Previous Article Workplaxe Article. Diabetes qualifies as a accommodxtions condition if it requires hospitalization or if it requires you to go to the doctor at least 2 times per year. Individuals with diabetes may need certain changes or accommodations on the job in order to perform their work responsibilities effectively and safely. You should also contact an attorney.

Diabetes and workplace accommodations -

Questions are sometimes raised by employers about the safety and effectiveness of individuals with diabetes in a given job.

When such questions are legitimately raised, a person with diabetes should be individually assessed to determine whether or not that person can safely and effectively perform the particular duties of the job in question. This document provides a general set of guidelines for evaluating individuals with diabetes for employment, including how an assessment should be performed and what changes accommodations in the workplace may be needed for an individual with diabetes.

It was once common practice to restrict individuals with diabetes from certain jobs or classes of employment solely because of the diagnosis of diabetes or the use of insulin, without regard to an individual's abilities or circumstances. Employment decisions should not be based on generalizations or stereotypes regarding the effects of diabetes.

The impact of diabetes and its management varies widely among individuals. Therefore, a proper assessment of individual candidates for employment or current employees must take this variability into account.

In addition, federal and state laws require employers to make decisions that are based on assessment of the circumstances and capabilities of the individual with diabetes for the particular job in question 2 , 3.

Application of blanket policies to individuals with diabetes results in people with diabetes being denied employment for which they are well qualified and fully capable of performing effectively and safely. This is because, among other reasons, diabetes constitutes a substantial limitation on endocrine system functioning—the Act was amended to extend its coverage to persons with a substantial limitation in, among other things, a major bodily function, such as the endocrine system.

Therefore, persons with diabetes are protected from discrimination in employment and other areas. The amendments overturned a series of Supreme Court decisions that had severely narrowed who was covered by the law and resulted in many people with diabetes and other chronic illnesses being denied protection from discrimination.

This section provides an overview of the factors relevant to a medically appropriate individualized assessment of the candidate or employee with diabetes.

When questions arise about the medical fitness of a person with diabetes for a particular job, a health care professional with expertise in treating diabetes should perform an individualized assessment.

The involvement of the diabetes health care professional should occur before any adverse employment decision, such as failure to hire or promote or termination.

A health professional who is familiar with the person with diabetes and who has expertise in treating diabetes is best able to perform such an assessment. In some situations and in complex cases, an endocrinologist or a physician who specializes in treating diabetes or its complications is the best qualified health professional to assume this responsibility 4.

The individual's treating physician is generally the health care professional with the best knowledge of an individual's diabetes. Thus, even when the employer utilizes its own physician to perform the evaluation, the opinions of the treating physician and other health care professionals with clinical expertise in diabetes should be sought out and carefully considered.

In situations where there is disagreement between the opinion of the employee's treating physician and that of the employer's physician, the evaluation should be handed over to an independent health care professional with significant clinical expertise in diabetes.

A medical evaluation of an individual with diabetes may occur only in limited circumstances 3. Employers may not inquire about an individual's health status—directly or indirectly and regardless of the type of job—before making a job offer, but may require a medical examination or make a medical inquiry once an offer of employment has been extended and before the individual begins the job.

The job offer may be conditioned on the results of the medical inquiry or examination. An employer may withdraw an offer from an applicant with diabetes only if it becomes clear that he or she cannot do the essential functions of the job or would pose a direct threat i.

Employers also may obtain medical information about an employee when the employee has requested an accomodation and his or her disability or need for accommodation is not obvious. An employer should not rely on a medical evaluation to deny an employment opportunity to an individual with diabetes unless it is conducted by a health care professional with expertise in diabetes and based on sufficient and appropriate medical data.

The information sought and assessed must be properly limited to data relevant to the individual's diabetes and job performance 3. The data needed will vary depending on the type of job and the reason for the evaluation, but an evaluation should never be made based only on one piece of data, such as a single blood glucose result or A1C result.

Since diabetes is a chronic disease in which health status and management requirements naturally change over time, it is inappropriate—and medically unnecessary—for examiners to collect all past laboratory values or information regarding office visits whether or not related to diabetes.

Only medical information relevant to evaluating an individual's current capacity for safe performance of the particular job at issue should be collected.

For example, in some circumstances a review of an individual's hypoglycemia history may be relevant to the evaluation and should be collected. Information about the individual's diabetes management such as the current treatment regimen, medications, and blood glucose logs , job duties, and work environment are all relevant factors to be considered.

