My teen daughter just got her first job.we thought it best to keep quiet about t1. Although during the interview process one of the interview questions my daughter used her t1 as an example.today the lady in personnel noticed her fanny pack which holds her supplies.my daughter was told she cannot wear the fanny pack.so now we need to tell this employer about t1 an she needs to have the pack.any suggestions? We know employers shouldn't discriminate but it seems with today's economy it's hard for a teenager to get their first job.what do other omnipod users do with their personal diabetes manager
I have been a T1 for 40 years and I have never worn a fanny pack.
What do you keep in a fanny pack?
Can you give us more details about the job?
Does she have to wear the fanny pack at all times? is there not some place that she could place the pack that is close by? If you're worried about not having glucose, perhaps just carrying a 10 pk of tabs in her pocket would be possible?
While technically she can fight for the fanny pack and the ADA would support her, it's probably not necessary. On the Omnipod she does not need to keep the remote on her at all times. There is probably a secure place where she could put it. If she wants to keep it on her it would slip into a pocket fairly easily. I've also heard of people who get spi belts and wear them under their clothes if she wants to have the supplies on her at all times. These are tough things but there are ways to work around them. She needs to keep her supplies somewhere accessible but not necessarily right on her body. Good luck finding a solution that works for you.
I second the recommendation of the spibelt. I wear one when exercising under my clothes. However, I also question the need to carry her supplies on her body while working. I also have the Dexcom CGM and that is the only device(the receiver) I want to have on my body at all times. If I am wearing something without pockets, I honestly just slip it under my bra strap. I've never worn the spibelt other than with exercise, but it can certainly work if she is uncomfortable being away from her PDM and other supplies. Depending on the type of job, she should have some sort of locker or employees' room to leave her PDM/test supplies/glucose as those devices don't have to be on her person at all times. But as a previous poster said, she would have the ADA behind her on this if she/you choose to pursue her wearing the fanny pack. Good luck to her and her new job!
Another option is the tummietote belt that can be worn under clothes. The woman who makes these also has a teenage T1D daughter. Here's a link http://www.tallygear.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=85
I teach, a colleague also has diabetes...as do 3 students. None of us wear fanny packs.
Depending on her position...might pockets suffice for glucose tabs? The rest of her D needs can be kept in her purse or shelf.
What was the employers reason ? By law they are not allowed to discriminate and if wearing the fanny pack works for your daughter and doesn’t affect her work, she should be able to wear it.
No, by law they can't keep her from keeping something medically connected to her body from her reach, there is NO LAW that permits folks to carry or wear just anything though. Most employers are now forbidding cell phones, even in a pocket. My last employer also prevented us even entering the building with a cell phone or ANY electronic device at all. They diligently searched for even usb-key-fobs and refused those on the premises as well. Many employers prevent those things for security reasons. That is also totally legal. They would have allowed me to carry my pdm if I had insisted, but I would have had to have it inspected each day at entry and exit from the building, and that would have been on personal time that I was not willing to give up just to carry something I could leave in the car. The extra glucose tabs carried in a plastic dispense tube (10 to a tube) were allowed, and so was my insulin, provided I kept it locked up with my other personal things like a jacket etc...
I am sure they would allow her to bring a purse in to work, but may have insisted that the purse be kept wherever they wish employees to keep personal items while on the job.
I'd buy one of the belt clips from Insulet and wear it on a belt. There are more examples of what to do. Does she carry a purse? Or can she have other personal items with her, or near her? Maybe this job is not for her. Most career/work paths are chosen due to personal needs and abilities. Diabetics are just a good example of the differences we all have that push us in our life choices.
Incidently....people with severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) are allowed to wear an epi-pen at our school. Does your daughter's place of employment make exceptions for epi-pens? If so, then wearing diabetes related items in a fanny pack is no different.
It’s against the law for her employer to not allow her to keep necessary medical devices and equipment (test strips, glucose tabs, etc). Her protection falls under ADA and her employer must accommodate her. I’m a Human Resources Manager, have a child with Type 1 and can tell you, it would be against the law to not allow her to wear whatever she needs for her disease.