You've been so wonderful in the huge variety of questions and situations that our disease impacts. I wanted to ask another question of you in the situation of workplace accommodations.
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Background:
I'm a relatively new but healthy T1 (2 years)
I was recently diagnosed with cubital tunnel, a neuropathy of the arm. I'd been doing 100$% computer tasks at work for the past few months and it opened up a serious repetitive injury that I first got when I was 19 and now I also have nerve damage.
I have a very aggressive, hostile manager.
I have a doctorate in my field (I say this so you know that I'm not a newbie although this is my first job in this field).
My manager wants to move me from a relatively quiet office with a female coworker who I feel comfortable managing my diabetes with to a louder office with a hostile, male coworker. This new office also is right next to my manager (I think he is trying to monitor us) and I find it really stressful to think of moving there.
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Do you think it would be a reasonable accommodation to be with the female coworker who I feel comfortable with in managing my diabetes -and- an office space that is more quiet and less stressful? Or is this "playing the diabetes card" too much?
I never "play the diabetes card". Managing diabetes should not interfere with work in my opinion. Testing and injecting insulin can be done discreetly, and many places don't allow food at the desk or work station.
Nerve damage is another issue and I assume you are managing that as well.
A hostile environment is the BIG issue here. Of course you can ask to stay in the less stressful and quiet office but I would not use the diabetes as the reason. You can suggest that the hostile environment would make you less productive.
Yeah, I think we can all benefit from less stress, co-workers who are understanding about our condition, and a generally quiet workplace environment. I don't know that it would be a reasonable request to ask for those things specifically because of diabetes though.
We have to be allowed to treat our condition, which means being able to test when necessary, inject our insulin when appropriate, and treat our lows when required. If these things are being denied you because of the move to a new environment, then it is something you could discuss with your manager. Otherwise, i don't know that, as a diabetic, being asked to work in a more "hectic and closely supervised environment" is unreasonable.
It sounds like the software program Dragon Naturally Speaking might help you perform your job tasks due to your recent diagnosis with your arm. With that said you would require a quiet work space to perform your duties and use the software.
As far as the hostile manager, you may want to speak to HR if you feel uncomfortable about your manager's real intentions. Further, any accommodations should be worked out with your manager and HR, this might help you diffuse the situation. There is a risk however that it may also implode thought no fault of your own.
I would pursue a work evaluation though your local state rehab office who can also help facilitate these accommodations and negotiations with you and your employer. In case this position ended you would already be connected to a source to assist you finding aletranive employment.
It looks like your being punished. I take it your work has been of high quality, so there shouldn't be a reason for uber-supervision nor punishment to the cube farm. Does our employer have an EAP program> Or even an Equal Opportunity person. If it is due to the fact that there is something wrong with you because you have diabetes, that's against the law. It doesn't affect your work ergo, no changes - unless everyone has to undergo the changes is called for.
As both a type 1 and a former Human Resource Manager, I woudl absolutely oppose extending such rights to a type 1 diabetic in you position. You have failed to show any viable reason that doing this job is jeopardized by not having a particular person handy to help with lows. Basically, the ADA is meant for the purpose of providing job salutations to people who are disabled. While such conditions need not be only physical, it is fairly clear that most situations do involve some form of functional limitation.
If you look at the ADA site (Arguably one of the most diabetic friendly interpretations) you see that the accommodations stress, ways to get a job, and various ways employers can accommodate people using insulin. No where in this list is there anything about having a low blood sugar assistant. "http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/Supplement_1/S80.full" Look in particular in section 3 of this web site.
To suggest that only one person can take care of your low leads to two parts. Part 1, what if this person leaves tomorrow. Would the employer be forced to hire a person you approve of in order for you to keep your job? Clearly not. Second, could the employer reasonably claim that for instance you are incapable of taking care of typical lows be a reason for your discharge? Yes I believe it could. Having repeated lows that endanger you or others is a potential reason to cause your reclassification or eventual discharge. That may be debatable, but if your employer does not like you, I would say it is a possible reason for discharge or reassignment.
My best advice? Come on, better try a different tactic. I do not think you will win this one.