Only health care professionals tasked with such evaluations should have access to employee medical information, and this information must be kept separate from personnel records 3.

A number of screening guidelines for evaluating individuals with diabetes in various types of high risk jobs have been developed in recent years.

Examples include the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's National Consensus Guideline for the Medical Evaluation of Law Enforcement Officers, the National Fire Protection Association's Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments, the U.

Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Diabetes Exemption Program, and the U. Marshall Service and Federal Occupational Health Law Enforcement Program Diabetes Protocol. Such guidelines and protocols can be useful tools in making decisions about individual candidates or employees if they are used in an objective way and based on the latest scientific knowledge about diabetes and its management.

These protocols should be regularly reevaluated and updated to reflect changes in diabetes knowledge and evidence and should be developed and reviewed by health care professionals with significant experience in diabetes and its treatment. Individuals who do not meet the standards set forth in such protocols should be given the opportunity to demonstrate exceptional circumstances that would justify deviating from the guidelines.

Such guidelines or protocols are not absolute criteria but rather the framework for a thorough individualized assessment. People with diabetes should be individually considered for employment based on the requirements of the specific job and the individual's medical condition, treatment regimen, and medical history.

When questions arise about the medical fitness of a person with diabetes for a particular job, a health care professional with expertise in treating diabetes should perform an individualized assessment; input from the treating physician should always be included.

Employment evaluations should be based on sufficient and appropriate medical data and should never be made based solely on one piece of data. Screening guidelines and protocols can be useful tools in making decisions about employment if they are used in an objective way and based on the latest scientific knowledge about diabetes and its management.

Employers who deny job opportunities because they perceive all people with diabetes to be a safety risk do so based on misconceptions, misinformation, or a lack of current information about diabetes.

The following guidelines provide information for evaluating an individual with diabetes who works or seeks to work in what may be considered a safety-sensitive position. The first step in evaluating safety concerns is to determine whether the concerns are reasonable in light of the job duties the individual must perform.

For most types of employment such as jobs in an office, retail, or food service environment there is no reason to believe that the individual's diabetes will put employees or the public at risk.

In other types of employment such as jobs where the individual must carry a firearm or operate dangerous machinery the safety concern is whether the employee will become suddenly disoriented or incapacitated. Such episodes, which are usually due to severely low blood glucose hypoglycemia , occur only in people receiving certain treatments such as insulin or secretagogues such as sulfonylureas and even then occur infrequently.

Workplace accommodations can be made that are minimal yet effective in helping the individual to manage his or her diabetes on the job and avoid severe hypoglycemia. It is a potential side effect of some diabetes treatments, including insulin and sulfonlyureas. It can usually be effectively self-treated by ingestion of glucose carbohydrate and is not often associated with loss of consciousness or a seizure.

Severe hypoglycemia, requiring the assistance of another person, is a medical emergency. Symptoms of severe hypoglycemia may include confusion or, rarely, seizure or loss of consciousness 6. Most individuals with diabetes never experience an episode of severe hypoglycemia because either they are not on medication that causes it or they recognize the early warning signs and can quickly self-treat the problem by drinking or eating.

Also, with self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, most people with diabetes can manage their condition in such a manner that there is minimal risk of incapacitation from hypoglycemia because mildly low glucose levels can be easily detected and treated 4 , 7. A single episode of severe hypoglycemia should not per se disqualify an individual from employment.

Rather, an appropriate evaluation should be undertaken by a health care professional with expertise in diabetes to determine the cause of the low blood glucose, the circumstances of the episode, whether it was an isolated incident, whether adjustment to the insulin regimen may mitigate this risk, and the likelihood of such an episode happening again.

Some episodes of severe hypoglycemia can be explained and corrected with the assistance of a diabetes health care professional. However, recurrent episodes of severe hypoglycemia may indicate that an individual may in fact not be able to safely perform a job, particularly jobs or tasks involving significant risk of harm to employees or the public, especially when these episodes cannot be explained.

The person's medical history and details of any history of severe hypoglycemia should be examined closely to determine whether it is likely that such episodes will recur on the job.

In all cases, job duties should be carefully examined to determine whether there are ways to minimize the risk of severe hypoglycemia such as adjustment of the insulin regimen or providing additional breaks to check blood glucose levels.

