I am so Infuriated!!!

[Doetsch]

So let me give you a bit a background. I apologize in advance for the length of this post.

My Job, A well known Insurance Company -> Progressive. Is extremely strick on policies and regulations. I had to jump through hoops for 1 year just to be able to be allowed time to care and treat my Diabetes while at work.

Through lawyers and the ADA hassling my employer, Progressive finally gave approval to be able to get off my phone for up to 30 Minutes with a low reading and up to 1 hour for a high reading. This time is UNPAID. This is in addition to my normal 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon of PAID time just for normal breakes. The unpaid time can only be used for Testing my BG and Treating Hypo's and Hyper's. I also was told that in the evnt that I need longer for an emergency to just let my immediate supervisor know how long I need and it would be APPROVED and UNPAID.

So, know what happened.

Yesterday I had a BAD DAY. I had a hypo reading of 35mg and I got offf the phones to treat. I ate about 30grams of carbs and waited 20 Minutes. My sugar went slightly up to 63mg. I ate 15grams and told my manager that I was sick and was treating myself a little longer. 15 minutes later I rechecked and I spiked to 281mg. This is after 35 minutes. I then took a correction bolus and decided to walk around in my office a bit and get a drink of water. I came back 20minutes later and got back on the phones. I was off a total of 55minutes and I told my manager what had happened even though BY LAW I DONT HAVE TO!!! So, I got fixed and my sugars leveled out so i did not take any more time for Diabetes through out the day.

I came in this morning and I got written up by my manager and was told that if this happened again I could be TERMINATED. I asked her if WHAT HAPPENS AGAIN. She told me that due to taking 55 minutes for a low when I am only allowed 30 minutes is against policy and I can be terminated for it. I have had problems with my employer for over a year due to these same circumstances and my anger has been built up for the same amount of time. I blew up and told her that I have Diabetes and there is nothing that I can do about that. I told her that would she rather me have gone into a coma and been off the phones for a week due to being recovered and that this disease is hard to control and sometimes bad things happen that you have to take care of. I told her that I Don't even need to tell her what I am doing but I do it to make her job a little easier. I informed her that yes, I was low and then I went High so I had to take care of that. She told me that My health is not her problem and that i need to follow the guidelines that are set and If I went over my time I should have taken that additional break out of my normal non-Diabetes related breaks. I told her that I cannot control how long it takes for my health to balance out and it can change at different times and can be more or less severe than normal. I asked her if I should be penalized my normal break due to taking longer on my Diabetes break and that it shouldn't even matter due to it being unpaid. She said there is nothing she can do and the write up will stay in my file and I will be unable to apply for promotions or transfer jobs for at least 1 year due to the write up.

I am on FMLA and I called a Lawyer friend who stated that if the time off is unpaid that no employer can force a specific amount of time on a employee that is protected by FMLA and the ADA. I never signed anything that stated that I would be held to these times and after the ADA and my doctors lawyers fought with progressive they finally came to me and told me what i would be allowed. I just left it at that due to the fact I didn't want to deal with them anymore and figured okay, it's unpaid but at least I can't get in trouble for taking care of myself.

So now I am stuck in this position for a year due to one bad day?

What should I do? Who should I speak to? I have had Lawyers, The ADA, My doctor and myself fighting with these bastards but they won't do anything!!!!

[duck]

Effing-A is all I have to say.

I have a question, though: Do the smokers there get smoke breaks? And if so, do they get harrassed about it?

[Doetsch]

Smokers do get smoke breaks and yes they are hassled about it. Progressive forces smokers to smoke in a hut that has no AC and a small heat lamp (I am in Texas and we don't need a Heat Lamp) / if we are caught smoking on the exterior of the hut it can be immediate Termination.

[JediSkipdogg]

It's something you have to get use to. While the ADA is a good act to help people out it can't cover everything. And unfortunately you also have to realize that Progressive has to run as a business and can't meet every need you have.

I work in a police department and have had problems at times with my BG levels. I knew this going into the job and had to let the department know at my hiring time that I had diabetes. Do you think I can tell a Sergeant that I need a break because I'm running 40 while we are in the middle of a bank robbery? No, their option would be to immediately fire me and they would have every right to.

