# Work and breaks



## cblatch (Nov 7, 2010)

Hi I am new to all this but wonder if anyone can give me some advice. I work 3 full days a week and get a 20 min lunch break. I find this isn't always enough time to do my insulin and eat and get a drink. I never do a sugar level at lunchtime on the days I work and sometimes I have actually missed my jab because I havent had time to eat and do it and other times I have had my jab but not had time to eat enough so had a hypo later on! Does anyone know if my boss is required to give me extra time if needed for medication?


----------



## Northerner (Nov 7, 2010)

Hi, does your employer know that you have diabetes, and that you need to treat it with insulin? As I understand it, employers are legally obliged to make any necessary adjustments to allow you to manage your diabetes properly, and this would include allowing sufficient break time to eat, test and inject. I'm sure others with more concrete advice will reply!


----------



## cblatch (Nov 7, 2010)

*yes*

yes my employer is aware of my diabetes


----------



## Northerner (Nov 7, 2010)

cblatch said:


> yes my employer is aware of my diabetes



This article makes good reading:

http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/c...or,_as_bob_the_builder_might_say,_yes_you_can!


----------



## Lizzzie (Nov 7, 2010)

A 20 minute lunch break seems a bit stingy at the best of times..... how long a stint do you work for?   

Also, how long does it take for you to test yourself and take your insulin and eat your lunch i.e. how much longer do you realistically need?  And is your boss aware that you need this extra time? 
You haven't mentioned how far you have gone in discussing this with your boss, but a quantitive idea of the tiem required is likely to be information that she or he will need to understand before being able to help you.


----------



## imtrying (Nov 7, 2010)

hey, 20 mins is the minimum requirement for shifts over 6 hours - 

"Rest breaks - a break during your working day
As an adult worker (over 18), you will normally have the right to a 20 minute rest break if you are expected to work more than six hours at a stretch.
A lunch or coffee break can count as your rest break. Additional breaks might be given by your contract of employment. There is no statutory right to 'smoking breaks'.
The requirements are:
the break must be in one block
it cannot be taken off one end of the working day - it must be somewhere in the middle
you are allowed to spend it away from the place on your employer's premises where you work 
your employer can say when the break must be taken, as long as it meets these conditions"

It is a legal minimum though and normally most employers will allow more.

If you could give me a little more information as to what your 20mins break consists of, I could be able to help as I work in HR and have access to quite a lot of employment law sources so I'll try and find out as much as I can for you.

Would you be willing/able to work an extra 10 minutes at the beginning or end of your shift for example to extend your 20 minute break to half an hour?


----------



## grahams mum (Nov 7, 2010)

i think by european law if you work less then 6 hours is 20 min. bt if you work 8 hours or more is 30 min. break or 2 of 15 min  but i am not 100% sure


----------



## imtrying (Nov 7, 2010)

grahams mum said:


> i think by european law if you work less then 6 hours is 20 min. bt if you work 8 hours or more is 30 min. break or 2 of 15 min  but i am not 100% sure



hi there. it's 20 mins for more than 6 hours work in the UK. haven't found any law on over 8 hours though....I'll keep looking!


----------



## Jennywren (Nov 8, 2010)

Hi , after having a bit of trouble at work with my diabetes i have an understanding with my employer , that if i need an a longer break or have to pop off at any time to do blood test or meds i can , the understanding is both ways and i dont take advantage of this ,but its reassuring to know i dont have to worry


----------



## Caroline (Nov 8, 2010)

The most information I could find speaking in general terms is we are not allowed to work more than four hours with out a break. Some employers will (if you're lucky) give you three break totalling 45 or 50 minutes, but one 20 minute break is the norm these days with so many people working flixble hours or part time.


----------



## AJLang (Nov 8, 2010)

You can also ask for a reasonable adjustment to be made so that you have enough time to test, inject and eat


----------



## imtrying (Nov 8, 2010)

AJLang said:


> You can also ask for a reasonable adjustment to be made so that you have enough time to test, inject and eat



and that sums it up in a nutshell!! If you need more time as 20 mins doesn't give you enough to test, inject and eat, by law you are entitled to a reasonable adjustment....such as an extra 10 mins. but like I said before, you may need to make this time up.


----------



## Jennywren (Nov 8, 2010)

AJLang said:


> You can also ask for a reasonable adjustment to be made so that you have enough time to test, inject and eat



Thats the term i was trying to think of AJ , my employer allows reasonable adjustments with my breaks depending how i am and if i need longer


----------



## katie (Nov 8, 2010)

Personally I would do my blood test before going to lunch, just quickly at my desk, then I would probably do my jab after lunch at my desk. I quite often did this at my last job because lunch flew by!


----------

