Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

BoredPanda Add post form topAdd Post Search
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Diabetic Employee Quits Her Job The Day Her Manager Goes Through Her Bag And, After Finding Her Syringe, Threatens To Call The Police
User submission
1.7K
97.6K

Diabetic Employee Quits Her Job The Day Her Manager Goes Through Her Bag And, After Finding Her Syringe, Threatens To Call The Police

ADVERTISEMENT

People like to repeat over and over that health is the biggest treasure and that we should take care of ourselves no matter what, but they only realize that when they get sick. It is an especially discouraging feeling when you have a disease that has no real cure and you are stuck with it for the rest of your life.

It sucks having a chronic illness on its own, but when other people don’t understand it and try to call the police on you for taking medication to manage it, it gets even more frustrating. If that example feels too specific, it is because a woman on TikTok shared this very experience in a video reenacting her conversation with her manager who found her insulin syringes in her bag.

More info: TikTok

A woman almost got the police called on her for having her insulin syringe in her bag at work

Image credits: thegebos

The woman is Abby Gebos and she has over 270k followers on TikTok where she shares videos about diabetes, fashion and other topics she considers to be important and can educate others on.

Abby has type 1 diabetes, which she was diagnosed with when she was 14 years old. In a YouTube video, the woman remembers that she started going to the bathroom really often and started falling asleep during lessons, which she would never do. She realized something was wrong and convinced her mom to take her to a doctor, who then quickly found out what was happening.

Abby has type 1 diabetes and uses a syringe to take her insulin which controls her blood sugar levels

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: thegebos

Diabetes is a quite common disease: according to the data of CDC, about 10 percent of Americans have it, but around 20 percent don’t even know that they do. They also predict that by 2040, more than half a billion people will be living with this disease.

There are actually two types of diabetes. They are called simply type 1 and type 2. The difference between them is that type 1 diabetes is a genetic condition and reveals itself early in life. The reason why the pancreas doesn’t produce insulin in type 1 diabetes is that a person’s immune system is destroying the cells that produce it.

Type 2 diabetes is developed over time and depends more on a person’s lifestyle. If someone has type 2 diabetes, it means that their body doesn’t make enough insulin or the insulin doesn’t do its function properly.

Both types of diabetes don’t have a definite cure, but they can be managed, so it’s not a fatal disease as long as the person is following the doctor’s instructions.

One time at work, her manager went through her bag without her permission and saw the syringe

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: thegebos

Abby has type 1 diabetes and to manage her disease, she has to take insulin to control her blood sugar levels. There are a few ways it can be taken: with a syringe, an insulin pen, insulin pump or insulin inhaler. The third and fourth way mentioned here can be expensive and it is more common to use syringes and pens.

Insulin is usually taken every day and some people might need to take it twice a day, so it is understandable why Abby had a syringe in her bag. Unfortunately, her manager saw it and made an incorrect assumption and was ready to call the police.

The manager assumed the syringe was for drugs and didn’t believe Abby when she told them this is how she takes her insulin, just because their niece takes it differently

Image credits: thegebos

Seeing the syringe, the manager thought that Abby probably was doing drugs even though they knew that the woman had diabetes. However, they were convinced that nobody used syringes to take insulin because their niece was using pumps, which, as mentioned above, is the more expensive method of treatment and Abby can’t afford it.

ADVERTISEMENT

The manager even asked their employee to prove that the syringe was meant for insulin by showing the vial and only then did they back off, excusing their behavior by saying that they were just making sure nobody who works there was using drugs.

Only when she showed the vial with the insulin did the manager change their mind about calling the police, but Abby didn’t want to take any chances and quit

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: Laura Stoinski (not the actual photo)

The day this incident happened, Abby quit her job and she was right to do so because not only was she disrespected for having a health condition, but the manager was also going through her things without asking.

The video was viewed by 85k people and many of them were appalled by the manager’s behavior, especially those who also have the condition. They believe that Abby has full right to sue the company and needs to report this to HR.

