Impact Of Diabetes Mellitus On Occupational Health Outcomes In Canada | Li | The International Journal Of Occupational And Environmental Medicine
Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Occupational Health Outcomes in Canada 1Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M6, Canada 2School of Rural and Northern Health, Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd, Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia, PhD, OT, Reg. (Ont.), Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd, Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada Background: Research suggests that diabetes mellitus (DM) has a negative impact on employment and workplace injury, but there is little data within the Canadian context. Objective: To determine if DM has an impact on various occupational health outcomes using the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). Methods: CCHS data between 2001 and 2014 were used to assess the relationships between DM and various occupational health outcomes. The final sample size for the 14-year study period was 505606, which represented 159432239 employed Canadians aged 1575 years during this period. Results: We found significant associations between people with diabetes and their type of occupation (business, finance, administration: 2009, p=0.002; 2010, p=0.002; trades, transportation, equipment: 2008, p=0.025; 2011, p=0.002; primary industry, processing, manufacturing, utility: 2013, p=0.018), reasons for missing work (looking for work: 2001, p=0.024; school or education: 2003, p=0.04; family responsibilities: 2014, p=0.015; other reasons: 2001, p<0.001; 2003, p<0.001; 2010, p=0.015), the number of work days missed (2010, 3 days, p=0.033; 4 days, p=0.038; 11 days, p<0.001; 24 days, p<0.001), and work-related injuries (traveling to and from work: 2014, p=0.003; working at a job or business: 2009, p=0.021; 2014, Continue reading >>
Employment Discrimination & Your Rights
Diabetes & You > Know Your Rights > Employment Discrimination & Your Rights What is Diabetes Canadas position on employment? Diabetes Canada believes that a person with diabetes should be eligible for employment in any occupation for which he or she is individually qualified. In being considered for employment in safety-sensitive positions, 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. Employers have the duty to accommodate employees with diabetes unless the employer can show it to cause undue hardship to the organization. Read the Diabetes Canada's full position statement on employment , including background and rationale. What is workplace discrimination for people living with diabetes? Discrimination can come in many forms. It is possible that an employer may refuse to hire you after an employment medical, limit your job responsibilities or promotions, or fire you. Sometimes an employer might simply not bother to find out what diabetes really involves and take the easy option of employing someone they dont see as a risk. Examples of discrimination in the workplace: You inquire about applying to be an officer with the city police department and are told they do not hire people with diabetes. After experiencing a hypoglycemic reaction at your workplace, you are terminated from your job. Despite requesting a regularly scheduled morning coffee break to test your blood glucose and eat a snack, your employer makes you work through until lunchtime. After the employment medical, your job offer is rescinded because your have type 1 diabetes. People with diabetes do not meet the medical requirements for this job. People with diabetes using insulin are unfit for employmen Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes At Work
When Kristen Garland was just 27 years old, she found herself losing focus in her position as webmaster at her workplace. I was often late and my colleagues asked if I was feeling run down, recalls Garland. I assumed it was just a result of being stressed, but before long I was told I had type 1 diabetes (T1D). It was a diagnosis that changed my life. Garland immediately took short-term leave and began working from home. My boss was accommodating, patient and encouraging, she says. With Garlands approval, her boss explained the situation to Garlands colleagues and they, in turn, offered their support while expressing their desire to learn more about type 1 diabetes. If anyone asked questions after the fact, I just told them the truth and tried to respond as best I could, she explains. Being the first on either side of my family to have diabetes, I didn't know much myself. However, the exchanges were encouraging, which was actually very helpful. Over the years, companies are recognizing the growing need to find new ways to accommodate employees with various health conditions. However, employers can only offer helpful solutions if an employee chooses to disclose his or her condition.1 I'd never been nervous about telling anyone about my condition; I just didnt think twice about it, says Garland. While I hadnt had exposure to anyone else living with type 1 diabetes, I knew there were discrimination laws in place to protect employees to some extent. Some people, however, might be more hesitant to tell their employer. As long as your job does not affect the safety of others, your medical information is confidential and the decision to share is up to you. It might make sense to communicate the details of your condition, especially if you need to make some accommodations to y Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes And Your Workplace Rights