First of all, the unpaid is totally legit. They are not breaking any labor laws by making you take the break unpaid. Current labor laws state any break over 15 minutes is to be unpaid no matter why it's taken. If the business pays you for that break over 15 minutes, that is a bonus on your part.

If you have too many highs and lows that you can't work, then you need to find a better method of control. I hate stating that, but if you have this as a continual problem, then that is something you need to have checked out for yourself and not a problem of the business.

[Doetsch]

In the past year I have had to get off the phones for treatment maybe 5-10 times. I have no problem with the break being unpaid, My problem is the hassle that they give me if I do have to get off the phones.

[JediSkipdogg]

In the past year I have had to get off the phones for treatment maybe 5-10 times. I have no problem with the break being unpaid, My problem is the hassle that they give me if I do have to get off the phones.

And a hassle should be expected. Think about these jobs and what happens if they have to leave for a hour...

Insurance company - Customers have to wait on hold longer for the next available service agent

Firefighters - They may have to take a station out of service due to not enough man power being available

Police Officers - Calls can be backed up and lives can be put at risk for slow response from other officers

Dispatchers - Other dispatchers are loaded down with more calls and calls can be put on hold longer making response times slower and putting lives at risk

Cashiers - Customers have to wait in other lines longer making customers think about going to other stores

You see how this hurts the companies? If they had it scheduled into their daily plans so they could schedule others around it there would be no problem. But when you need a 1 hour break at the spur of the moment, they are left in a burden of trouble with having backed up customer service therefore possibly persuading people to go elsewhere, in turn losing business for the company you work for where you are suppose to bring business in, not chase it away.

[duck]

Okay, sounds like Progressive is just nazi to me. I have only been one place where smokers were harrassed, most places seem to give them a freebie for having a vile habit.

I've worked in a few call-centers or supported a few call-centers, and to be honest, Progressive is not any different than my experience. My first job ever, I got a promotion off the main call-center to one supporting our doctors, and my supervisor there started making us log the amount of time we went to bathroom. That got shot down after one of the older ladies complained to HR about it, but then it just got worse. We started getting written up for being two minutes late. We had to ccmail the team when we were getting up from our desk, why we were getting up, and how long we thought we'd be gone.

Agreed with what Jedi said, but why can't you work if you are high?

[camjen1]

Sorry your having so much trouble with your employer! I have been lucky thus far. I work in a hospital setting so they of course know all to well. When I used to work as a dental asst. my boss was actually diabetic. There was nothing harder then having a diabetic boss. Not only did she tell me what to do at work but she also felt it was her duty to control my diabetes. She got to the point where she was bringing lunch in for both of us which consisted of a big bowl of lettuce. No wonder I weighed 100 lbs.

[Lynne1]

I work for a well known insurance company in NJ and they are the nicest. They don't give me a hard time about testing, they have a nurse downstairs in case employees have medical problems and are generally very understanding. No wonder they were rated one of the top companies to work for in the US.

I can't believe people are made to log the time they go to the bathroom. Reminds me of a Dilbert cartoon.

[duck]

I work for a well known insurance company in NJ and they are the nicest. They don't give me a hard time about testing, they have a nurse downstairs in case employees have medical problems and are generally very understanding. No wonder they were rated one of the top companies to work for in the US.

I can't believe people are made to log the time they go to the bathroom. Reminds me of a Dilbert cartoon.

The boss looked like a cross between the red-head (Alice?) and the pointy-haired boss, so Dilbert would be appropriate!

[Doetsch]

I understand the point you make Jedi, But I would just look for another job that is more understanding. I have never held anything back with my employer and my biggest peeve is that when they told me what I would be allowed to do they went back on thier word. It just stresses me out. They originally told me prior to the ADA and the Lawyers that I could not take anytime off the phone other than my normal break, they stated that if I needed to take an Insulin Injection that I would have to schedule my shots around my breaks. We are only allowed to go to the bathroom during normal breaks and if we have an emergency and need to go it is reflected on monthly evaluations.

I can work with a high. After I got my low up I went to go get a water bottle from the vending machine. Progressive is a large corporation and my office spans over 20 acres. It takes me about 5 minutes to just walk to the nearest vending machine.