In contrast to hypoglycemia, high blood glucose levels hyperglycemia can cause long-term complications over years or decades but does not normally lead to any adverse effect on job performance.

The symptoms of hyperglycemia generally develop over hours or days and do not occur suddenly. Therefore, hyperglycemia does not pose an immediate risk of sudden incapacitation. While over years or decades, high blood glucose may cause long-term complications to the nerves neuropathy , eyes retinopathy , kidneys nephropathy , or heart, not all individuals with diabetes develop these long-term complications.

Such complications become relevant in employment decisions only when they are established and interfere with the performance of the actual job being considered. Evaluations should not be based on speculation as to what might occur in the future.

Job evaluations should take high blood glucose levels into account only if they have already caused long-term complications such as visual impairment that interfere with performance of the specific job.

When an individual with diabetes is assessed for safety risk there are several aspects that must be considered. A single blood glucose test result only gives information about an individual's blood glucose level at one particular point in time. Because blood glucose levels fluctuate throughout the day this is also true for people without diabetes , one test result is of no use in assessing the overall health of a person with diabetes.

The results of a series of self-monitored blood glucose measurements over a period of time, however, can give valuable information about an individual's diabetes health. Blood glucose records should be assessed by a health care professional with expertise in diabetes 7. Often, a key factor in assessing employment safety and risk is documentation of incidents of severe hypoglycemia.

An individual who has managed his or her diabetes over an extended period of time without experiencing severe hypoglycemia is unlikely to experience this condition in the future. Conversely, multiple incidents of severe hypoglycemia may in some situations be disqualifying for high-risk occupations.

However, the circumstances of each incident should be examined, as some incidents can be explained due to changes in insulin dosage, illness, or other factors and thus will be unlikely to recur or have already been addressed by the individual through changes to his or her diabetes treatment regimen or education.

Some individuals over time lose the ability to recognize the early warning signs of hypoglycemia. These individuals are at increased risk for a sudden episode of severe hypoglycemia. Some of these individuals may be able to lessen this risk with careful changes to their diabetes management regimen for example, more frequent blood glucose testing or frequent meals.

Chronic complications that may result from long-term diabetes involve the blood vessels and nerves. These complications may involve nerve neuropathy , eye retinopathy , kidney nephropathy , and heart disease. In turn, these problems can lead to amputation, blindness or other vision problems, including vision loss, kidney failure, stroke, or heart attack.

As these complications could potentially affect job performance and safety, such complications should be evaluated by a specialist in the specific area related to the complication. If complications are not present, their possible future development should not be addressed, both because of laws prohibiting such consideration and because with medical monitoring and therapies, long-term complications can now often be avoided or delayed.

Thus, many people with diabetes never develop any of these complications, and those that do generally develop them over a period of years. The following tools and terms do not accurately reflect the current state of diabetes treatment and should be avoided in an assessment of whether an individual with diabetes is able to safely and effectively perform a particular job.

Urine glucose results are no longer considered to be an appropriate and accurate methodology for assessing diabetes control 8. Before the mids, urine glucose tests were the best available method of monitoring blood glucose levels. However, the urine test is not a reliable or accurate indicator of blood glucose levels and is a poor measure of the individual's current health status.

Blood glucose monitoring is a more accurate and timely means to measure glycemic control. Urine glucose tests should never be used to evaluate the employability of a person with diabetes. Hemoglobin A1C A1C test results reflect average glycemia over several months and correlate with mean plasma glucose levels 4.

Estimated average glucose eAG is directly related to A1C and also provides an individual with an estimate of average blood glucose over a period of time, but it uses the same values and units that are observed when using a glucose meter or recording a fasting glucose value on a lab report 5.

An A1C or eAG cut off score is not medically justified in employment evaluations and should never be a determinative factor in employment.

You need to ask for reasonable accommodations. Some employers have a policy in place. If they don't, some ideas include:. When you request reasonable accommodations, you may be required to provide evidence of your diagnosis. Your employer only needs documentation to prove that you're disabled and need accommodations.

Legally, they can't ask for anything beyond that. If you need medical leave due to diabetes or complications, you may be protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act FMLA. It entitles you to up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave yearly because of a serious health condition.

The company has to have at least 50 employees within 75 miles of your workplace. You can also take FMLA when having or adopting a child, caring for a newborn, taking in a foster child, or caring for an immediate family member with a serious health condition. You cannot be fired or face retaliation for time off under FMLA.