Living with type 2 diabetes is hard enough. But what if your condition affects your work or the way people treat you there? Learn about your employment rights as someone with diabetes. Diabetes is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This law applies to any employer in the United States that has 15 employees or more. It also applies to: labor organizations joint labor-management committees employment agencies all state and local government employers If you’re employed by or applying for a job with one of these organizations, the ADA protects you from discrimination. An employer can’t refuse to hire you based solely on your diabetes. In fact, you don’t even have a legal obligation to tell a prospective employer about your condition. Once you’ve been hired, the ADA also requires your employer to provide reasonable accommodations. These include changes to your workplace or routine that can help you to manage your condition. You may also be protected under the Rehabilitation Act if you’re federally employed. Depending on where you live, additional state laws may cover smaller employers or offer broader protections. In most cases, an employer can’t use your diabetes as a reason: not to hire you not to promote you to fire you The only exception is if your condition poses a direct threat to your health or safety or those of others. For example, do you frequently experience hypoglycemic episodes that could interfere with your duties? These episodes might incapacitate you while you’re operating heavy machinery. This could put your life at risk. In this case, an employer has the right not to hire you for a role that requires you to operate that machinery. Once you’ve received a job offer, you’re subject to the same medical req Continue reading >>
Diabetes In The Workplace: A Guide For Employers & Employees
Diabetes & You > Know Your Rights > Employment Discrimination & Your Rights > Diabetes in the Workplace: A Guide for Employers & Employees Diabetes in the Workplace: A Guide for Employers & Employees People living with diabetes sometimes face discrimination in the workplace simply because others do not understand diabetes and how it is managed. The word "diabetes" can lead employers to concerns about reliability and productivity, thereby influencing their willingness to hire, continue to employ or promote an individual living with diabetes. Also, coworkers who lack information about diabetes can feel uncertain about how to treat their colleagues with diabetes who are testing their blood glucose, administering insulin and treating hypoglycemia throughout the workday. Therefore, it is not uncommon for people living with diabetes to conceal their disease from their employers and colleagues in order to avoid negative reactions or discrimination. As a result, an insulin injection may be missed, a blood glucose test forgotten or a meal postponed, consequently jeopardizing an individuals overall health and perhaps his or her safety on the job. An individual with well managed diabetes, and whose employer encourages his or her diabetes management in the workplace, does not pose any more threat to his or her colleagues or to the efficient operation of a business. However, it is important that everyone in the workplace have accurate information about diabetes and how it is managed. Communication, cooperation and accurate information will encourage a healthier and more productive environment. Type 1 diabetesis an autoimmune disease in which the pancreas stops producing insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body to control the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood. Without Continue reading >>
How To Deal With Diabetes In The Workplace
How to deal with diabetes in the workplace When you think of epidemic, you may think flu. But think again. On Feb. 9, 2010, the World Health Organization declared diabetes a global epidemic. According to the International Diabetes Federation, there were 366 million people worldwide with diabetes in 2011; that number is expected to increase to 552 million by 2030. Further, there are three new cases of diabetes every 10 seconds. Read: Mens poor health costs Canada $37 billion annually Diabetes is the single most important chronic disease that will come across your desk, said Dr. Alain Sotto, occupational medical consultant for the TTC and director of Medcan Wellness Clinic, speaking at the Accompass Managing Chronic Illnesses in Your Workplace event Thursday in Toronto. In 2007, 25% of the Canadian population was considered obese and cost $2.5 billion in indirect healthcare costs. Childhood obesity leads to adult obesity, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, he said. In 2009, the economic burden for Canada was $12.2 billion and is expected to rise to $17 billion in 2020. Read: Chronic diseases taking a toll on Canadians An aging population and rising obesity rates definitely contribute to the disease, said Sotto. The longer you live, the higher the risk of having chronic disease. But employers can help. While they cant do much about aging Canadians, they can help implement screening and preventative programs. Theres no better place for a captive audience than in the workplace, Sotto said. You have [employees] for at least eight hours a day. According to this years Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey, 69% of workers agreed their employer should be doing more. And 61% of workers told their manager they had diabetes, versus 66% for cancer. Many employers are involved in di Continue reading >>
Effectiveness Of A Type 2 Diabetes Screening Intervention In The Canadian Workplace - Sciencedirect