I didn't read the original post in the same way - I basically saw that she was going from a semi-private workspace to a cube farm. I agree that extending a "right" (for lack of a better word) to have a particular workmate nearby because of D isn't really the way to go. If the original poster views her mgr's behavior as using the D card I've had a supervisor who used the D card saying that if I wasn't smart enough to avoid getting diabetes, I certainly couldn't be trusted to do a good job - really) Anyway, I digress on a rant. I think the original poster has to evaluate whether or not she is being treated differently (ie. worse) because she has D. If so, then she has an argument.
Thank you, Karen, for your thoughts. I probably used too coarse of words (i.e. "playing the diabetes card").
What I meant was more that I would like to continue having a place where I can give injections (sometimes having to pull my dress up to do so), recover from lows/highs, test without issues, and try and reduce the tension that I feel from all of this work drama. I also get so tired of comments "should you really be eating that?".
My manager recently got really horrible reviews and it is strange that it is being turned into a team issue.He constantly patrols us, criticizes us, and it is wearing. He knew I had serious issues with my repetitive issue before, but now it has escalated to nerve damage. That is a whole other story...
Thank you, FHS, for your thoughts as one T1 to another. They've said I now can go to the bathroom to do these things, or the lactation room on another floor. It's odd that some of us have been singled out for extra negative attention.
Thanks, Tigger, for your ideas. I really like asking about the local state rehab office for ideas!
I used Dragon when I was writing my thesis, but because I am working back and forth between specialized programs it doesn't function in that capacity. I'll have to double check, though, since maybe it has gained new functions since I last used it a few years ago.
Thanks, art woman, for your thoughts. I don't think we have an EAP program but I will check.
Yes, that is how we are interpreting this office shuffle. My manager got horrible reviews, and HR is really coming down on the team as the problem. He's even doing crazy stuff like feeling coffee cups "to see how long people have been away from their station". And we are salaried employees!
I agree and probably misstated my original post in the interest of being simple. I didn't mean to imply that only one person could help. I meant that Kathy is one of the few people that are willing to give me glucagon if needed. I was trying to articulate that would like to continue having a place where I can give injections (sometimes having to pull my dress up to do so), recover from lows/highs, test without issues, and try and reduce the tension that I feel from all of this work drama. I will now be in a more visible office with higher traffic and louder environment and more regular interruptions.
Yes, I was previously in a cube farm before a 2 person office.
I've also been told by practitioners that I need to reduce the tension in my body which contributes to the repetitive injury neuropathy, thus the quieter area.
I am treated differently than the others and some of my peers have gone to HR and have said that they believe I am being "targeted". Our group has been in a state of upheaval for the past year or so due to horrible manager and site evaluations. Obviously, the best solution (which I'm working on) it to get out.
Do you have any more thoughts with this new info? I'd appreciate it. I'm also looking for ideas to help mitigate this issues if I do end up moving.Thanks!
Will your employer understand that you may sometimes need to treat a low when and where it happens? Adventuring about and navigating through hallways and stairways when you're hypo seems less than accommodating (not to mention personally hazardous) to me.
I think this is a situation where you try talking to the manager explaining exactly why you would like to remain where you are, and then if they say "no", you move to the new cube. Then if you don't like the environment, find another job/employer.
Any chance that the company is trying to downsize the number of workers and therefore the manager's tactics are part of a larger plan.
A FT job behind the computer is going to contribute to those hand/arm nerve issues. Better BG management and exercise (circulation) might help. I had al lot of that when working for a correspondence department typing letters behind a computer, and it mostly went away when I stopped.
Rick, I think you kind of missed most of what she was saying... She wasn't talking specifically about the person helping with lows (ideally, anyone in the office would help with that because if it got severe, someone would have to call an ambulance anyway). She was talking about more of a sense of comfort and less stress.
Also, maybe it's just me, or maybe it's just the fact that this is typed out and not spoken, but the tone of your response seems very hostile to me... Even if that was not your intent, you might want to consider toning it down a bit...
Annie, I could see the argument that your manager is creating a hostile work environment, which would impede your productivity and potentially make your nerve damage worse. It sounds like a really tough situation since HR seems to think it's a team issue... I guess I don't know enough about the situation to have much input.
One thing I do know is that the American Disabilities Act requires your employer to provide you with reasonable accommodations to enable you to do your job. I think staying in your office where you are more comfortable would absolutely be a reasonable accomodation (and less work for them. They don't have to move you!) that would allow you to do your job better. You could try this route and see what happens.
