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What sort of organisation do you work for?

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StephenM

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Yesterday evening we had one of our irregular ?Not the Diabetic Support Group? meetings. The local group disappeared years ago but a few of us (mainly Type I but a couple of Type IIs) get together for a drink and a chat a few times a year. One of the things we talked about was the type of company you work for. If you are diagnosed apart from certain areas you are often OK. However if you are looking for a job and you disclose your diabetes you often tend to be unsuccessful for various obscure reasons. The conclusion is that you are most likely to be offered a job by an SME rather than in the corporate or public sectors. What is your experience?
 
I work in the public sector, and my employer is good. When I was diagnosed in 2006 I told my firm who was and still is sympathetic towards me and all the other people who work here with diabetes. Allowances are made for things like appointments although we are asked to make them as early or as late as possible and we are give a little more leeway if any illness we have is diabetes related. I have also been given time off for diabetes related education days.
 
I work for the nhs and they have been great but I think it depends on your boss. Mine bosses dad had type one so she is so understanding
 
I work for hospitality sector I guess just recently told my boss I'm diabetic about a week ago and the news was received better then I expected. I did disclose my diabetes in my application form but nothing was ever mentioned
 
I work for a tiny company, I started here when the company was formed in 2009 as the Office Manager. 4 member of perm. staff, and we just literally just taken on a 5th.

I wasn't diabetic then though, so have no experience of what it's like to apply for jobs and have to disclose it. I just know it would upset me hugely that others' ignorance on it could lead to them discounting you for a job. :(

Working for a small company has pros and cons but I prefer it to a massive corporate company like I have worked for in the past!
 
i am a senior carer in a private nursing home and have to admit my bosses have been brilliant with my diabetes and issues there have known from day one i wrote in my app that i was diabetic
 
I'm a Customer Service Advisor for a bank. Hopefully not for much longer...
 
maybe this is why i am unsuccessful in finding work ;'(
owell i don't have a job at the moment
 
I work in the private sector and when I went for my interview disclosed that I had Diabetes, Angina, and was in my second year of recovery from a brain haemorrhage. My boss was absolutely fantastic about it, certainly he asked a lot of relevant questions, but, there was no discrimination at all. I have a lot of time for him as a result.
His deputy on the other hand gave me a hard time when I asked for some time off for a hospital check up, he asked if I had made a full disclosure and asked how much more time I would need off for similar appointments. I explained that I would try to organise as much as possible out with working hours, and, during holidays, so that it would not interfere with my work, he didn't actually say so but, I got the distinct impression that if he had been the interviewer, I would not have gotten the job in the first place.
His demeanour has changed considerably due to me showing him that I place a lot of importance on my work. I don't do lateness, sickies, Monday club, and am always in the top 5 for sales and other targeted duties.
It just ***ses me off 😡 that he lets his favourites away with all sorts of c**p with out comment.
 
I work in the private sector and was diagnosed while I was still temping for them before being made permanent... my boss has been amazing about it.... examples;
I said I had a 2 o'clock appointment so would be back to the office about 4 (I finish between 5-5.30) to which the response was... "don't worry about coming back for the day or anything, just concentrate on your health".
I'm currently applying for jobs so who knows what will happen when I tell them. I'd like to think that it shouldn't affect anything, I know that apart from my hospital appointments my work isn't affected! Maybe I'm naive though - we shall see!
 
Self Employed "Electrician" for more than 29 years. The boss is good 😉
 
I too work in the private sector and my company have been great since diagnosis. I always try and make appointments for as early in the day as I can but if I can't I'm lucky that I can work from home if needed. Other than appointments, my diabetes has never resulted in a minute off work, and I more than make up the time for appointments with all the evening/weekend work I do!
 
Caroline said:
I work in the public sector, and my employer is good.
Click to expand...

Me too, currently. I was diagnosed at least a decade before they hired me too.

Daista said:
maybe this is why i am unsuccessful in finding work ;'(
owell i don't have a job at the moment
Click to expand...