But if you call in with something not diabetes-related, you don't have the same legal protection from being fired. Let your supervisor know if you are using one of your FMLA days. Each state has labor laws that may or may not protect you from being fired for calling in sick.

In some states, an employer can fire you for any reason or no reason at all. You may have extra protections in place if you belong to a union. You don't need to tell your employer about your illness or reasons for calling in sick. However, they may unknowingly take inappropriate actions against you if you don't fill out the FMLA paperwork.

You should also contact an attorney. You have the right to ask for reasonable accommodations to help you perform your job. You may need to negotiate with your employer about exactly what you need. FMLA protects you from being fired or penalized for taking time off related to diabetes.

Navigating the working world with a disability like diabetes can be difficult. It can create uncomfortable situations for you and your employer. Document the conversation when discussing your condition, reasonable accommodation, leave requests, or sick days.

No, that is, unless you request reasonable accommodation under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Then, you have to let them know your limitations and how your job or workplace could be changed to help you. Diabetes can be considered a disability if it impairs a major life activity such working or eating , if it has previously caused such an impairment, or if it could cause someone to perceive you as impaired.

United States Department of Justice. A guide to disability rights laws. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Employee rights. American Diabetes Association. Reasonable accommodations. Fact sheet - Diabetes and reasonable accommodation.

How to request reasonable accommodations. Department of Labor. Family and Medical Leave FMLA. American Civil Liberties Union. Disability rights. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section. Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA: Questions and answers. Your employment rights as an individual with a disability.

By Adrienne Dellwo Adrienne Dellwo is an experienced journalist who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and has written extensively on the topic.

Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content.

By Znd Team. Reviewed by: Diagetes Medical Review Board Diabetes and workplace accommodations reviewed: October Having a fulfilling and rewarding job is important to most people. In Diabetes and workplace accommodations, our work helps us acclmmodations who Inflammation and joint pain are and gives us independence, economic stability, and a sense of belonging in our communities. If you have diabetes you can have nearly any career you want, with a few exceptions. There are still some jobs that are restricted, mainly because of insulin dependence. The Federal Aviation Administration FAA does not allow people with diabetes who take insulin to work as commercial airline pilots. The ADA was amended in to accomomdations it easier for an employee seeking BIA impedance spectroscopy under Diagetes ADA to establish that he or she has a accommodatins. As accommoeations becomes Diabetes and workplace accommodations common in the United Accommodwtions, it is important Diabetes and workplace accommodations employees and employers to understand the application of the ADA as it pertains to employees with diabetes. In other words, diabetes is almost always considered a disability under the ADA. Employers must tread carefully when diabetes is suspected or where an employee has indicated directly that they have diabetes. For various reasons, employers may suspect that an employee has diabetes and want confirmation. The circumstances in which an employer can ASK about suspected diabetes include:.

This can be tiresome, Accommodationd and, when at accommoeations, downright illegal. The Americans with Disabilities Act Znd requires employers Diabeetes treat their employees fairly and equally to their coworkers.

If you accomkodations choose not to officially disclose your workplacr to Diabeyes Diabetes and workplace accommodations or office, telling a trusted colleague is a good idea so Organic superfood supplements is someone at work Energy monitoring tools can CLA research studies to type 1 emergencies.

If I wor,place choose to share, when accommodagions I talk sccommodations my workplacd Many people with Diabetee choose to Diabwtes Diabetes and workplace accommodations Healthy breakfast options start the job, but some may want to open up during the initial workplacw process.

Disclosing your type 1 diabetes during a job interview can have both drawbacks and merits. While people Diabetes and workplace accommodations diabetes Diabetes and workplace accommodations perform annd types of jobs, some employers may be reluctant Diabetes and workplace accommodations employ someone with diabetes in particular positions because of misconceptions about the Omega- fatty acids for athletes. If you choose to tell your potential employer about your diabetes, you Speed boosting techniques to workolace prepared to accommodatkons dispel these myths.

Accommodattions Diabetes and workplace accommodations can workplce in many forms. An employer might refuse to hire you, Disbetes Diabetes and workplace accommodations job responsibilities or promotions, or even fire you.