Also, I don't think that you would be "playing the diabetes card" in an instance where it shouldn't be played. We strive everyday to live as normally as possible, which is difficult when your workplace circumstances may make it more difficult for you to take care of yourself.
Lots of comments and, honestly, I hesitate to do so. I am a T2 and my subordinate is a T1. Both of us are pumpers and he is not low sensitive. Complicating things we are contractors who work on-site at a customer location (essentially this means that the whole topic of accommodation is a very touchy subject....yes legally it's there but play the card and the question...will the contract get renewed if it becomes too much of a pain in the butt?). Complicating everything is that we both work for different companies. My company is absolutely great! Sick days...take them (don't abuse it and if you can telework please do but no docking of pay and virtually everyone is salary). His former company, 180 out.....zero sick days (did not tell him that when they hired him, any taken count against vacation days and all are strictly limited to 10 days). Absolutely terrible company and the owner ended up docking him virtually 100% of the last months pay.
What isn't clear in your background is really what is going on? Is the issue truly health related or rather just a personal preference because your boss is an overbearing jerk? Seems like the real play here is rather or not the manager's desire to relocate your work location is an attempt to single you out or part of a bigger plan. IMO it is a stretch to claim diabetes as an accommodation (really privacy). Many posts about folks shooting through there clothes and you are probably in a better situation from a diabetes situation if there were more folks around if and when that sudden unexpected low occurs.
Personally it sounds like a crappy work environment not because of a lack of accommodations but because of something much more basic than that, incompatability. We all have to work but personally I think happiness is much more valuable then continuing in a caustic environment, whether it be due to personality or other environmental conditions. Maybe it's time to consider looking for a change and maybe, just maybe you will find that dream scenario we all strive for. In the meantime, make the best of where you are. I know it's easy to say it but I truly believe it....two years ago I walked away from a GS-13 (government job) that was secure, safe but had me kicking the kids, dogs and just miserable to escape and get my sanity back. Didn't do it before I had the job lined up but life has been great ever since.
The ADA provides that you are entitled to accommodation OF your diabetes, not just because you have diabetes.
Unless the discomfort you feel is a direct result of your diabetes, or the way your employer responds to your diabetes, the ADA is no help to you.
The question IS whether your boss is just a jerk and poor manager or whether he is a jerk to you because you have diabetes. If it’s not the latter, you seem to have a run of the mill bad boss situation. The same is true for you RUI.
I don’t mean to dismiss the genuine stress you are undergoing, but IMHO the ADA is no help to you here.
I guess in my mind it depends on what you are asking this person to do (co-worker) are you wanting her/him to help you with injections; be aware of your health issues; provide anninimity with your diabetes. There is going to be stress in any work place, and part of living is learning to deal with it. Is there a person above your manager whom you can talk to about this problem with your current manager. I do believe it might be playing the "diabetes" card a little strongly. If the man is causing you great stress, it's time to start talking to a manager --- not necessarily harrassment, but if he's stressing you , he might just be stressing others, also. I believe we can ask for certain modifications in the work place, however, consider them carefully. Many are looking for jobs, and asking too much may put you on a fast track for dismisal. If we want to be treated like other employees, we need to not play that card to get what we want.
SDKate brings up some really good points - especially in today's jobs market. I always made sure that I had the closest to perfect attendance record, always volunteered for extra stuff - you know basically went out of my way to not let the fact that I have D be seen as a weakness - or an opportunity for a manager to push me (and others) around. I relish one memory when my attendance came up because I had D. Fortunately, all I had to do was get payroll to supply my records - I took maybe four pre-approved days off a year (for blood draw days, approved in advance) and no other time off. The strategy to force me to leave fell on its face and somewhat publicly. It did start a review of the manager who is no longer working there.
I realized that my post may have come as boastful for good attendance. I didn't want that to happen. My point was that I knew I would face hassles - there is so much mis- and dis-information about D (and other chronic diseases) that I knew I would have to fight some battles. I wanted to prove one day and one person at a time that people with D can be relied upon and that the accommodations we asked for would not have a negative or burdensome impact. I did have to insist on keeping juice boxes and PB crackers at my desk when a supervisor didn't want any food in the office (due to his announcement of being on a weight loss plan). ANyway, I think we do more good for one another in the workplace when we don't play the D card.
