We are searching data for your request:
Upon completion, a link will appear to access the found materials.
People with diabetes: tips about the job
There are more and more diabetics in Germany. Young people are also increasingly affected, who are often worried about whether the metabolic disorder could prevent them from doing their dream job. Experts explain what rights people with diabetes have in their everyday work.
Influence on professional life
Almost seven million people with diabetes live in Germany. More and more children, adolescents and young adults are also affected. Especially in younger diabetics, their illness can have an impact on their career choice. For those who are diagnosed with diabetes only after starting their career, there is often great concern as to whether they can continue their job. The German Diabetes Aid recommends those affected to find out about their rights and obligations in professional life.
Can the previous activity be continued?
Working people with a diabetes diagnosis are often faced with the question of whether they are allowed to continue their previous work.
Many of them initially keep their illness secret from colleagues and employers.
Young people with type 1 diabetes in particular are often unsure whether they can take up their dream job despite their chronic metabolic disease.
Contrary to some prejudice, diabetics can practice almost all professions and jobs.
Diabetes is not an obstacle for most professions
As stated in a communication from diabetesDE - Deutsche Diabetes-Hilfe, diabetes is not an obstacle for most professions - provided that the metabolism is good.
When choosing a career, people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes should primarily pursue their interests and skills. According to the experts, there are only a few professional fields that are unsuitable for them.
These include activities in which, in the event of hypoglycaemia, there is a significant, otherwise unavoidable danger to third parties or to those affected.
"If a profession harbors a third-party risk, it does not automatically mean that people with diabetes are not allowed to practice it," explains Oliver Ebert, lawyer and chairman of the Social Affairs Committee of the German Diabetes Society.
"However, it must then be checked in each individual case whether the risk is justifiable," said the expert. "In such cases, the prerequisite is usually evidence of well-adjusted blood sugar and the ability to perceive hypoglycaemia in good time."
Diabetics do not have to disclose their illness
According to current case law, those affected do not have to disclose in their application letter or even in an interview that they suffer from diabetes.
"The employer may only ask about illnesses in exceptional cases," explains the expert.
“However, the employer may make the appointment dependent on an examination by the company doctor. However, this can only be done with the consent of the applicant and is voluntary for him, ”said Ebert.
However, the doctor is obliged to maintain confidentiality when making a diagnosis. This means that the company doctor may not pass any information on the findings to the employer without the consent of the potential employee.
“In the job itself, people with diabetes should treat their illness with caution,” advises Ebert.
At least one of the closest colleagues should be informed, because this promotes understanding of possible periods of absence for measuring blood sugar and insulin injections.
In addition, it is particularly important for any emergencies that colleagues know what to do and can act in an emergency. (ad)
