Why can a diabetic be a valuable employee? explains diabetic

Even in the 1980s, it was much more difficult for a person with diabetes to find a job than it is today. This was influenced by unfair stereotypes, as well as a lower level of treatment for this disease. Diabetes is getting better and better these days. thanks to modern technological solutions that allow you to control glycemia. Today with diabetes it is much easier to study, travel and work.

People with diabetes and professional activities

In the mid-1980s, the American Diabetes Association took the position that a person with diabetes should be entitled to any job without any exception. Also, the position of the American Diabetes Association states that diabetes usually does not affect the ability to perform a particular job. Moreover, the employer may not even know that the employee has diabetes. Overseas, in some companies, you can find specially designated places where employees can measure their sugar levels or have a snack. Unfortunately, this is rare in Poland.

PTD: Diabetes cannot be a reason for discrimination

In our country, the Polish Diabetes Association deals with the professional activities of diabetics. In the PTD materials we will find recommendations developed in collaboration with Dr. hub MD Andrzej Martsinkevich and prof. doctor hab. MD Jolanta Valusyak-Skorupa from the Institute of Occupational Medicine named after prof. J. Nofer in Lodz. The document emphasizes that the fact of having diabetes cannot be a reason for discrimination or unequal treatment. Occupational restrictions should be introduced after careful consideration of the individual situation and health status of each patient.

Occupations where it is necessary to take into account the presence of diabetes in an employee include:

• professions related to public safety (for example, bus drivers, truck drivers or taxi drivers),

• security and rescue services (army, police, fire brigade, municipal security, rescue services, maritime navigation, prison service, licensed security personnel),

• representatives of civil aviation (aviation pilots and engineers, flight attendants, air traffic controllers),

• especially dangerous professions (work at height, with moving machines, near furnaces, at high temperatures, in waste incinerators, metallurgical plants, in the mining industry, in places with heavy traffic).

Diabetics are well organized

Agnieszka Zdanowska from Warsaw was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 26 years ago when she was 14 years old. This did not stop her from getting an education (she is, among other things, a graduate of the Faculty of Environmental Protection of the Warsaw University of Technology and the Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, as well as two postgraduate studies). She started a family and gave birth to two children. He works in public administration and runs his own educational operation called Vitamin Patrol.

In her opinion, a balanced, conscientious diabetic may even be a better worker than others, because, having knowledge of the principles of healthy eating and understanding the consequences, he can take care of himself properly. This means fewer layoffs.

“People with diabetes can show themselves, for example, when implementing projects where you need to plan activities well, select the right team and equipment, and anticipate risk. Diabetics are organized people. And such qualities are highly valued by employers,” says Agnieszka Zdanowska. He adds that an employer needs to know they are hiring a person with diabetes and have at least basic knowledge about the condition.

Rights of diabetics at work

It happens that some diabetics do not admit their disease because they are afraid of being fired. Thus, they do not use their rights - lengthening the vacation by 10 days, reducing the working day to 7 hours and a 15-minute break. To take advantage of these opportunities, the worker must present a certificate of moderate or severe disability. He does not always want to try to get them, and it happens that applications for judgments are rejected.

In Poland, 3 million people suffer from diabetes. This is more than 9 percent of the population. 90 percent of cases are caused by type 2 diabetes, which is preventable. The rest have type 1 diabetes.