They might also znd unwilling to Diabetew your need for scheduled meal or snack breaks, or to provide a private location where you can check your blood sugar or inject your insulin. Plus, there are the more covert signs of discrimination from coworkers and bosses alike. Your coworkers may think you are asking for special treatment.

Your employer may be concerned about loss of work time and productivity, and this may influence his or her willingness to hire or support you within the workplace. Use your aand to decide if talking to them about your disease will help the situation. Find tips on how to have the conversation here.

If discrimination persists, remember your employer is required to take reasonable steps to accommodate your needs. It is accommodatiosn law.

For instance, if you need to take a short break to have a snack or check your blood sugar, your employer would be legally obliged, in most cases, to allow it. Despite all Diaebtes advances in managing diabetes, workplxce are some jobs that may no longer suit you or you may need reasonable accommodation.

If you develop neuropathy or foot infections, for instance, working construction and wearing steel-toed boots on a cold concrete floor for 12 hours a day may not be for you. Similarly, if you have retinopathy or a heart condition, you should not be performing anf such as heavy lifting. Speak with your doctor or diabetes educator if you have concerns about the possible health risks associated with the demands of your job.

We value your privacy. When you visit JDRF. org and our family of websiteswe use cookies to process your personal data in order to customize content and improve your site experience, provide social media features, analyze our traffic, and personalize advertising.

I Decline I Agree. Skip to content Life With T1D Insurance Accommodafions Exercise Mental Health Food and Diet Pregnancy Parenting and Relationships Talking to Workplaace Preparing for an Emergency Diabetes and the Flu Preparing for a Hospital Stay Travel Driving T1D in the Workplace.

Type 1 Daibetes in the Workplace: Your Protections. What Does This Law Mean for You at Work? Dealing with Discrimination Employer discrimination can occur in many forms.

Know Your Limits Despite all the advances in managing diabetes, there are some jobs that may no longer suit you or you may need reasonable accommodation.

Also of Interest:. Your privacy We value your privacy. Save for Later. Cancel Save Save.

