work problems again

Hi, I have posted here about problems I've had at work in the past. And thought I'd post again asking for advice About A different work place.

Now I work in a fast food restaurant, which has a drive thru. Through winter time and even at this time with the cold weather, I have specifically stated I can NOT work on either of the drive thru Windows. Reason being even after spending a couple hours at either window made me very Ill in December, this was the first time I ever felt like I actually had a weak immune system, except now because it's a bit warmer they put me on floor plans as in one of the Windows. This when busy involves a heck of a lot of cold air blasting in my face, which sets off a cold within an hour or two, being put in there for a ten hour shift would end with me having worse than just a cold. But as we have a lot of new people started not enough people know how to do that part of the job so they stick me there.

What can I do about this other than telling them? Because even though I have told them most of the time they just turn around and say well you're the only person who can do it so you need to. It seems to me that no matter where I work I face problems regarding my diabetes. Any advice anyone can give here would be greatly appreciated

encore1332 said:

Sorry to hear your workplace is so inflexible. Surely having only one person able to do a specific job isn't good management? Couldn't they ask you to train/show someone else how to do it aswell? I was lucky when diagnosed last year as work bent over backwards for me, having said that I have worked places where they wouldn't have cared less and I would have had to put my health at risk just to work. Hope someone can give you some good advice.

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The thing is our manager in charge of scheduling doesn't schedule enough staff so me taking someone and training them is in the shift managers eyes A waste. May end up just calling citizens advice to see what they say but will wait and see if anyone here has experienced a similar situation and how they resolved it

noblehead said:

The CAB is good for work related advice, but you need to use a stronger argument against working in the driveway window as working in cold air doesn't give you a cold, a cold is caused by a virus.

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I'm just thinking, the fact that working in that position is making me ill, making me have to take time off work, there must be something I can do?
I get what you're saying about the cold, but literally everytime I've been in either window I've felt a cold coming on almost straight away, and on several occasions have had to call in sick from this.
I could be wrong thinking there is anything I can do, which is why I'm asking here and not trying to cause trouble at work over it, but just hoping there's something I can do in that situation, do I have any grounds to just refuse to work in the Windows due to it making me Ill?

catherinecherub said:

Hi @brandoon,

What you are describing is a chill . As has already been said, a cold is caused by a virus. I do wonder if other people have complained about the cold air, ask around and see if anyone else has.
A chill presents itself very similar as a cold and it might be worth asking Health and Safety, your Union and CAB to see if things can be changed to make the atmosphere more pleasant for you. I have seen places where they have a full window and a small aperture for you to talk to the customers, some even use a microphone.

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Others have complained about it. But every time ive been in one of the Windows the next day I've had to have off ill, no one else has had that. There are heaters above the Windows, but they are useless when the window is open which is majority of the shift, as you can imagine drive thrus get too busy for the person in the window to have enough time to close it and have the room warm up. May not be the right place to ask but surely there is some violation of health and safety forcing someone in there who has been off ill several times because of working that position? Maybe I have asked in the wrong place. Could be this isn't related to diabetes. But that's the reason I have the weak immune system which is why I ask here. Weakened immune system, several times off ill because of this position I get put into, surely there is something I can do? I can't afford time off ill, but every time I'm in that window I get Ill so quick And they know it

AndBreathe said:

Perhaps ask if there is warm clothing in the uniform policy?

I have to say I'm struggling a bit here with the fact you feel your employer should allow you to cheery pick the bits of the job you'll be comfortable doing. Do they otherwise allow you breaks etc.?

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It's not that I'm expecting them to allow me to pick stuff I feel comfortable doing. If the weather wasn't so cold and making me ill every time I do that particular job I'd have no problem doing it at all. And they know that. Just feel like the fact it is making me ill and meaning having to have the next day off ill, would give me some kind of grounds to say no to doing it. Surely making an employee do something that makes them Ill is something of a health and safety issue since it affects my overall health? Thats all I'm asking. I'm not saying they should let me do whatever I want to do.

AndBreathe said:

I think that's a difficult call to make, without some form of medical support - like a sick note or your doc saying the impact of x is y. Having a weakened immune system may mean that the job you are in isn't entirely suitable to you. It isn't always up to the employer to compromise.

I used to manage a great guy who was very shy. From time to time, as a business, we had great big get togethers, which most people loved. It was a whole day and sometimes evening and overnight away from the usual day to day stuff, and when a party was involved there was no pocket money spared. But, this one guy found it a nightmare, and I knew he would call in sick every time. His colleagues and other managers were very unsympathetic to his plight and HR suggested I put him on a disciplinary.

To be honest, I believe the situation made him feel quite bad, but how does one reconcile that for everyone who may or may not want to attend?

I know that's not your situation, but I'm trying to illustrate what I mean.

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I get that it may not be down to the employer to compromise, and every other aspect of the job I'm fine with. Just a few months a year where I can't be at the Windows. Which with the number of staff they actually have trained in that shouldn't be so much of a problem. Except the scheduling isn't done well, and they schedule the shifts knowing that I'm the only person scheduled who is trained in those areas, when they also know it makes me really Ill and I end up having to miss a shift. Up until this week though they've been fine not having me doing that job, what I really want to know is can I refuse to go into the Windows to avoid myself getting ill and if I am likely to lose my job refusing to do something that makes me ill. When we get warmer weather I'd be happy to do it but not while it's cold and I'm getting ill from it . They have provided me with a fleece that I had to pay for but even that doesn't help stop me getting ill.

AndBreathe said:

Have you tried having a formal discussion about this? Not just a passing comment that might sound like a whinge.

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To be fair they have been very good about it up until now as I had said to all the shift managers I couldn't do it. But they say its warmer now and that I should be ok. So I did one shift in there. We closed early so that only ended up being four hours, but even then I started to feel ill. The next day they swapped staff around So I could be out of the window. But my next shift I'm down to work in the window with no one else on the shift who can do that job. So not sure how it's gonna go. I want to refuse on the grounds that I know it'll make me ill but they may get really annoyed about that. Which is why I've asked on here don't want to cause any trouble at work

jaywak said:

If we all start whinging too much, We can't do this we can't do that because we are diabetic employers are going to think twice about taking us on in the first place, for every bodies sake be a bit careful.

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Just to clarify, I haven't whinged about it. I told the manager in charge of scheduling that I couldn't do it while the weather is so cold because of it making me ill and that unless he wanted me calling in sick the next day I couldn't do it. I work twice as hard as the majority of people working there, so I don't think me "moaning" about two aspects of the job will affect anyone as they know this and have always appreciated my hard work, in fact I'm moving away this year and will be leaving the job and the main manager is really determined to make me stay. If me saying I can't do certain parts of the job affected diabetics getting jobs I don't think he'd try so hard to get me to stay.

jaywak said:

I'me glad you work twice as hard as the rest of them, just shows them we are just as good as the non diabetics, it just sounded a bit of a whinge.

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Yeah. I just don't see the point going to work and being lazy too haha. You get paid to do a job just do it that's my motto lol. Just with getting ill so much I had to say something to them about the Windows.