What do you think of Abby’s story? Has something similar ever happened to you? How did you deal with it? Let us know your thoughts and reactions in the comments!

People in the comments were suspicious about the manager snooping in Abby’s bag and found their behavior unacceptable

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

98Kviews

Share on Facebook
You May Like
Popular on Bored Panda
Start the discussion
Add photo comments
POST
lisah255 avatar
LH25
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm with those who wonder why he was going through her backpack in the first place.

dmitrijohnson avatar
alisahekkala avatar
Alisa Hekkala
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Funny that they think diabetics can't be skinny cuz you can lose lots of weight when diabetes hits.

saragregory0508 avatar
NsG
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not sure terminal weight loss is what they're referring to. But once again it's blind ignorance that diabetes is only ever an illness you bring upon yourself by being fat, instead of being a medical issue where one organ doesn't work properly. (Obviously way more complicat than that, but you get the point)

Load More Replies...
kiteflyer avatar
Ellie McGrath
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a nosy work colleague start rumours about myself and another colleague. I am LADA type 1 and my workmate Type 2. Mine is in the early stages and primarily controlled by a weekly GLP1 injection but I do have Novorapid Insulin Pens for spikes. Nosy complained because I injected at my desk and was on my phone playing games ( I use a continuous glucose monitor embedded in my skin that I scan with my phone ). She demanded that I go “shoot up in the toilet” and when she got in trouble for that she started making comments whenever I had to inject like “shooting up your drugs again”. She doesn’t work with us anymore for obvious reasons. As if being Diabetic isn’t hard enough without being accused of illicit drug use. We are also commonly accused of being fat, lazy, bringing it on ourselves, choosing to be diabetic even though we are born with it.

axanthus avatar
Drea Benoit
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If this is the US, you are NOT required to disclose any medical information or prove that you have a condition in situations like this. Also, randomly searching bags like that is illegal. I would have let the cops come and then filed as many actions against that manager as possible. Then I would have gone to HR (if it exists), or the CEO or whatever. That’s not OK

joanne_haywood65 avatar
Jods
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Type 2 diabetes runs in my family, both sides back to my great-great grandmother . I was diagnosed type 2 at the age of 42 and definitely not obese. I’ve never had much of a sweet tooth, never eat biscuits and would only have a sliver of cake if it was a colleagues birthday. My dad was around the same age when developed type 2 and built like a racing snake. He’s now on insulin I’m still on tablets but don’t have much control over blood sugar levels.

wehf100 avatar
Wilf
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"I can't afford to use a pump". Tell me you're in the USA without telling me you're in USA.

zanoni608 avatar
Patti Vance
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

first, why the hell is a manager going through personal item? i would have not quit but filed a suit immediately. had a similar situation when i was working. i had just been diagnosed with a degenerative disease. i would have good days & bad days. the latter would require me to go home early and/or use crutches to walk. was basically bullied into addressing my coworkers by my supervisor for informing them of my disease and why it was affecting my work hours. i had told my super & provided documentation but apparently my coworkers wanted more info. if i was the same person i am now i would have sued all their butts as it was humiliating.

dianaptr avatar
Richard A Petro
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Further evidence of the "Peter Principle" at work, a theory voiced by L. J. Peter which postulates that "people rise in a hierarchy until they reach a level in which they are no longer competent but still maintain the position". In short, most every middle manager.

robert-thornburrow avatar
Robert T
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From the description, his can only be in the US, but elsewhere in the world it is more common so see insulin pens, which use much smaller needles and can do multiple variable doses from an interchangable vial. They are much easier to use and less likely to upset Karens. Of course, elsewhere in the world, diabetics are not expected to pay the full price for vital medication, and in many case aren't expected to pay anything at all. Sort yourself out America!

geekygrl10 avatar
Haily Jynne
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It isn't just in America, myself and my sister both have type one. She prefers pens, I prefer syringes. Each are easy, great, and it depends on personal preference which you use. Coincidentally, most people in the US who take insulin injections without a pump use pens.