: Diabetes and workplace accommodations

Diabetes in the Workplace	Once an employee woroplace on Diabetes and workplace accommodations Quenching thirst for health, the employer may only ask medical questions of an sccommodations if they are directly related to performing activities related to Diabetws job. Latest An Alert. Individuals with diabetes often monitor their blood glucose levels using different technologies, including on their smartphones. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Questions and Answers About Diabetes in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act ADA. X Twitter Facebook LinkedIn. Breadcrumb Home Advocacy Overview Know Your Rights Reasonable Accommodations. Before you apply, you will need to gather information about yourself, your medical condition, and your work.
Type 2 Diabetes and Your Workplace Rights	Type 2 Diabetes. Type 1 diabetes develops when the body's immune system destroys pancreatic beta cells, the only cells in the body that make the hormone insulin that regulates blood glucose. Fluctuations of blood glucose levels outside of the target range can lead to serious health problems involving the blood vessels and nerves, including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, heart attack, and blindness. Get Permissions. Online Ahead of Print Alert.
CCOHS: Diabetes in the Workplace	Type 2 Diabetes and Your Workplace Rights. After making a job offer, an employer may ask questions about the applicant's health including questions about the applicant's disability and may require a medical examination, as long as all applicants for the same type of job are treated equally that is, all applicants are asked the same questions and are required to take the same examination. Example 2 : A qualified candidate for a police officer's position is required to have a medical exam after he has been extended a job offer. Other specific types of diabetes result from specific genetic conditions such as maturity-onset diabetes of youth , surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses. Even then, your employer needs to try to come up with a workable compromise. A request for an employee's entire medical record, for example, would be inappropriate as it likely would include information about conditions other than the employee's diabetes. Know Your Limits Despite all the advances in managing diabetes, there are some jobs that may no longer suit you or you may need reasonable accommodation.
The Americans with Disabilities Act	However, Food and nutrition an employee could Diabetes and workplace accommodations Diabetss disoriented while operating, for example, heavy machinery, the risk of injury is Diabetes and workplace accommodations. FMLA protects you from being Diabefes or penalized for taking time off related to diabetes. If discrimination persists, remember your employer is required to take reasonable steps to accommodate your needs. All meetings are by appointment only. The EEOC will send the parties a copy of the charge and may ask for responses and supporting information.
On This Page	So, an employer cannot deny job benefits to a disabled employee or create tests that screen out otherwise qualified but disabled individuals. The ADA also requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for disabled employees so that they can perform their jobs. The ADA covers employers with fifteen or more employees, and, like most federal employment statutes, only applies to employees and not independent contractors. An employee is an individual that the employer has the right to control. If an employee believes that he has been discriminated against on the basis of his disability, he must show that he has a disability as defined by the ADA, that he was otherwise qualified for the position, and that his employer failed to make a reasonable accommodation. To qualify as a disability, diabetes must be a physical impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. An impairment is substantial if it makes a major life activity more difficult, more painful, or more time-consuming to perform than the general population. An impairment may also be substantial if it prevents the disabled person from enjoying that major life activity as long as the general population would. Diabetes also meets the test here. Employees with diabetes must take time our of their day to test their blood sugar levels and inject themselves with insulin. They must be more careful about what they eat and when. Because diabetes is a disability under the ADA, employees with diabetes are protected from discrimination and their employers must provide them with reasonable accommodation. Thus, an employee cannot be fired because of his diabetes, he cannot be paid less because of his diabetes, nor can he be denied healthcare benefits because of his diabetes. An accommodation must enable a qualified, disabled employee to perform the essential function of his job. This may include changes to the job application process, changes to the work environment or job requirements, or changes to employee benefits. For example, a reasonable accommodation is making facilities accessible and usable by disabled employees. Similarly, an employer may restructure the job or make changes to the work schedule to accommodate a disabled employee. Regardless of the accommodation, the goal of the ADA is to require employers to provide an environment where disabled individuals can compete on equal footing with non-disabled individuals. Common accommodations include job restructuring, transfers to other positions or light duty, and leaves of absence. Diabetic employees may need fewer accommodations than most disabled employees. For example, most will rarely require changes to facilities so that they can access and use their workspaces. However, because diabetes is a disability under the ADA, employers do have a legal duty to make a reasonable accommodation. To perform their jobs employees with diabetes will need time to monitor and manage their blood sugar levels. For example, an employer could allow a diabetic employee to take more breaks than other employees so he can maintain his blood sugar level and allow him to make up the time later. Reasonable accommodations for diabetes are not limited to those listed above. Instead, as with any disability, a reasonable accommodation for an employee with diabetes is one that enable him to perform the essential functions of his job. Robert J. If you need medical leave due to diabetes or complications, you may be protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act FMLA. It entitles you to up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave yearly because of a serious health condition. The company has to have at least 50 employees within 75 miles of your workplace. You can also take FMLA when having or adopting a child, caring for a newborn, taking in a foster child, or caring for an immediate family member with a serious health condition. You cannot be fired or face retaliation for time off under FMLA. But if you call in with something not diabetes-related, you don't have the same legal protection from being fired. Let your supervisor know if you are using one of your FMLA days. Each state has labor laws that may or may not protect you from being fired for calling in sick. In some states, an employer can fire you for any reason or no reason at all. You may have extra protections in place if you belong to a union. You don't need to tell your employer about your illness or reasons for calling in sick. However, they may unknowingly take inappropriate actions against you if you don't fill out the FMLA paperwork. You should also contact an attorney. You have the right to ask for reasonable accommodations to help you perform your job. You may need to negotiate with your employer about exactly what you need. FMLA protects you from being fired or penalized for taking time off related to diabetes. Navigating the working world with a disability like diabetes can be difficult. It can create uncomfortable situations for you and your employer. Document the conversation when discussing your condition, reasonable accommodation, leave requests, or sick days. No, that is, unless you request reasonable accommodation under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Then, you have to let them know your limitations and how your job or workplace could be changed to help you. Diabetes can be considered a disability if it impairs a major life activity such working or eating , if it has previously caused such an impairment, or if it could cause someone to perceive you as impaired. United States Department of Justice. A guide to disability rights laws. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Employee rights. American Diabetes Association. Reasonable accommodations. Fact sheet - Diabetes and reasonable accommodation. How to request reasonable accommodations. Department of Labor. Family and Medical Leave FMLA. American Civil Liberties Union. Disability rights. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section. Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA: Questions and answers. Your employment rights as an individual with a disability. By Adrienne Dellwo Adrienne Dellwo is an experienced journalist who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and has written extensively on the topic. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content. Measure advertising performance. Measure content performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors.

Video

Employment Lawyer Explains Reasonable Accommodation Law