Working with Type 1

[MarthaPatricia]

Hello
Looking for advice regarding working with type 1
My type1 diabetes has been affected by the menopause. My employer has made adjustments to shift patterns etc which has been good. I have started HRT and had a review with GP and specialist nurse
I have been advised the length of time for HRT to take effect differs from one person to another and I have informed my manager and HR that I'm feeling better but I am not 100% yet.
Should HR have increased my % in relation to the sickness policy (NHS)?. Today I had to ring in sick due to a bad hypo and feeling drained and I'm concerned that it will mean I move to stage 2 of the sickness policy. I had 2 weeks off last summer due to a knee problem and I've managed to go to work every day since despite feeling rotten most of the time. My job involves caring for others and while I would not go off sick at the drop of a hat I'm concerned that if I find myself not feeling well that i will have no choice but to go to work with the potential of making a mistake due to feeling unwell if my % is the same as someone without a chronic illness. I check my blood sugars regularly and make every effort to avoid problems but with menopause symptoms sometimes it catches me out.
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Thebearcametoo]

I don’t know the work side (if you’re a union member then have a chat with them) but I wonder if you have an argument for funding for a Libre. It might be worth chatting with your DSN.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I wonder if the Diabetes UK helpline might also be able to offer you some advice about the relevant employment law?

You can call them for a chat anytime on 0345 123 2399, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.

 

[AndBreathe]

Hello
Looking for advice regarding working with type 1
My type1 diabetes has been affected by the menopause. My employer has made adjustments to shift patterns etc which has been good. I have started HRT and had a review with GP and specialist nurse
I have been advised the length of time for HRT to take effect differs from one person to another and I have informed my manager and HR that I'm feeling better but I am not 100% yet.
Should HR have increased my % in relation to the sickness policy (NHS)?. Today I had to ring in sick due to a bad hypo and feeling drained and I'm concerned that it will mean I move to stage 2 of the sickness policy. I had 2 weeks off last summer due to a knee problem and I've managed to go to work every day since despite feeling rotten most of the time. My job involves caring for others and while I would not go off sick at the drop of a hat I'm concerned that if I find myself not feeling well that i will have no choice but to go to work with the potential of making a mistake due to feeling unwell if my % is the same as someone without a chronic illness. I check my blood sugars regularly and make every effort to avoid problems but with menopause symptoms sometimes it catches me out.
Any advice would be appreciated.

I don't have personal experience of this myself, but we have a family member, working in the NHS who, due to a very nasty neck cancer lost most of her left side upper body lymph nodes, meaning that despite best practise and prophylactic antibiotics, is susceptible to infection, including basic coughs and colds.

This was recognised for a short while by the NHS, but after a period, they unilaterally, without testing or meetings, decided her immunity was now tickety-boo. (What she wouldn't give for that....)

It was a long, long, long fight, during which, even with union involvement, meant she progressed to a Stage 3 disciplinary. Every absence was validated by Doc notes, even when just a day, but to no avail.

In the end, her overall sickness allowances were not increased, but those related to a compromised immunity are to be "ignored". It is still a real struggle as it appears all burden of justification lies with her. She has been sent home from work multiple times as it seemed easier to present unwell, than fight justification afterwards. That's with a 1 hour commute.

Good luck with it all, but in all honesty, the NHS were very difficult to deal with. The Data Subject Access request took the maximum time to be delivered, and involved a number of inaccuracies that's required attention.

My suggestion to you would be to seek full site of your employment file, including sickness records, HR notes and so on. If you have regular 1:1 meeting soon or whatever to discuss thes, ensure those are included in your request. Your request needs to be very specifics, or others will decide what I should relevant, and those things might not be the same as your own views.

Each request carries its own fee and delivery timescale, so if your request is not comprehensive it could take a long time to gather what you want and need.

Gird your loins and good luck with it all.

 

[KookyCat]

Hi Martha
It might be worth proactively asking to speak with someone from occupational health about management strategies to minimise the impact of any absences. If nothing else it will look favourable if it comes to the disciplinary stage, at best they might have a strategy that’s helpful. Large organisations like the NHS often have difficulty in the consistent application of procedures, so local management might not be as aware as they should be about policies for those with long term health conditions. It’s also possible that they will let it get to the disciplinary stage and then consider the additional circumstances, that’s fairly common in a lot of organisations because they don’t think their blanket policies through before implementation, so it’s worth a conversation with HR about the likely process so at least you understand what you’re facing. Best of luck with it all.