Load More Replies...
rujksyiiwcndblbnow avatar
Grabthar's screwdriver
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The sensible route would've been to keep his trap shut, refer it to HR and let them deal with it.

macjam47 avatar
Ally MacMann
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even if her boss was totally ignorant, there were several occasions in that conversation where most people would have probably realised they're wrong. I'm also guessing, given she didn't mention it, that the boss didn't give a grovelling apology when she (no doubt) googled it at home and realised she f'd up. I've never worked with or had any friends or family with diabetes and I've known about insulin injections since I was a kid. There's just no excuse for the boss.

saragregory0508 avatar
NsG
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are generally two approaches people take when they either realise they are wrong or are outright told they are wrong: a) apologise - grovelling or otherwise, it's an acknowledgement of their error, or b) double-down since they can't really *be* wrong - or even just appear to be wrong, especially not to underlings. No points for guessing which approach this boss took.

Load More Replies...
javier_herrera avatar
Mayo
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I dont understand why would manager go and assumed her a drug dealer when she got cleared of drug background/screen.... This is why I hate managers/supervisors.

keitho avatar
Keith O
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, it's an awful story. That boss is a huge liability.......fire them immediately and rehire this woman with a huge bonus negotiated for this horrid situation.

tomoneill_1 avatar
tom oneill
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even though you aren 't there anymore, sue their asses off.

liuba-vercellabaglione avatar
LilliVB
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And anyway, why this crazy manager is so ignorant to not know that a syringe is not meant only to take drugs? Besides diabetes, there are many other meds that are taken by a syringe in a muscle. For example some kind of corticosteroids, medication for thrombosis, antiinflammatories...She could have ten thousand reason to have a syringe (or more than one) in her bag. For herself, for family or friends that need meds taken by a syringe. Neither a police officer has the right to arrest you if you are found with only a syringe and no drugs, so why in the hell a manager can think that she can behave like that?

kds avatar
KDS
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Once I and my mother and father stayed at a local motel and we had a similar experience. The manager saw my mother with her insulin and asked us to leave and my mother told them earlier that she was diabetic.

hmoore_1 avatar
H M
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Husband was pulled over by police once, he used to carry glucose powder for his lows, messily, in a plastic bag in glovebox. Aha says cop...got you now! Taste it says husband. Massive look of disappointment on cops face. As if, it was a large bag, glucose spilled out all over in glovebox....clue perhaps?

dc1 avatar
DC
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

... would my Boss dare to look into my stuff, I wouldn't only sue him, but get that little physical about not being ok with that that I will not be punished for - slap him one time, and push him away from my stuff. Seriously, which dystopian nightmare do you live in that this is not a major problem, causing the boss major problems???

lisah255 avatar
LH25
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm with those who wonder why he was going through her backpack in the first place.

dmitrijohnson avatar
alisahekkala avatar
Alisa Hekkala
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Funny that they think diabetics can't be skinny cuz you can lose lots of weight when diabetes hits.

saragregory0508 avatar
NsG
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not sure terminal weight loss is what they're referring to. But once again it's blind ignorance that diabetes is only ever an illness you bring upon yourself by being fat, instead of being a medical issue where one organ doesn't work properly. (Obviously way more complicat than that, but you get the point)

Load More Replies...
kiteflyer avatar
Ellie McGrath
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a nosy work colleague start rumours about myself and another colleague. I am LADA type 1 and my workmate Type 2. Mine is in the early stages and primarily controlled by a weekly GLP1 injection but I do have Novorapid Insulin Pens for spikes. Nosy complained because I injected at my desk and was on my phone playing games ( I use a continuous glucose monitor embedded in my skin that I scan with my phone ). She demanded that I go “shoot up in the toilet” and when she got in trouble for that she started making comments whenever I had to inject like “shooting up your drugs again”. She doesn’t work with us anymore for obvious reasons. As if being Diabetic isn’t hard enough without being accused of illicit drug use. We are also commonly accused of being fat, lazy, bringing it on ourselves, choosing to be diabetic even though we are born with it.

