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1

My current employer is respectful of the diabetes and allows me to manage my disease and has been remarkably compassionate.  That said, my last employer was trying to manage the disease for me was asking for written assurances that I wouldn’t go hypo on premises, wanted to regulate how often I saw medical professionals, demanded access to speak with my endo and all sorts of goofy stuff…  Anyone else been in a diabetes-toxic work environment?  I documented what was happening but chose to move on rather than stay and fight.  I’m not proud of that and I would like to believe I would have chosen differently if it’d happened when I was single…   Anyhow – I’m curious to see anyone else’s experiences…

Cheers!

A-D

2

All my employers were very good about me having diabetes. Haven't had any problems. knock on wood.

3

Wow.  I can't believe an employer would actually act that way!  Were you working for a small or a large company?

Most of my employers have been pretty understanding.  The only problems I really have are sick days and getting time off for doctor visits.  My last employer got really angry with me for using all of my allocated sick days.  I thought that was a little silly, but whatever.  Also, at the same time, I got into trouble for coming into work late or leaving early on days I have doctors appointments.  But, along with diabetes comes a lot of problems, so it wasn't just the endo I had to go see.  I felt bad, but I also feel like taking care of myself is more important.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm really cut out for having a full time job.  With everything that goes along with diabetes, sometimes it just seems like too much to handle.

4

Smartysb1 -

If only the D dx came with excellent insurance and a generous grant that allowed for independent wealth, eh?  Unfortunately we’d probably see folks gauging out their own beta cells t’ get in on the action, LOL

Good t’ see my challenges were more isolated and yes, it was a <250 person company… and it was my only really awkward work enviornment…

Cheers,

A-D

 

5

I've been lucky with understanding employers, although the one before this one required doctor's notes when you went to appts. After a while they stopped asking me because I went so much (every three to four months) but aside from that....like I said, lucky. Good Luck A-D....

6

My company is excellent.  I ran out of Novolog at work the other day and had to run to Walgreens on my lunch... BUT.. when I told my boss I might be a late getting back from lunch 'because of a diabetes related issue', she had a lifesaver in her hand ready to give me faster than I could blink!  LOL! 

On the other side, I was diagnosed the summer before I started high school and had a TERRIBLE science teacher in Grade 9 who refused to let me keep a juice box with me in his class.  His class was second period, and my first period class was Gym.  I was low in his class almost every day and it took my parents nearly threatening to knock him out for him to make the exception to let me have my juice. 

In hindsight, I suppose I should have just had the juice anyway and let him sort out his ignorance later..

~Becky~

7

I am strugglinh somewhat with the work place line. I have been relatively (knock on wood) safe so far, as safe as one can be without insurance to speak of, enough to cover things...but this is slipping away. I saw Michael Moore's movie "Sicko," and I have fantasized about moving to a country where I do not have the same concerns as I do here regarding health insurance. I almost think it might be a good idea to have a sit-down with the younguns who are headed out the door to college to the world with its emphasis on health insurance as a luxury.

Most of my job issues have been where I expressed my needs very poorly (in a faint voice, with a quivering smile, and a 'Please, sir mightn't I...')...only to realize later, much later, oh, yeah...I did have the right to step down the demands or check my blood sugar...only my pride wouldn't let me move in the direction that my blood sugar and/or diabetes appointments insisted I move. My job now is one where I commute (last semester) four days a week. I had to call in one time due to low BG risks because of having had to pump insulin to break through a high BG that would NOT go down. So I called in. I am frankly terrified to call in at all, and I probably should for some events, but I have few protections living in an at will state.

I thank the powers that be that I do not live in a state with institutionalized anti-type 1 discrimination of one type: requiring constant documentation from M.Dieties (I wish I could have made that one up, but I haven't) saying that it's ok for me to drive a car. I feel for the people who must go through that.

In another aspect, though, I sometimes feel like I must work 3x as hard at the same thing everyone else does in order to prove that my type 1 diabetes is not a liability to the place I work. I love my job. I am an adjunct professor, so I have no health insurance. It's the best I can expect at this point. My concerns are getting low in front of the wrong person at the wrong time...I have struggled a little bit with coworkers who think it's okay to pry into my personal life. At one time, I had a job where a woman I worked with felt she had a special bond w/me due to her brother having been on dialysis and having died of diabetes.

Health insurance is a fright...I am stepping out on faith that there will come a day when someone will see my value as a living, breathing professional enough to give me the privilege of starvation for a year, paying penalties and receiving no coverage for a "pre-existing" condition for a year.

No, I'm not "ungrateful." But these are the worries I am dealing with. Thank you for posting this here as I appreciate the opportunity to hear an intelligent person speak about the situations that pop up. Was it a situation, in your case, where doctor's appointments were 'checked' and thuis limited? In my case, my opportunities to take care of myself are very limited. But I am extremely, extremely glad that I have a job now.

8

Every working person with diabetes should give this a once-over.  What your past employer was doing was not legal.

http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/diabetes.html

That said.. I've been been treated extremely well.  My boss has been outstanding.  I've had my schedule adjusted and no one asks twice when I take a sick day.  But, then.. management here has always been cognizent of every employee's work/life dynamic.  I don't feel any different than anyone else here.  Which is also nice.

9

I’ve been pretty fortunate with my work environment. My commute, depending on traffic, can be upwards of 40 minutes. There have been times where I spaced and left my insulin at home. Realizing this when I sat down at my desk I would tell my boss and he would completely fine with going home to get it. He even offered to allow me to store some extra in his fridge if I wanted to. But I wasn’t comfortable with that and he was ok with it.

As far as doctor appointments. They do come often for me as well and sometimes I feel bad having to leave early or come in late sometimes more than once a week if I have a string of different appointments. But again, my boss has never scoffed at it and has always been really cool.

I do work for a small company, < 100 employees, so it is a little more family oriented.