Man Takes Insulin Shot At Work, Can’t Believe Text He Gets After
A man says he was left stunned after receiving a message from HR shortly after taking an insulin shot at work.
In a post on Reddit, user MeanderingDragon explained that he has Type 1 diabetes and must take between five and eight insulin injections a day.
He recently took a shot after seeing food set out at work and realizing his glucose levels were rising.
But minutes later, HR sent him a message that left him both shocked and angry: “When administering your insulin shot, please do so in a private area, not in main areas. This causes stress and discomfort for other people.”
“I can understand that shots make some people uncomfortable,” the OP wrote. “Trust me, I’m one of those people. But I have to take them anyway.
“Am I overreacting to think that if you don’t want to see me take a shot, you can turn your head? Should I have to go to the bathroom, which only gets cleaned twice a week, and take my shots in secret like it’s a drug addiction?
“Perhaps it is just me, but I feel that not everything in life that makes us a little uncomfortable is something that has to be pushed out of sight.
“Sometimes we would benefit more from understanding, acceptance, and perhaps acclimation.”
He also pointed out that HR’s claim that the issue had been raised several times was inaccurate, saying he was scolded once in public a few years earlier during lunch.
Reddit users flocked to the comments to weigh in, with the overwhelming majority siding with the OP.
One advised, “Ask them for a private space; bathrooms are unsanitary,” while another added, “KEEP THIS in writing in case something happens in the future.
“I would write back via email or text that they are required to provide you with a private sanitary space, as others have mentioned. Ask when this accommodation will be ready.
“Personally, I would do 1 phone call with a lawyer for advice as well.”
Federal Guidance
Federal guidance appears to support the idea that workers with diabetes may need adjustments at work.
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), employers may need to provide “a private area to test their blood sugar levels or to administer insulin injections” as well as “breaks to eat or drink, take medication, or test blood sugar levels.”
The same EEOC guidance also says employers should be careful not to act on “myths, fears, or stereotypes about diabetes.”
Common Accommodations
At the same time, the guidance does not say insulin must always be taken out of public view.
The American Diabetes Association says common accommodations can include “the ability to test blood glucose and inject insulin anywhere at work.”
It also says that “If requested, a private area to test blood glucose or administer insulin” may be a reasonable accommodation.
That distinction became central to the reaction online. According to the OP, he was not asking for privacy.
Instead, he questioned why a life-sustaining medical act should be treated as something shameful or disruptive, especially if others could simply look away.
Newsweek has reached out to MeanderingDragon for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
