[sam123]

Is it important to notify your employer regarding your diabetes diagnosis? I thought its not mandatory but someone told me that if you don't notify as soon as you got diagnosed, you may lose your job.

Can anyone clarify this issue or give your opinion.

Thanks.

[Evermont]

I don't know the answer, but I can add to the confusion:

Laws and employers rules in different places.

[pegasus]

The only time I believe it might be necessary is if an episode might cause a dangerous situation, tho I believe in the U.S. there have been lawsuits by truck drivers trying to keep their jobs. I don't think it's illegal not to, though. If you're in the U.S. I'd call the federal department of labor, and the dept of labor of the state you live in; it may be covered by either. I'd also check with a worker-sympathetic (as opposed to one usually hired by employers, since they often have different interpretations) lawyer before telling your employer.

Discrimination based on your diabetes would very likely be illegal, especially under the americans with disabilities act, if they treat you differently after telling them.

Let us know what you find out.

[JediSkipdogg]

My opinion...notify them and TRAIN them. You don't need to have a board meeting with all the employees of your company but if an emergency does occur they are the first ones to assist you. If you start acting weird at work they can help you to test your BG. If you go off at your boss and tell him to "F off and mind his own business" it's alot better if they think it's due to your BG than your attidude because using the diabeties exuse afterwards is not really a help.

[princesslinda]

Unless you are in a job where having diabetes could put someone at risk, I wouldn't think you'd have to tell your employer. I don't think i've ever heard the docs or managers share any medical information with us and really if its controlled, its no one's business. If you are apt to have hypos or other problems related to your condition, it would be good to let someone know what POTENTIALLY could happen and how to treat it....though it is possible they will find out anyway. I wouldn't volunteer information, though I wouldn't try and hide it either.

As for a new job, if you have a physical and have to list medical history/conditions, you'd better list it or it could be construed as lying when they find out later. The physicals are basically to determine if you are physically able to do the job you are applying for, not if you have a chronic condition.

In my situation, I work for a group of doctors and we have self-funded insurance, meaning that after "X" amount is reach company-wide, THEY pay our medical and pharmacy bills. I'm sure in this case, it would be well know amongst the doctors who is costing the corporation what as far as medical conditions.

[notme]

If you are using insulin and have a job where you could clearly put someone at risk, it is your obligation to tell your employer that you have diabetes. If you are taking oral medications or control your diabetes with diet and exercise, I don't think there is any law that requires you to notify your employer.

[Hammer]

The problem with telling them is that if they don't want a diabetic working for them, they'll use any excuse to fire you or lay you off. If you miss work because your BG levels are too low and you go slightly hypo, or if you go slightly hypo at work, they can say that you aren't doing your job or you miss too much time, and let you go.

I'd never tell my employer anything about my health. They don't adhere to the HIPAA regulations, so anything I tell the doctor or nurses at work becomes common knowledge throughout the plant. Heck when they give us our mandatory yearly physicals, they take 5 or 6 of us in at a time, and do the physicals on us in front of each other, like the military does.

We've had employees take the physical where the doctor found the employee had high blood pressure. Once they find that out, they won't allow you to work until you get it under control. If you can't get it under control, you never get to work there again. The last time they forced me to have a physical, I didn't eat anything for 30 hours so my BG levels wouldn't show anything abnormal.(they use the urine strips to test for sugar in your urine.). I wasn't on any meds at the time and I knew what they'd do if they found out I had diabetes, so I fasted for 30 hours and it worked.

If it were me, I wouldn't tell them anything....even if it was illegal to not tell them, I'd break the law and still not tell them. No good can come from it. But that's me....I'm a very private person when it comes to my health. Only my doctor and I know what the state of my health is, and that's how I like it. Telling other people won't help my health, so why tell them my personal business?

Unless you feel like you're jeopardizing your job and you don't want to take that chance, I wouldn't tell them anything.

[pokie]

I had to tell my employer because I operate machinery. I am currently looking for a new job; I don't think I will disclose my condition voluntarily until I get hired (unless a specific question about medical conditions were to come up.)