Effectiveness of a Type 2 Diabetes Screening Intervention in the Canadian Workplace Author links open overlay panel Jean-EricTarrideMA, PhDabc There is a lack of Canadian data concerning the effectiveness of diabetes interventions in the workplace. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Motivaction, a diabetes screening and education pilot program, in the workplace. The Motivaction program involves a voluntary web-based diabetes health-risk assessment, the Canadian Diabetes Risk Questionnaire (CANRISK), combined with an opportunity for those eligible (i.e. having diabetes or having a CANRISK score 21) to attend 2 on-site biometric screening meetings with a registered nurse and 4 educational sessions by telephone with a certified diabetes educator. Biometric data, as well as information about self-efficacy, lifestyle changes, productivity, well-being, mental health and program satisfaction, were collected at baseline and at 6 months. Attendance at the initial and 6-month clinical visits included 293 people. At baseline, 21% were identified as having prediabetes (13%) or having diabetes (8%). Statistically significant reductions in glycated hemoglobin levels from baseline to the study's end were observed in those with prediabetes or diabetes. No statistically significant changes in glycated hemoglobin levels were observed in individuals with normal levels or in those at risk for diabetes at baseline. No statistical differences were observed in terms of productivity or mental health for the full population or across diabetes-risk categories. More than 90% of employees would recommend the Motivaction program to other employers. This study provides a framework for future diabetes interventions in the workplace and demonstrates that workplace interv Continue reading >>
Diabetes In The Workplace: 7 Ways To Help Your Employees
Diabetes in The Workplace: 7 Ways to Help Your Employees Diabetes is a growing health problem. The number of Canadians living with diabetes has more than doubled since 2000 to overthree million today. [1] Consequently, direct healthcare costs are also increasing alarmingly ($3 billion in 2015) and are projected to grow by more than 40% by 2020. These high costs will undoubtedly place a severe financial burden on most Canadian employers. The promotion of early screening and effective management of the disease has positive repercussions on employers, because employees with type 2 diabetes who are in control of their blood sugar are more productive and off work less often. [2] As an employer, you can play a role in promoting good management of diabetes. How? By adapting the workplace and modifying your internal policies to make life easier for diabetic employees. Conduct screening Hold workplace screening clinics or at least encourage your employees to see their doctor annually. An estimated one in five Canadians over the age of 20 is prediabetic (more at risk of developing the disease in the future). Screening programs allow participants to be informed and take the necessary action to deal with their condition. A worthwhile break Getting blood work done, taking medication and eating to manage symptoms may not always match up with an employees normal break time. Just remember that its not a whim and that it is often possible to accommodate employees afflicted with this condition. Healthy food: always on hand A healthy diet is essential in effectively managing diabetes, and diabetics must always have access to food. Offering nutritious choices at the cafeteria and in vending machines will benefit your entire team. You can make literature available to employees who bring th Continue reading >>
Managing Diabetes In The Workplace
Preventing and accommodating Type 2 diabetes As in most Western countries, Type 2 diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions in Canada. With the aging population, increasing rates of obesity and our largely sedentary lifestyle, the problem is likely to get worse before it gets any better. Enhancing awareness of this increasingly common condition will help employers develop wellness programs designed to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes, help employees who become diabetic manage the disease and reduce the likelihood of complications, as well as helping employers meet their duty to accommodate under human rights legislation. There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding diabetes, with many people failing to make a distinction between type 1 or juvenile diabetes on one hand and type 2 or adult onset diabetes on the other. Generally, type 1 diabetes is when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin at all, while type 2 diabetes occurs either when the patients pancreas fails to produce enough insulin, or when their bodies become resistant to insulin. While type 1 is generally considered to be the more serious form of the disease, type 2 diabetes can also lead to serious complications and is far more prevalent than the juvenile form of the disease. This focus here is on type 2 diabetes. While both types of diabetes can lead to insulin dependency, patients with type 2 diabetes are often able to manage the disease through diet, exercise and (possibly) weight loss at least initially. However, many patients with type 2 diabetes require one or more oral medications to help reduce insulin resistance. As the disease progresses, they may eventually need to go on insulin to control their blood sugar. Diabetes is a disease characterized by high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). Continue reading >>
Canadian Diabetes Association Reviews
