STAYING ON TRACK
Doing what you gotta do
Taking on the working world when you have type 1 diabetes
Your career may be just starting or starting to take off. Either way, trying to manage both your career and type 1 diabetes at the same time can be a challenge. But you can do it!
A good first step is understanding what barriers work may throw at you, especially if working from home is not an option.
Common issues you may face in the workplace
Now that you have an idea of some barriers you may face, here are some tips to help you get through the workday.
Making your job work within your care plan
You may need to make some changes at your workplace so you can continue to manage diabetes on the job. Once you have some ideas of how to manage your diabetes at work, meet with your employer privately and discuss your needs.
Here are some ways to help deal with diabetes at work from The American Diabetes Association (ADA):
- Take breaks to check blood glucoseBlood glucoseThe main sugar found in the blood, and the body’s main source of energy., eat a snack, take medicine, or use the bathroom
- Find a place to rest until blood glucose becomes normal
- Keep diabetes supplies nearby and make sure you are able to keep food where you can easily get it
- Find a space to monitor and take medicine—always have the ability to test blood glucose and inject insulinInsulinA hormone made by the beta cells in the pancreas that helps glucose move from the blood into the cells. Insulin is also an injectable medicine that is used to treat diabetes by controlling the level of glucose in the blood. anywhere at work
- Ask about shift flexibility and see if there’s a chance to work a different work schedule that fits your needs, or to work a standard shift instead of a swing shift
Find a more complete list of management tips on the ADA website.
Disclosing your diabetes: When to tell and when not to
If you need any changes made to your workplace, then you will definitely need to tell your employer about your diabetes. But in many cases, it is completely up to you whether you want to make it known to the other people you work with. Deciding to "go public" about diabetes can be a hard decision. Here are some ideas to help you decide who to tell on a case-by-case basis.