[Lynne1]

I understand the point you make Jedi, But I would just look for another job that is more understanding. I have never held anything back with my employer and my biggest peeve is that when they told me what I would be allowed to do they went back on thier word. It just stresses me out. They originally told me prior to the ADA and the Lawyers that I could not take anytime off the phone other than my normal break, they stated that if I needed to take an Insulin Injection that I would have to schedule my shots around my breaks. We are only allowed to go to the bathroom during normal breaks and if we have an emergency and need to go it is reflected on monthly evaluations.

I can work with a high. After I got my low up I went to go get a water bottle from the vending machine. Progressive is a large corporation and my office spans over 20 acres. It takes me about 5 minutes to just walk to the nearest vending machine.

Sounds like Progressive is the wrong name for the company. It should be BassAckwards!

[lelggren]

I can sympathize. I worked for a call center when I first moved here to Utah. It was a catalog company that dealt with mostly musical instruments. Well, I had ended up with a bout of DKA and had to be in the hospital. Michael called them and let them know. I was obviously not in a good state to call work. He spoke with my supervisor and explained everything and the sup said all was fine and good. The day I got back to work, I got called into an office, and I got written up for being in the hospital......I can understand that businesses need to function and that it allows for good customer service to have every employee there. But, life happens, and sometimes we can't always help it. I was very angry with my company after that. Gladly, I was offered another job a couple of weeks later. I quit the call center about an hour after I got the new job offer....lol

[Tatermom]

Sounds like Progressive is the wrong name for the company. It should be BassAckwards!

More like SHAWSHANK!! :mad:

[sbuff28@charter]

You said you get 30 min for a low and 1 hour for a high right? Well techniqly you had a low and a high so doesn't that qualify for 1.5 hours of time?

seems bullcrapp to me im sure if you talk to the boss above that b1tch and calmly explain the situation and the fact that regulations state i should get 1.5 hours of time then im sure they will take it off your record. If they don't im sure a lawyer could change that.

[Eri's mom]

I can relate to that...

When Eri was first dx'd, I was at work, her dad called and told me that we had to go to Children's...(in TPA), this was around 12:30pm, so there was no problem in me going.(The VP of the company was there and told me to hurry and go)...(I was an admin asst. at a retirement/asst. living/nursing home place).
When I had to go to the nutritionist w/ her though(3 days later)...I had already put in for some personal time(I took a half day)...and my supervisor yelled at me(in front of the residents)...and told me that this was just pathetic, and I should work other things out, having a sick child does NOT constitute me having to take some PERSONAL time(I had over 40hours built up)...etc, etc...
Needless to say, I went to HR about it and she got a quick lesson in how she handled her staff.
I had to leave that job after Eri started having seizures on a really regular basis(FMLA).

Sorry you are having such a hard time...

[Ronin]

Doetsch,

From my perspective as a former manager, I think you are approaching this from the wrong angle. Okay, your boss is acting like a total ***. And you could make some really bad press for the company if you go public. However, what you are dealing with is the boss' need for productivity and your need to deal with your health. On a strictly legal basis this becomes a no-win situation. You need to approach the boss on the human level.

Rather than asserting your rights, you need to work out a compromise. Try compensatory time in reverse. If you miss an hour staffing the phones, put in an extra hour at another time. If you approach this on the human level, and link with her humanity instead of her authority -- nobody wants to see another person sick, or being carried out on a stretcher.

Doubtless your work is both difficult and stressful and that stress is going to show up in your BG readings. If you can resolve the stress, you may resolve a lot of the BG issues along with it.

The only other option is to start the process of looking for another job that has less stress and more flexibility. I don't know what your background or expertise is. I can say that an in-person-service position is going to present difficulties for anyone with a diabetic problem that isn't stable.

Ronin (a.k.a., George N. Wells, CPIM)
I'm glad I retired early and work for myself as a consultant

[Carwy]

I say get it in writing and take it to a lawyer and see if you have a case and also contact the Department of Labor. If so I would file and then let it out to the press as to what your doing. I mean contact CNN, MSNBC or CBSNEWS.
I get sick of management telling people that their life is of no concern to them all they care about is how much money you put in their pocket.
I slander the last company I worked for on my web site. If they have anything to say about it I will just pull out the letter for the DOL. They where found guilty of firing me for seeking cancer treatment. The reason they got into trouble for it was under the ADA act. The employer has to provide reasonable accommodations for the employee seeking medical treatment.

