Could you do this in your workplace?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

• Check a medical device (essentially like pulling out a phone and glancing at screen) every half an hour without fail
• Tap instructions into the device (similar to sending a text) if it needs adjusting
• About twice a day, ramp this up to checking device and adjusting every 10 mins, when things are start to go wrong/ to get back on even keel

Needs to be done whatever else is happening, no matter how important the meetings/ phone calls/ deadlines etc. I am concerned it will look like I'm not 100% concentrating on the work task I am meant to be doing, because, well...I suppose I'm not? Will need to multitask because I have to do it. But it will look like I'm constantly fiddling with personal tech, which is bad.

This level of involvement in managing medication is non-negotiable. I have a sight threatening eye condition because of type 1 diabetes, and maintaining as close to undiabetic blood sugar numbers as possible is the only way to try to preserve my vision.

I'm applying for jobs and worried this will be seen as not being committed and focused on the job. Could you do this in your job or would it be frowned upon? AIBU to think I can?

Thanks for any opinions!

I believe this is a protected characteristic under disability discrimination legislation. A colleague at my work place took action against a former manager because they weren't allowing them the opportunity to check whatever they needed to on their pump. Needless to say as soon as HR were notified and the words Disability Discrimination were uttered, they were mysteriously allowed to do it.

What I'm trying to say is that even if an employer says it can't be done, they should be allowing you reasonable adjustments so that it can.

@Fatted

I believe this is a protected characteristic under disability discrimination legislation. A colleague at my work place took action against a former manager because they weren't allowing them the opportunity to check whatever they needed to on their pump. Needless to say as soon as HR were notified and the words Disability Discrimination were uttered, they were mysteriously allowed to do it.

What I'm trying to say is that even if an employer says it can't be done, they should be allowing you reasonable adjustments so that it can.

She’s in America @Fatted. Who knows what employers have to do there?

Not a problem in our workplace

T1D here. Not sure how it fits with Control IQ but I wear an Apple Watch that has my Dexcom number mirrored from my phone and is really nice just to glance down.

No prob at mine (big corporate)

Depends on the job. Most workplaces would be fine with it and I could do this in my current office as well as in previous jobs.

But clearly, if you are driving trains or in the air traffic control tower directing aeroplanes, or any similar type jobs which needs 100% concentration then no, it wouldn't be possible as it would put others in danger.

Not a problem in my workplace but my boss does have a Libre thing in his arm.

Type one here as well don't make a fuss just do it most people don't care or notice

Ah, my answer is different if you're in the US! My friend worked for Citibank in NY and had a prescribed shoe heel height, tights coloyr and skirt length.

As someone who has a lot of meetings with reps and salesman, if someone said at the start of the meeting, or even just picked their phone up out of the blue and said "sorry, I just need to check something with my blood sugar" I wouldn't bat an eyelid.

@hammeringinmyhead

Ah, my answer is different if you're in the US! My friend worked for Citibank in NY and had a prescribed shoe heel height, tights coloyr and skirt length.

In a casual job in London I had a mandatory necklace, earring, hairstyle and tights colour. Only a few years ago! I left pretty fast but if you wanted to stay you had to suck it up.

Yep, in most departments. One dept operates machinery so that wouldn’t be safe, but literally anywhere else would have no problem with this.

She’s in America @Fatted. Who knows what employers have to do there?

@CheetasOnFajitas the New York state law is quite similar in terms of disability and reasonable accommodations at work.

I'm a bit cynical of these supposed legal protections though. I've had a really unpleasant experience in London being managed out because of frequent hospital appointments. Despite catching up on work from home after, etc.

Cultural attitudes are more important than the law, and having mixed with many New York professionals for the last few years, I don't think there is much difference in London or NYC when it comes to this kind of thing.

It's obviously going to vary on an industry level, like this thread shows, but I feel optimistic now that it might not be an issue for every employer I apply. to. There will probably be some like my London employer who was not happy with it, but equally hopefully lots won't really give a toss.