I have been working at Canadian Diabetes Association full-time I have been working at Canadian Diabetes Association part-time I worked at Canadian Diabetes Association full-time (More than 3 years) I worked at Canadian Diabetes Association full-time (More than 3 years) There are more people in upper management then there are "workers", leaving few people to do most of the work while upper management continues to pat each other on the back and promote each other, while taking away benefits, jobs and pay from the people who actually care about why they're there. The CEO is constantly changing directions and has a huge ego that comes before his desire to do the right thing for … I worked at Canadian Diabetes Association full-time (More than 10 years) I have been working at Canadian Diabetes Association full-time (Less than a year) I worked at Canadian Diabetes Association full-time Cons Poor communication from Head office to field offices Poor training Financially troubled - no raises - hiring freezes Keep piling on work and will not hire staff High stress to meet unrealistic goals No promotional opportunities in field offices - all high end positions are in head office only I worked at Canadian Diabetes Association (More than 3 years) I have been working at Canadian Diabetes Association full-time I have been working at Canadian Diabetes Association full-time (More than 5 years) - managed by people who literally know nothing about diabetes - uninterested in evidence-based programming - totally obsessed with fund raising - constantly reorganizing the org chart -- staff that leave aren't replaced and their duties are given to managers - CEO sends out bizarre emails warning of struggle and chaos; HR sends out insane emails on how to cope with mental stress and depression. Y Continue reading >>
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Combating Diabetes In The Workplace (roundtable)
Combating diabetes in the workplace (Roundtable) It can mean sizeable drug costs along with disability claims and accommodation requests but there are solutions, say participants at a recent roundtable 11/02/2015|Canadian HR Reporter|Last Updated: 06/29/2016 (Editor's note: Scroll down to see 3 videos from this special roundtable.) Its a condition widespread enough to be almost commonplace, yet many employers still arent doing much to address one of the most prevalent health problems in the workforce: Diabetes. So Canadian HR Reporter hosted a special roundtable in Toronto, moderated by lead editor Sarah Dobson and sponsored by Sun Life Financial, to take a deep-dive look at the issue. When we know that 3.4 million Canadians are suffering from diabetes, thats a huge number, said David Satok, corporate medical director at Rogers Communications in Toronto during the roundtable. When you account for those with pre-diabetes as well, the total jumps to a startling nine million people, he said. Thats a huge burden to society and to the individual, its an incredible impact. So we have to think about the individual, about society, about the workplace and all kinds of (factors). Its clear this is a significant national problem, said Shana Kapustin, director of human resources at SYNNEX Canada in Toronto, a wholesale computer distributor and its also quite a pricey one. For the last five to seven quarters, its consistently been our highest drug use, she said. And if we dont start doing things such as education, prevention, maintenance, this will only get worse. There has already been an increase in cases of diabetes, according to Seema Nagpal, director of public policy at the Canadian Diabetes Association in Ottawa. The stats would show that between 2000 and 2010, the population Continue reading >>
Mortality Rates Plummet Among Diabetes Sufferers
Open this photo in gallery: Diabetes has become remarkably less deadly over the past generation, new research reveals. In 2009, a Canadian living with diabetes had a life expectancy that was six years less than a comparable person without diabetes. In 1996, the diabetes sufferer would have had an 11-year reduction in life expectancy. "That's a big difference," Dr. Lorraine Lipscombe, a research scientist at the Women's College Research Institute in Toronto, said in an interview. "But people with diabetes still have a significant reduction in life expectancy." While the new study did not examine why mortality dropped, Lipscombe said it likely reflects a number of medical advances and societal changes. For example, screening for diabetes is more commonplace and treatment is more aggressive, particularly when it comes to blood pressure control. As well, the number of people who smoke has dropped, and treatments for heart disease have improved a lot. Diabetes, a disease in which the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body does not properly use the insulin it produces, is highly damaging to the heart. "We're seeing a lot fewer cardiovascular events in the patient population," Lipscombe said. "And when people do have a heart attack, we're a lot better at treating them." The new research, published Thursday in the medical journal Diabetologia, examined changes in the "excess risk of mortality" among patients with diabetes in Ontario and in the United Kingdom. In Ontario in 1996, a person living with diabetes was about 90 per cent more likely to die than a comparable person without diabetes. But 2009, that excess risk of mortality had fallen to 51 per cent. In the U.K., the excess rate of mortality fell to 65 per cent from 214 per cent during that same time period. Continue reading >>
Can You Work If You Have Diabetes?