[Dewey]

A former (key word - former, lol) manager of mine once approached me & said (in front of co-workers), "Well. I understand you have a condition where you need to eat, but I have commits to meet." Hmm, wonder who looked like a total A&&? lol Needless to say, I quit the next week. I'm not going to work at a place that values money more than its people. While I understand that companies need to gain revenue to pay for workers & cover overhead, they still need to remember that it's the workers who are helping them make money to begin with. Human lives should always be valued more than money. Or at least, one would think...:frown:

[Erin]

Doetsch,

I am sorry you are having such a hard time with your employer. But I'm not certain I understand why you need to take time off from your job for low or high blood sugars (except for the really extreme lows that come out of the blue, which should happen very rarely)

Why can't you multi-task? When I worked for a business i only had to take a "break" due to diabetes once... I had to run across the street to the deli to get some extra carbs, because my stash just wasn't cutting it. Other than that I just sucked down a can of juice while dialing the phone if I felt low. Same thing when I teach. I can't just take a break any time i feel low... if i am in charge of a classroom, I have to be there! I usually keep lifesavers or glucose tabs in my pocket, and if i feel my bg dropping I put one in my mouth. I then test and make any further adjustments during my next free period.

My employers have always respected my needs as a diabetic, because they saw exactly how productive i was 99% of the time... and they realized that that 1% of the time when I needed to run across the street for a few minutes, or take lunch a little early, or come in a few minutes late (and stay late to make up for it of course) was a real medical emergency. I never once had anyone say anything other than "are you sure you're ready to come back to work? You can take another couple of minutes if you need" As long as they see that you're not trying to scam them out of productive time, employers are usually very compassionate.

[JediSkipdogg]

Here are some key points in the ADA act...

What does the ADA cover?

Highlights of the requirements for each section of the law are as follows:
* Employers will need to provide "reasonable accommodation" to individuals with disabilities if needed. This includes steps such as job restructuring and modification of equipment.
* Employers do not need to provide accommodations that impose an "undue hardship" on business operations.

How extensive are the changes required?
*The law does not impose unlimited requirements on employers, state and local government or public accommodations. The ADA adopts a reasonable compromise to give people with disabilities access to everyday life without placing an undue burden on American enterprises. For example, there are minimal requirements for retrofitting existing facilities. Physical barriers need only be removed when the task can be accomplished without much difficulty or expense.


Having a 1 hour break at random in a call center operation is placing an undue burden on the business. This is making your other employees work harder and is also putting customers on longer delays from the loss of a call taker. That is a hardship on the business.

A general accomadation would be something like you work an 8.5 hour shift and get a paid break after working 2 hours, then 2 hours after that break (4 hours into your shift) you get a 30 minute unpaid lunch break, then 2 hours after than break is over you get another paid 15 minute break. Those accomadations are something the ADA can assist in setting in stone on a daily basis. During those breaks you test your sugar levels and correct as needed. Requiring a 30-60 minute break outside of those times is an undue burden on the business affecting it's day to day operations.

My final thoughts are this. If you continue pressing the issue you may or may not win. But think about what you are doing to the business and what you are doing to your work. Fighting it more and more will cause your bosses to like you less and less, meaning that if you upset them enough, they could fire you over a small item. Stuff they may let fly now they may not anymore. I know at my job they use to let people walk in 1-5 minutes late. Someone gotten written up once for it and argued about no one being written up in the past for it, and now everytime someone is late, even 10 seconds, they are written up.

Also, if your business allows you a 1 hour break whenever you want one, consider what happens when others catch on to that. It's really easy to claim you are diabetic or have some other medical condition. Other employees may start following in line so they can get longer lunch breaks, or get out of the work area for a bit each day. It's a domino effect.