I don't think there is much difference in London or NYC when it comes to this kind of thing.

You do realise that not everyone answering here is working in London though? Having worked in 3 international financial cities around the world, and in the NW of England, I have found that London and Hong Kong are more similar that London and Manchester in many ways!

Also, aren’t US employers much more free to dismiss people with 2 weeks’ notice than in the U.K.? Not to mention that Americans seem much more resigned to bad working conditions like short maternity leave, long hours, very little annual leave etc.

I’m not saying that this is material to the law around accommodating disability, and you are of course in the thick of it, not me, but I’d just be wary of taking a range of responses from a wide range of people in the U.K. as indicative of how things might be in the corporate world of NYC.

I do wish you all the best though. My close friend has Type 1 diabetes and her pump changed her life, including getting her through 2 difficult pregnancies.

Current job yes. Previous job no

What is the job?

not a problem at all. if they make it a probem, it's discrimination and grounds for tribunal.

Would be absolutely no problem where I work, and we’d bend over backwards to accommodate you and ensure you’re looking after yourself.

No problem where I work, you'd have an access to work plan and would be actively supported to look after yourself. I do work in the public sector though

Goodness no problem at all! My workplace is very keen on equalities and these kinds of allowances would absolutely be permitted to encourage all people to be able to work.

@CheetasOnFajitas thank you, and great to hear your friend had her pump for her pregnancies Sometimes it can be difficult to secure funding for one.

Yes, you're right that I shouldn't equate MN with being London based, which of course I do know. I still do find it interesting and really positive that, on the whole, many people have said that it wouldn't be an issue as long as it's not impractical for the job itself, ie driving a train or working in the ICU.

Also, aren’t US employers much more free to dismiss people with 2 weeks’ notice than in the U.K.? Not to mention that Americans seem much more resigned to bad working conditions like short maternity leave, long hours, very little annual leave etc

Yeah, this is concerning - so I'm only applying for jobs in organisations with progressive policies on time off that are roughly similar to the UK.

There seems to be a real divide in American companies where some of them get a bit miffed if you use your whole 10 days of annual leave allowance, versus 'young' companies where they fall over themselves with great benefits packages to attract good staff. Tech companies for example have a trend for the latter.

Yes. I have a job where i often have to concentrate pretty hard and be focussed on the task at hand, but breaking it up into 30 min chunks wouldn't be an issue and this would definitely be considered a reasonable adjustment.

Wouldn't be a problem on my office.

Surely that would be a workplace adjustment anyway so they have to be ok with it

Not my in my current job in some teams (due to individual managers).

Totally fine in all previous jobs, and in one of them the CEO was in exactly the same position as you were. He would often walk out of client meetings very quickly and whilst some people looked at whoever took over from him, there was definitely nothing ever said about it. He excused himself, we apologised for the interruption and then cracked on with it.

Great to hear the Control IQ is working well for you. My son should be getting it in a few weeks. He is at school and I have had to be quite persuasive about him being allowed to do what you describe. That's because he was the first person in his school to use it. As CGMs are less common here, you may find a little bit of resistance. I think you are right in not mentioning it until you get a job offer, but you are covered by the Equalities Act as a reasonable adjustment. My son uses the Dexcom app on his phone as well as having the Dex linked to his T:Slim. This means that he can link it to an Apple Watch which makes checking much more subtle. Expensive but worth it. He used to use a pebble watch which was cheaper and there is a Nightscout app that allows the Dexcom to interact with the pebble via the iPhone which is cheaper in that the pebble watch is cheap. We do take the attitude that he has developed incredible multitasking skills because of his type one diabetes, but also recognise that not everyone understands this - they think that he must be really uncontrolled, or that he is distracted and it just isn't like that. So I would personally only mention it to people who need to know.

Goodness. You should have told us that you were in the USA!