I've never had any issues at all with employment generally when it comes to my diabetes and I've ALWAYS declared. It's against the law for them to not hire you on disability grounds anyway. If you suspect it, you should report it.

Best wishes with finding work. 🙂
 
I was only a civil servant before I was D so have no experience. I became D 5 years after I'd been at the next job and was there for another 15 years.

At interviews I used to say right at the end of the interview - By the way, I'm a T1D - but that's never caused me any huge problems so I don't see why it would for anyone who employs me.

That involves various dr's and hospital appts but I usually have plenty of notice so you would have too - and I always try to make them either early or late in the day for minimum impact at work - however I have no control over the NHS so it's possible sometimes they might not be as convenient as we'd all like.

That worked fine until the last company I worked for - started in 1998 and everything was hunky dory until in 2007 they suddenly decreed I could not inject at my desk - all went tits up from there. HR said someone had complained so that was that. Well what about me then? Sorry, only takes one person then we have to act. Yes, act by telling them not to look. Don't be silly Jenny we can't do that and we can't have you upsetting other people ..... So where can I inject then? Amazed voice - Can't you go in the loo? Nope. Filing cupboard that hadn't been cleaned ever in all the time I'd been there.

Well the beginning of the end - in the finish I had a nervous breakdown from all the stress of arguing with a brick wall. And they won't leave you alone at all then, every few weeks they kept coming to see me at home.

I wish I could tell you their name. I wish I'd been well enough to take em to a tribunal. I wish they weren't barstewards. Doubt if I'd have improved on the offer anyway LOL

If anyone wants lessons on how not to treat staff I can give quite a few pointers.

If you want rid of an employee, there are always ways of doing it legally without making them ill .....
 
When I was initially diagnosed as Type 1 32 years ago I had only had an interview a few days before to start my mental health nurse training. When I told them I had been diagnosed they told me they were withdrawing the offer of a place. However after appealing that decision I went on to do my training without problems. At a later date I applied for a post in an Intensive Care Unit (I was also trained in adult nursing) and I was refused that on the recommendation of a doctor who had never met me and despite reassurances from my Consultant that I could do the job. That decision was also overturned and I worked in the unit for four years. I later worked as a college lecturer and had no problems there despite, at times, needing to wear trainers because of painful feet due to neuropathy. I also had no problems being given time off to attend for appointments even when those were almost weekly because I had thousands of laser burns for retinopathy for nearly two years - which saved my sight 🙂
 
trophywench said:
I was only a civil servant before I was D so have no experience. I became D 5 years after I'd been at the next job and was there for another 15 years.

At interviews I used to say right at the end of the interview - By the way, I'm a T1D - but that's never caused me any huge problems so I don't see why it would for anyone who employs me.

That involves various dr's and hospital appts but I usually have plenty of notice so you would have too - and I always try to make them either early or late in the day for minimum impact at work - however I have no control over the NHS so it's possible sometimes they might not be as convenient as we'd all like.

That worked fine until the last company I worked for - started in 1998 and everything was hunky dory until in 2007 they suddenly decreed I could not inject at my desk - all went tits up from there. HR said someone had complained so that was that. Well what about me then? Sorry, only takes one person then we have to act. Yes, act by telling them not to look. Don't be silly Jenny we can't do that and we can't have you upsetting other people ..... So where can I inject then? Amazed voice - Can't you go in the loo? Nope. Filing cupboard that hadn't been cleaned ever in all the time I'd been there.

Well the beginning of the end - in the finish I had a nervous breakdown from all the stress of arguing with a brick wall. And they won't leave you alone at all then, every few weeks they kept coming to see me at home.

I wish I could tell you their name. I wish I'd been well enough to take em to a tribunal. I wish they weren't barstewards. Doubt if I'd have improved on the offer anyway LOL

If anyone wants lessons on how not to treat staff I can give quite a few pointers.

If you want rid of an employee, there are always ways of doing it legally without making them ill .....
Click to expand...

That's awful 😡 I so wish you could have taken them to a tribunal too. I can't believe they treated you like that, I'd have been furious!
 
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