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FAQs - Diabetes and Employment
I have diabetes. What kinds of discrimination might I face in the workplace?
Discrimination can come in many forms. It’s possible that an employer may refuse to hire you after an employment medical, limit your job responsibilities or promotions, or fire you. An employer might also be unwilling to accommodate your need for regular meal or snack breaks or to provide a private location where you can test blood glucose or administer insulin. Often, discrimination in the workplace occurs because employers and co-workers do not understand diabetes and how it is managed. The word “diabetes” can raise concerns about loss of work time and productivity, and may influence an employer’s willingness to hire, continue to employ, or promote someone with diabetes. As a result, people with diabetes sometimes conceal their disease from their employers and colleagues in order to avoid negative reactions, rejection or discrimination. When this happens, an insulin injection may be missed, a blood glucose test forgotten or a meal postponed, consequently jeopardizing an individual’s overall health and perhaps his or her safety on the job.
Do I need to tell my employer I have diabetes?
Your medical information is confidential unless you work in a safety sensitive position. Therefore, unless health-related questions are directly related to a specific job requirement, you are not required to report medical information on an employment application or in an employment interview. Similarly, if you are already working, your employer does not need to be informed about a diagnosis of diabetes unless you wish to disclose it, or for example, unless you need your employer to provide appropriate accommodation to manage your diabetes.
Are there jobs for which I must disclose that I have diabetes?
Yes. If you are applying for a safety sensitive position ( i.e. airline pilot, railway engineer, police officer, paramedic, etc), you are required to disclose any medical condition, including diabetes, which could jeopardize the safety of your coworkers, clients or the public. Not disclosing could be grounds for dismissal when your condition is discovered.
What does an employer’s duty to accommodate mean?
Human rights law requires employers to take reasonable steps, in policies or conditions of work, to accommodate an employee’s individual needs. For instance, to maintain optimal control of their diabetes, many people must take time during the day to have a snack or to administer insulin. If an employee with diabetes requires a short break for that purpose, the employer would be legally obliged, in the majority of cases, to allow such a break. This legal duty arises even if other employees are required to work uninterrupted shifts as part of their employment.
Can I work shift work?
There have been very few studies done on people with diabetes who work shifts. There is no medical evidence indicating you cannot work shift work; however you should be aware that managing diabetes may be more difficult while working a rapidly changing shift pattern. You should consult with a diabetes educator and a dietitian to develop a diabetes management plan tailored to your specific needs.
I belong to a union. How do I deal with my employer’s unfair treatment?
If you believe you are facing discrimination at work because of diabetes, there may be sufficient grounds to initiate a grievance under your collective agreement, particularly if the collective agreement prohibits the employer from treating people with diabetes unfairly.
Be sure to discuss the matter with your union representative as soon as possible . In most cases, your union has a duty to pursue the grievance on your behalf and will cover the costs of doing so. You also have the option of filing a complaint with your provincial or territorial human rights commission, but the case may not be pursued until a union grievance is concluded.
Unions or union contracts cannot prohibit reasonable accommodation for managing your diabetes, even if accommodation contravenes a collective bargaining agreement.
Are there jobs for which I will not be considered?
If you are using insulin, you cannot serve in the Canadian Armed Forces. All Canadian soldiers must meet specific employment criteria and, unlike other employers, the military does not have a duty to accommodate those who do not meet those criteria.
What is the Canadian Diabetes Association’s position on diabetes and employment?
The Canadian Diabetes Association believes people with diabetes should be eligible for employment in any occupation for which they are individually qualified. A person with diabetes has the right to be assessed for specific job duties on his or her own merits based on reasonable standards applied consistently.
Full text of the position statement, including background and rationale.