And finally, what happens when the media gets ahold of it if they do? Now you just put progressive in the spotlight. And you want to know the easiest way for them to get out of it? Shut the business down. They are doing that right now here in Cincinnati. AK Steel, one of the largest steel makers in Cincinnati went on strike for unfair wages in their union contracts. While on the strike, the company came back and said they sold the business and the new owner said he was shutting the company down and going to open another business in the place. So what did the employees get? They all got pink slipped pretty much because they filed one complaint. And the best part, it's 100% LEGAL. Nothing says a call center has to be where it is. They can be in Utah or Florida for all they care.

[vrocco1]

I agree with Erin. I've worked at the same place for going on 17 years. In that time, they never even knew I was diabetic, because I work right through highs and lows. It only takes a minute to bolus and treat a high. I drink water all day while working on the computer. It doesn't take any more effort to drink juice instead to treat a low.

That being said, some of you folks have or do work for some real Nazis. I wouldn't put up with that cr*p for two minutes. Jobs are very plentiful right now.:tee:

[am1977]

I understand both sides.

I think it's unfortunate that your company isn't as understanding as you might like, but I can also understand how keeping their business going is important.

I'm pretty quiet about my Diabetes at work. A couple of my co-workers know, b/c I've told them and some know b/c they've seen me test (I don't hide that), but I don't make a whole presentation of my disease.

I work in Medical Billing myself and it involves a lot of phone work. I do encounter both extremes and I usually get NO breaks when faced when these things. That thought never even crossed my mind... I just expect to treat either extreme and go on with my day. The fact that you are allowed to have these breaks, unpaid or not, is something to be appreciated.

I know sometimes things happen that can't be avoided, like a stubborn low or high, but there are ways to work around such things. I hope that you find a way to deal with these things that will work for you and will not lead to any future issues at work. I think there are a lot of jobs available, but there are a limited amount of good ones...so keep that in mind.

Take care.

[stella117]

So sorry your employer is such an @$$hole. I know I will never use them to insure me.

[Doetsch]

Thanks everyone for your replies. It makes me feel better to hear everyones responses. I too understand both sides but I do make up missed time at later intervals (I have a newborn, I can't just up and miss work) as for working through the highs and lows, I have a system that I use. If I go below 40 I treat. The reason why my employer is so frustrated about it is the recent Catastrophes, I.E. (Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Hail in MO & Tornadoes in IL) These "CATS" have created extensive claims that are coming in and the company wants everyone to be able to handle these type of claims however there are few people that are licensed to handle them (Me being one of them). I never just up and leave during a claim, I wait until I am finished and I treat before my next call. I do this rarely but my employer is like the Soup Nazi - "No Break FOR YOU!". This is being Literal -> If someone gets off the phone and stands up, within 2 minutes there are 3 managers hovering over your desk like Office Space. It makes you wonder what it is the manager is doing. This is my first Non-Summer job that I have been a normal employee. I have extensive Management background and I know the way that a company should work around it's employee's to get the most productive result. It is not acceptable IMHO and Background to not work with employees, and treat them like scum of the earth.

[sydneya]

I'm so sorry for the extra stress your employer is putting on you, which adds to the highs, I'm sure. Try to be kind to yourself in your non-working hours and do what you can for your employer and yourself during your working hours. Your efforts will show. (I know you all ready know everything I said, but I wanted to last least show I cared.)

[Lynne1]

I didn't know call centers were such slave-drivers. I can't believe your employer is unwilling to accomodate what I would consider a basic medical necessity. That is ridiculous! Taking a break 5-6 times a year to treat a medical problem is not a hardship on a company. Give me a break! Following that course of logic, employees should have no benefits at all. Why don't we take away sick leave, vacation, 401(k) and everything else. Oh, yeah! Pay everyone minimum wage while your at it...wouldn't want the company to loose $$$. Trust me, the company isn't losing much money giving necessary medical breaks. I'm not against companies making money, just doing it at the expense of their employees.:mad:

That being said, try to work out something with your boss. Be sure to mention that you aren't trying to take advantage and you want to do the right thing, but may occasionally need to take a break to treat blood sugars. Perhaps you could add up the time you take and take a vacation day when it adds up to 8 hours. Some other folks posted with some good ideas also.

I hope you can work something out! Good luck!