Living With Diabetes

man utd 07/08

hi all,just want to get some advice..il make it short.
i went for a operative job "nothing special" with cie and passed my 2 interviews and exams.then i got called for my medical and while i was there i was asked questions by the nurse.one question was am i DIABETIC blah blah and i said yes.then i done a heart test and all that and the nurse said i passed but the doctor wants to talk to me.
he told me because im diabetic cie wuld not employ me!!!!!
IVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBS BEFORE BUT SURELY THIS CANT BE RIGHT..
can anyone give me advice on what to do??????cheers

ledgearooni

Unfort they're within the law! as one myself you will not be enployable in certain areas, however on the bright side you won't be drafted to go to war! and if it's kept under control everything is essentially normal.

man utd 07/08

surely that cant be right..ive worked in the airport doin push backs then i go for a operative job and im told NO!
were is the equal rights...

man utd 07/08

anyone else have any comments??

Amz

I'd be patient with regard to replies, particularly at thist ime of year as most people aren't online that much over christmas.

I would suggest getting in touch with the Diabetes Federation of Ireland www.diabetes.ie and/or the equality authority if you feel you need to be more aware of your rights or entitlements.

Unfortunately, while you may have your diabetes under control there are probably sound reasons for the restrictions on the areas you can be employed in.

I would suggest getting fully informed about these restrictions etc. before going for future jobs as your best weapon in such instances is information. Also, you're the best person to tell people about your condition and how it affects you and how you manage it.

man utd 07/08

cheers amz but i no i can do anything 100% and then for the job interview and that to go on more than 3 months...doesnt seem like equal rights as advertised on the cie website!

Amz

Ok, but what are their reasons for excluding you from the selection process?

I'm sure it's to do with health and safety as opposed to your competence, or ability to do the job well.

RainyDay

Have you got a formal response from CIE yet? If not, you should push them to put their decision in writing.

The real issue comes down to whether they have a good reason for this, or not. A blanket ban on diabetics would breach equality legislation, and you could take a case against them via the Equality Authority.

They are legally required to provide 'reasonable accomodation' to any employees with a disability. Search on the Equality Authority and Equality Tribunal websites for precendents in relation to diabetes. There was an interesting case a while back where a diabetic was refused a place on the Asgard sail training ship, following a previous incident where he had been unable to manage his condition in rough seas (when he was unable to hold down food). This was deemed NOT to be discriminatory.

While the legislation isn't specific about what is reasonable, breaks for injections would probably be considered 'reasonable' for a diabetic IMHO.

First step is to get CIE to confirm in writing what the doc told you, and you can take it from there.

man utd 07/08

cheers mate.well they jusold me to my face at the medical that the wouldnt employ me because im diabetic!also they sent me a emai saying it was a permanent "restriction" from being a operative and they would send me a letter to confirm this

siobhan2005

Im probably a bit stupid but operative - is that driving buses or vehicles?
Anyway as far as I know diabetics (i am one myself also) cant have jobs where passengers are involved such as bus driving or taxis. I suppose its for the safety of the drivers as technically you are under influence of drugs/insulin. Id imagine the insurance would be fairly hard to get also.

Phototoxin

I don't think that's fair as insulin is a hormone not a drug and in addition a study i the UK has show n that there is a smaller proportion of people with diabetes involved in accidents than their non diabetic counterparts.

tullie

i know it sounds harsh but fair has nothing to do with it. There are certain jobs we as diabetics are not allowed to have. Driver public passenger vehicles is one of them. It is to do with the risk of a diabetic having a hypo at the wheel and putting others at risk. I know it feels unfair but i'm afraid that as far as i know thats the law. On another note its really important to be responsible about checking blood sugars before driving and every two hours. That way if you do have an acident you can prove you are a responsible diabetic in court and to your insurance company, cos otherwise you risk loosing your licence. If the gaurds can prove you are not careful with the diabetes they can revoke your licence.

pixbyjohn

The gardai have no power to revoke your driving licence, stop frightening people

robinph

Well it would probably take a doctor rather than the Gardai, but if they have reason to think that your diabates was an issue towards some accident then they certainly can revoke your licence.

I have to get my license renewed every three years and supply the DVLA with details of my GP's and hospital consultants so that they can check that I have been keeping good control of the diabetes. Due to the speed at which they posted back my last new license though I don't think they actually bothered checking up with them this time, but if they have reason to then they will.

ElBarco

As a type 1 myself I do fully understand the restrictions on being in charge of a vehicle with passengers. Although I always make sure I'm ok to drive before I set out I can understand that a commercial company like CIE wouldn't be willing to take the risk. I'd imagine they'd be terrified of what they might be liable for if a diabetic driver was involved in any incident.

I know the laws in England are fairly clearly defined. Although there was some talk about reviewing it for type 2's:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4853722.stm