Working life

A job that fits

Very few occupations are off limits just because you have diabetes. Find out more here about making working life work for you.

We’re all happiest if we’re in a job that’s just right for our interests, abilities and education. Luckily, having diabetes is usually no reason why you shouldn’t pursue the career of your choice.

Choosing your job

When choosing a job, it’s important to think about how control of your diabetes will fit into the demands of your working day. With certain jobs this may be difficult, but there are many jobs where you can keep up your insulin injections and blood glucose monitoring without this affecting your performance.

Restricted jobs

It’s true that some jobs may be restricted for people with diabetes. For example:

• Driving an HGV
• Transport of passengers
• The armed forces
• Airline pilot

It’s worth finding out more about what, if any, restrictions apply to the kind of job you are interested in.

Enjoy a successful career

Apart from any legal restrictions concerning jobs, you should be able to choose work that you enjoy and do well. There is no reason why having diabetes should prevent you from having a successful career.

There is no legal requirement to tell your employer that you have diabetes but by doing so it may make it easier to arrange clinic visits and to manage your condition. It is best to tell your colleagues that you have diabetes and explain that it will have no impact on your performance when well controlled. Explain what hypoglycaemia is and what needs to be done in an emergency.

Irregular working hours

If you have a job with regular working hours, then it’s probably going to be easier to control your blood sugar. Regular hours mean you can plan ahead.

This doesn’t mean you can’t choose a job with irregular working hours, or shift work, but you will have to plan more carefully. You’ll need to think about things such as:

• When will you eat?
• When will you exercise?
• Will you be able to adapt your diabetes treatment to your working hours?
• You may find it helps to test your blood sugar more often, and increase the number of insulin injections you take each day
• If you have a job with irregular hours, you may find it helpful to discuss your treatment plan with your diabetes care team.
  

Rights and responsibilities

Workers who have diabetes, like all workers, deserve to be evaluated on their job performance. Your diabetes care team will be able to provide you with information about your employment rights.

By knowing your rights and your responsibilities as a member of the work force, you should be fully able to pursue a satisfying career.

Working life: A summary

• Job satisfaction is something everyone, including people with diabetes, can strive for
• Very few jobs are out of bounds, although a few may be for practical reasons
• Think about how you will fit your diabetes care into your working day before you choose a job
• Plan your working life carefully, especially if you will be working irregular hours or doing shift work
• Tell your co-workers about your diabetes
• Find a colleague prepared to help out if you develop hypoglycaemia
• Check out your rights and responsibilities
• Good luck in finding the job you really want!

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  INS/015/0809

Last updated: August 2009