[patricia52]

I told my immediate supervisor, his is an appointed position since I work for a Board. I did not have a problem with telling him since his real profession is a physical therapist. He understands that I am trying to control my BG and I have not had any problems. I think I would be the first one to "fire" me if D caused a problem with work.

[fgummett]

As above: if you are using insulin and operate machinery then I believe you are obligated to let them know for the sake of safety... your own as well as others.

If controlled with pills, diet and exercise I don't see a need

But I don't think you should lie if asked directly... this could jeapordise insurance and employment rights.

[art]

Your employer knows if you went to the Doc and filed a claim for the visit.
Otherwise shut up!!

I've seen way too many people fired for cronic conditions. Of course they weren't ever fired for medical reasons.

Art

[pokie]

Originally Posted by art

Your employer knows if you went to the Doc and filed a claim for the visit.
Otherwise shut up!!

I've seen way too many people fired for cronic conditions. Of course they weren't ever fired for medical reasons.

Art

Yeah... I was fired for missing to much time... Hello, to my ex employer: I have a medical condition; I was sick; you fired me because of my medical condition! Thanks for kicking me when I was down.

[Hammer]

Yes, I guess most employers know when you file a claim for a doctor visit, but they don't know what the visit was for. If the doctor's office tells them what is was for, the doctor's office would have violated the HIPAA regulations and are subject to fines and penalties. Medical personnel are they only people who should have access to your medical information....not your boss.

There is no way any employer should ever find out about your diabetes unless you tell them. That's up to you then....if you feel obligated, tell him. If you want to keep your job. don't. The worst that could happen if you don't tell him and he finds out, is to get fired. If you tell him, he'll eventually fire you anyway, so you're ahead by not telling him.

If you operate machinery and you tell them, most likely they won't allow you to operate the machinery any more....maybe even fire you since you can't do the job anymore. If it was me, I still wouldn't tell them. It's a choice between telling them to ease your conscience and thereby losing your job, or keeping quiet and retaining your job.

Look at it like this....if you tell them and they let you keep your job, then what changes if you don't tell them? You are still doing the same job and you still have diabetes, so why would it be more of a safety hazard if you don't tell them? Plus, if you have your diabetes under control, there really is no safety hazard.

[Scrabblechick]

About four people at work know about my DX. They are all ones I can trust to keep it mum.

I work at a family-owned newspaper in an at-will work state. That means they can fire me for bad reason, good reason, or no reason at all. The two top dogs in the newsroom are husband and wife. Even though they're late 60s and early 70s, they have no patience for anyone who has medical problems, unless they really like that person.

A dear friend and co-worker had a double lung transplant because she was born with cystic fibrosis. She was a great writer and a wonderful person. However, she started experiencing signs of chronic rejection. Instead of hanging in there with her and trying to see if she would get better, it didn't take long for the editor to start trying to get her to quit. I remember sitting with her in the bathroom as she cried, wondering if she was going to lose her job. Eventually, she did. That was in July, 2001. She died in January, 2002. One reason they were anxious to get her off the payroll was insurance. Her illness was costing Blue Cross money and they were talking about raising premiums. It was awful.

My Dx would be further proof to them that my obesity (which I'm working hard to eliminate) absolutely caused me to become diabetic (regardless of my family history), and therefore I am not worthy of living, since I allowed myself to be fat and to become diabetic. They hate fat people. I wish I were exaggerating.

I'm controlled with diet and medication. Even if I were on insulin, though, I still wouldn't tell them. My job involves working at a computer. I'm not a danger to anyone. And if I did something while hypo that ticked them off, being hypo wouldn't be an excuse. Obviously, I wouldn't have been doing what I'm supposed to do to prevent hypos, which is my responsibility. A true hypo isn't apt to happen in my situation anyway, but still...

Suffice it to say, I hardly tell these people when I have a cold, to say nothing of this.

[sam123]

Looks like its not a good idea to inform your employer until and unless its necessary. I am an engineer and work for a multinatonal company and my work involves sitting at desk and working on computer. So, I think its not that a big issue for me to inform my employer.

Thanks for your views on this issue.