly to stop the spread of viruses. I was told that because the building was old management would not put money into cleaning it. Also, there is one single dishcloth used all week to wipe down surfaces (with just water) and a tea towel to wipe hands on. Thankfully I don't use these and sanitise my hands regularly, but that hasn't stopped me from getting ill.

I think what's happening is I've got sick over winter, which is normal for anyone, but due to the unhygienic practices in the office my immune system is constantly fighting a plethora of viruses and can't catch a break to get back up to normal levels, so to speak.

The problem is now I have had to call in sick again my manager believes I shouldn't be taking a day off for a bad cold, even though I have a fever and want to recover more before going back to work (and potentially have a fighting chance of my immune system to fight off bugs).

My manager's stance on illness is to simply take paracetamol and get on with it, which might be fine for a healthy person but can't always be the solution in a diabetic as illness can affect us much worse and for longer.

She also suggested that I was managing my diabetes poorly because I keep getting sick, when actually I've been managing it very well for a while now (and even when I didn't a few years ago still never picked up as many colds as this year).

I called in today to say I'm still not fully recovered and I also still have a low grade fever and high bloods but I came away from the conversation feeling like I had done something wrong.

I guess I'm just looking for advice, is my employer really not understanding how my illness affects me? Can a work place not cleaned properly mean I pick up more viruses than a healthy person?

I'm also not particularly stressed at the moment, so it's not that. I do plan to discuss this further with HR when I go back as I have no idea if my suggestion of cleaning the office has been passed on to the right people.

I really need to be resting but I can't sleep with these worries going on!

Thanks

 

[Deleted Account]

Diabetes UK has a useful document explaining what you should expect from your employer and what are your rights at work: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/resources-s3/2017-09/Advocacy pack_EmploymentV3-Jan2016_0.pdf

I do not know whether diabetes makes you more susceptible to illness (it is not my experience but maybe I am lucky) but once you are down, it is more likely to get ill again.

I also wonder if your manager's stance on illness is making the office worse: if you are all expected to come in when you are poorly, you are more likely to be passing on germs to your colleagues. And the cleaning situation sounds dire.

Talking to your HR sounds like a very good approach. Good luck ... and get better soon.

 

[JRW]

I'd be amazed if most employers' understand the impact of T1 Diabetes. However I'm not sure if or why general sick rules such as cold and flu, are any different for people with diabetes.
Having T1 I'm legally classed as disabled, the reality is that as an office worker it means nothing, I'm not doing anything that I need special help for.

 

[DCUKMod]

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a bit of advice/moral support.

I've been T1 diabetic for 21 years and never had complications or taken time off work due to hypos or general illness.

I started a new job last June, the building is quite old and we're looking to move but there have been 10 new workers employed since I started taking a small open office up to thirty people.

The office is only cleaned once a week and by a friend of the receptionist so not a lot is done in terms of wiping down surfaces or commonly used items like the microwave or fridge.

I've had five cold viruses since December, three of which have made me take time off work because they're so bad, this recent one making me have fever and chills.

I have already been 'spoken to' about my sick days as I've gone 'over the threshold' - my employer hasn't allowed for any additional days sick due to my diabetes, and while colds and such aren't the same as having a day or morning off for a hypo being sick this frequently is severely impacting my immune system.

In this discussion I explained that a reasonable adjustment would be to have the office cleaned more regularly to stop the spread of viruses. I was told that because the building was old management would not put money into cleaning it. Also, there is one single dishcloth used all week to wipe down surfaces (with just water) and a tea towel to wipe hands on. Thankfully I don't use these and sanitise my hands regularly, but that hasn't stopped me from getting ill.

I think what's happening is I've got sick over winter, which is normal for anyone, but due to the unhygienic practices in the office my immune system is constantly fighting a plethora of viruses and can't catch a break to get back up to normal levels, so to speak.

The problem is now I have had to call in sick again my manager believes I shouldn't be taking a day off for a bad cold, even though I have a fever and want to recover more before going back to work (and potentially have a fighting chance of my immune system to fight off bugs).

My manager's stance on illness is to simply take paracetamol and get on with it, which might be fine for a healthy person but can't always be the solution in a diabetic as illness can affect us much worse and for longer.

She also suggested that I was managing my diabetes poorly because I keep getting sick, when actually I've been managing it very well for a while now (and even when I didn't a few years ago still never picked up as many colds as this year).

I called in today to say I'm still not fully recovered and I also still have a low grade fever and high bloods but I came away from the conversation feeling like I had done something wrong.

I guess I'm just looking for advice, is my employer really not understanding how my illness affects me? Can a work place not cleaned properly mean I pick up more viruses than a healthy person?

I'm also not particularly stressed at the moment, so it's not that. I do plan to discuss this further with HR when I go back as I have no idea if my suggestion of cleaning the office has been passed on to the right people.

I really need to be resting but I can't sleep with these worries going on!

Thanks

Thelma - Proving your immune system has been impacted by a set of circumstances is very difficult indeed.

I have a relative, not a diabetic, who had head and neck cancer, resulting in some horrid surgery, which included her losing her neck and some armpit lymph nodes. She takes antiobitioics every day and will do so for the rest of her life, unless science drives something else. She regularly picks up colds, sore throats and ear issues which hit her like a sledge hammer as she simple doesn't have the nodes to fight them.

She has had a dreadful dreadful job persuading her employer of her situation, despite the Consultants she sees (more than one) all agreeing, in writing it is the case.

Much money was spent with lawyers, independent Consultants and so on, before her employer reluctantly agreed to acknowledge the situation.

Who is her employer? Yes, you guess it. The NHS.

You may have more luck, especially if others' health has deteriorated too, even if not as much as yours, but if you're on your own, it's a tricky one.

The building being old shouldn't impact its cleanliness. I could understand not wanting to decorate or re-carpet or whatever, but cleanliness is something else.

Have you a copy of the company's Managing Absence Policy? You need to have that before you go too much further. It also might be useful if the place is dirty that you take photos. On your phone would be ideal, as they'll be date and time stamped.

Finally, in your shoes, I might be inclined to give the kitchen area a wide berth and bring in my own drinks and lunches, with my food in sealed containers, and take home any cutlery at the end of each day.

It's not an easy one, for sure.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I don't believe diabetes comes into this as being diabetic and sensibly well-controlled shouldn't affect your risk of getting bugs or being affected by them. However it appears your immune system may be down a bit currently hence more bugs. I virtually always carry on working with a bug but may not be so productive. Cleaning work surfaces should help reduce bug transmission but that means all surfaces, all day including door handles, door plates, stair rails, keyboards etc - almost impossible but every little should help. The state of the floor should have little effect. I would just focus on the viruses you've had and whether your average absence is out of the norm compared with others or your own work history?