Having to leave my job

Type 1 and LADA
#1

I have worked in my local cinema for over 5 years. I am sure that some of you may remember the problems I have had there in the past about not getting breaks and going hypo.

Well, now, we have all been told that if it is busy, we wont get our breaks because they have made cut backs on hours and there wont be anyone to cover. The way I see it, what ever happens I lose.

Either I won’t get breaks, go low and end up in danger like I was a couple of months ago when I blacked out, or I will be singled out because they will send me on breaks and I am not very popular with the staff anyway.

I doubt that a particular supervisor will let me go on my breaks.

So I am searching for a new job.

#2

Sorry to hear about your problems with your job.They don’t sound like they are very understanding or considerate.If they want people to work for them they should be willing to allow a little leeway.

#3

Fro whatever it’s worth, I always have generic DEX 4 sugar pillls with me (used in conjunction with a blood glucose metter), in case I have to continue to work through breaks. It is not a good solution, but it will keep me on my feet

#4

This practice is illegal under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Not that diabetes should be deemed a disability, but you are protected under the ADA umbrella.

This is a link to the ADA employment discrimination page with advice on how to proceed.
http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy-and-legalresources/discrimination/employment.jsp

#5

I feel your pain. I was “let-go” from a job a month ago because my boss was trying to make me work an 8 hour shift by myself and I told her that I couldn’t do that because then I wouldn’t get a lunch break or any breaks inbetween and that I couldn’t do that because of my diabetes, which I told her about the second she hired me 4 months prior. So she made me come in, work an hour, then she got there and fired me as soon as she did. She told me that I needed to be more flexible with my hours (which I always was, I just needed to eat on time) and that there was no way that I could be flexible if I was insisting on needing breaks. I told her that was fine and left, never looking back.

#6

Anna,

I can’t imagine any state not having laws concerning breaks. 6-8 hrs is far too long for anyone to work , diabetic or otherwise. You should look up the laws for your state and report your former employer…even though you no longer work there, it would help those who follow. It doesn’t sound like she had reasonable cause to fire you either. I’m sure most states have a Dept. Of Labor website. Look up the laws and report the abuses. I once worked for a company that was reported for not properly paying overtime. They had to go back 5 yrs and pay everyone; even former employees.

#7

I also carry glucose pills at all times. I also have crackers or a south beach meal bar on hand. None are the best solutions but they work. Good luck Rebekah. I hope you find a job with an understanding employer. Do check your state’s labor laws. The only way to fix this problem is to report violators.

#8

Yeah, my family really wanted me to because she really had no reason to fire me, I just don’t have the energy to deal with it anymore. I hated working for the company and was about to quit anyway because they were just awful about a lot of things. i live in Texas and in Texas it’s against the law for any one person to work by themselves for more than 4 hours at a time (this happened very frequently). And it is against the law to discriminate against me because I’m diabetic but it’s just too much to deal with. If it ever happens again I will start reporting people, I just didn’t feel like fooling with this company anymore.

#9

Hey.

Unfortunately, there have been others who have kicked up a fuss about breaks, and they find they have no hours. We are on a Zero Hour contracts, which means that by law, they can give us no hours if they like, but keep us on the payrole. This has happened to a couple of ‘difficult’ employees, including one guy who was taking anti rejection tablets after having a heart transplant, and he has to take them at 10am and 10pm without fail or he dies.

I have been advised many times to quit, because the problem with the place is that some supervisors and managers are really good, but others are bad and it just depends who you get.

I have been walking round town all day, getting applications. There aren’t many jobs yet, but I live at a seaside resort, so there should be by the end of June when all the arcades open. I have applied in a coffee shop though. I used to work for Starbucks, so have experience. I wont work for starbucks again though - I loved it, but my mum works in head office, so when my colleagues found out they treated me differently.

I do live in England.

#10

Even if you dont want to deal with suing them, do you get unemployment because they fired you? In this state, the employer that fires you actually pays toward that $.

#11

Keep your chin up and remember, you were looking for a job when you found that one! Most places I’ve worked have had a staff of smokers and the non smokers got shafted out of breaks because we didn’t have anything in particular to do except use the restroom. If your boss is a smoker, you could call your medical breaks “smoking breaks”. Those usually last about 15 minutes…5 minutes to the smoking area, 5 minutes to smoke one cig and 5 minutes to get back to their work station.
(I have nothing against smokers- I live with one - I just know the drill)

Its a horrible way to deal with things, however, sadly it works. No one says a word if you want to light up - shooting up for medical needs is too scary for them to deal with.

Keep your sense of humor no matter what!
-Carla

#12

Rebekah’ s profile states she is from the UK. Please remember that the world (and TuDiabetes) is not made up entirely of people from the US.

#13

That will teach me to read profiles first lol…however, out of curiosity, I did look up my state’s labor laws and in NC the employer does NOT have to provide breaks unless you are under 16 and then only after 5 consecutive hours worked. It is nice to know that the Americans with Disabilities Act does require the employer to provide “reasonable” accommodations which may only be a few minutes to check your blood or have a quick snack. This is a great topic anyway~Thanks Rebekah

#14

Hey.

I haven’t been fired. And I haven’t left the job yet. Need to get a new job first. I have been applying. Ironically, I have even applied at a chocolate shop. LOL.

#15

the law is a 15 minute break for every 4 hours. However, they rarely follow this. It is very difficult and a lot of stress to take companies to court. My friend tried taking her company to court when she got rushed into hospital. She has a known heart condition, and she told them she needed to have a break and they wouldn’t let her, then she collapsed. She has been trying to take them to court for two years now.

#16

There has to be something in the American With Disability Act that allows for you to take tiny breaks to test and inject…no?

I’m lucky at my office that I work with a bunch of folks that smoke on a really regular basis. So I have plenty of free time to do my thing when they are doing theirs.

#17

I would file a complaint w/ the HR dept and a complaint also look at your RIGHTS. I carry glucose tablets but that’s not the solution to your problem. You job should be understand of your DX and so what if the staff doesn’t like you…You have to take care of yourself

#18

I am sorry that you have had this difficulty. I decided to leave teaching in part because it afforded me neither the time or the privacy to check my bg level and to either snack or take a shot.

That being said, it is a “reasonable accommodation” that the employer should make, at least in the US.

This site alerted me to using the dextrose candy–like giant SweetTarts–to treat lows. Only doing 1/2 a candy is 2 grams. Even if you aren’t low, that amount won’t add too much, so it is a good option if you don’t have time to check.

In my situation, I was getting low in the mornings because I was unaware of the 'honeymoon period" when the rested pancreas cells (even if it’s just 10% of it) start working again. I could have done the longterm insulin and skipped the short term breakfast dose. But that’s hindsight.

I think office work, or daytime work that allows for some sitting and some privacy, would be more amenable to diabetes management.

Good luck with it!
~ Elaine

#19

Rebecca, what has happened to you?

#20

May you find one! Good luck!!! That pritacular supervisor must not have diabetes or even ever blacked out b/c if he did he would not have that attitude! Blacking out is one thing I really HATE when I fall low!!! I want to be in charge all the time and that dosen’t happen when I’m low!