This is the question that Aidan sent to The Diabetes Council last week: Can you work if you have diabetes? Of course you can work if you have diabetes, or can you? Seemingly this is a simple question, but there are three answers: Maybe you can work if you have diabetes by fighting the system Careers that you cannot have with diabetes There are some careers that preclude you from working as a person with diabetes. Thesecareers are not open to people with diabetes who are taking insulin. For example, if you have Type 1 diabetes , you are not allowed to pilot a plane commercially in the United States , no matter how well controlled your diabetes is. The FAA currently will not allow it. However, if you want to pilot a plane in Canada or the United Kingdom , there are regulations set up that allow persons with Type 1 diabetes who are in good control of their diabetes to pilot a plane commercially. We have looked at a lot of different careers at The Diabetes Council. We have looked at whether or not you can be in the military with diabetes , be a firefighter or a law enforcement officer with diabetes, astronaut , work as an EMT/paramedic , a long-distance truck driver , or be a pilot with diabetes . Soon, we will look at whether or not you can be a flight attendant with diabetes. Please read the articles above to find out what the specifics of working in these careers with diabetes are, and what kind of rules and regulations you must follow. The careers we have looked at so far all have certain rules and regulations that apply to people with diabetes. These rules and regulations are put into place to ensure the safety of the employee with diabetes, and also the safety of the general public. For example, a pilot with poorly controlled diabetes who has a low blood sugar could Continue reading >>
Diabetes Can Have A Direct And Costly Impact In The Workplace
Diabetes can have a direct and costly impact in the workplace For most people going on a business trip means don't forget your laptop and make it to the airport on time to catch an early flight. But for some like, Robert Lydiate who has Type 2 diabetes, it means remembering healthy snacks and scheduling taking medication around flight times. Robert Ludiate who was attending a talk at the Hotel Saskatchewan on the challenges of supporting diabetes prevention and management in the workplace. Ludiate lives with Type 2 diabetes. Don Healy / Regina Leader-Post For most people, going on a business trip means notforgetting your laptop and making it to the airport on time to catch anearly flight. But for some, like Robert Lydiate who has Type 2 diabetes, it means remembering healthy snacksand scheduling medicationaround flight times. Then youre going and you dont want to carry a needle out or pull a needle out in the middle of a plane. Its just itsembarrassing, it is, he said. Lydiate is a bus driver and pastor atHealing Hearts Ministries in Regina.On Thursday he had the chance to listen toDr. Jan Hux, chief science officer with the Canadian Diabetes Association, speak about diabetes in the workplace at the Hotel Saskatchewan. Diabetes affects more than 97,000 people in Saskatchewan, and five million people across Canada. You can bury your head in the sand and say its not going to happen. It will happen and being proactive and supporting healthy workplaces again may mitigate some of those downstream costs, Hux said. In the average workplace, 10 per cent of people have diabetes. When people with diabetes miss work due to illness, they cost employers $1,000 per person per year. When they are at work but not functioning at their full capacity, it costs $400 perperson per year. Th Continue reading >>
Effectiveness Of A Type 2 Diabetes Screening Intervention In The Canadian Workplace.
Can J Diabetes. 2017 Dec 18. pii: S1499-2671(17)30308-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2017.12.008. [Epub ahead of print] Effectiveness of a Type 2 Diabetes Screening Intervention in the Canadian Workplace. Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Programs for the Assessment of Technoligy in Health, Research Institute at St Joes, St Joseph Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Canada; Center for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected] Smofsky Strategic Planning, Oakville, Ontario, Canada. AstraZeneca Canada, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Novagen Consulting Incorporated, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Lewis-Daly & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Corporate Health Services, Rogers, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Health Team, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dpartement de mdecine sociale et preventive, Universit Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; Axe Sant des Populations et Pratiques Optimales en Sant, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Qubec, Universit Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Mood Disorders Psychopharmacolgy Unit, University Health Network, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There is a lack of Canadian data concerning the effectiveness of diabetes interventions in the workplace. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Motivaction, a diabetes screening and education pilot program, in the workplace. The Motivaction program involves a voluntary web-based diabetes health-risk assessment, the Canadian Diabetes Risk Questionnaire (CANRISK), combined with an opportunity for those eligible (i.e. having diabetes or having a CANRISK score Continue reading >>