axanthus avatar
Drea Benoit
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If this is the US, you are NOT required to disclose any medical information or prove that you have a condition in situations like this. Also, randomly searching bags like that is illegal. I would have let the cops come and then filed as many actions against that manager as possible. Then I would have gone to HR (if it exists), or the CEO or whatever. That’s not OK

joanne_haywood65 avatar
Jods
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Type 2 diabetes runs in my family, both sides back to my great-great grandmother . I was diagnosed type 2 at the age of 42 and definitely not obese. I’ve never had much of a sweet tooth, never eat biscuits and would only have a sliver of cake if it was a colleagues birthday. My dad was around the same age when developed type 2 and built like a racing snake. He’s now on insulin I’m still on tablets but don’t have much control over blood sugar levels.

wehf100 avatar
Wilf
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"I can't afford to use a pump". Tell me you're in the USA without telling me you're in USA.

zanoni608 avatar
Patti Vance
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

first, why the hell is a manager going through personal item? i would have not quit but filed a suit immediately. had a similar situation when i was working. i had just been diagnosed with a degenerative disease. i would have good days & bad days. the latter would require me to go home early and/or use crutches to walk. was basically bullied into addressing my coworkers by my supervisor for informing them of my disease and why it was affecting my work hours. i had told my super & provided documentation but apparently my coworkers wanted more info. if i was the same person i am now i would have sued all their butts as it was humiliating.

dianaptr avatar
Richard A Petro
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Further evidence of the "Peter Principle" at work, a theory voiced by L. J. Peter which postulates that "people rise in a hierarchy until they reach a level in which they are no longer competent but still maintain the position". In short, most every middle manager.

robert-thornburrow avatar
Robert T
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From the description, his can only be in the US, but elsewhere in the world it is more common so see insulin pens, which use much smaller needles and can do multiple variable doses from an interchangable vial. They are much easier to use and less likely to upset Karens. Of course, elsewhere in the world, diabetics are not expected to pay the full price for vital medication, and in many case aren't expected to pay anything at all. Sort yourself out America!

geekygrl10 avatar
Haily Jynne
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It isn't just in America, myself and my sister both have type one. She prefers pens, I prefer syringes. Each are easy, great, and it depends on personal preference which you use. Coincidentally, most people in the US who take insulin injections without a pump use pens.

Load More Replies...
rujksyiiwcndblbnow avatar
Grabthar's screwdriver
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The sensible route would've been to keep his trap shut, refer it to HR and let them deal with it.

macjam47 avatar
Ally MacMann
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even if her boss was totally ignorant, there were several occasions in that conversation where most people would have probably realised they're wrong. I'm also guessing, given she didn't mention it, that the boss didn't give a grovelling apology when she (no doubt) googled it at home and realised she f'd up. I've never worked with or had any friends or family with diabetes and I've known about insulin injections since I was a kid. There's just no excuse for the boss.

saragregory0508 avatar
NsG
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are generally two approaches people take when they either realise they are wrong or are outright told they are wrong: a) apologise - grovelling or otherwise, it's an acknowledgement of their error, or b) double-down since they can't really *be* wrong - or even just appear to be wrong, especially not to underlings. No points for guessing which approach this boss took.

Load More Replies...
javier_herrera avatar
Mayo
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I dont understand why would manager go and assumed her a drug dealer when she got cleared of drug background/screen.... This is why I hate managers/supervisors.

keitho avatar
Keith O
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, it's an awful story. That boss is a huge liability.......fire them immediately and rehire this woman with a huge bonus negotiated for this horrid situation.

tomoneill_1 avatar
tom oneill
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even though you aren 't there anymore, sue their asses off.

liuba-vercellabaglione avatar
LilliVB
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And anyway, why this crazy manager is so ignorant to not know that a syringe is not meant only to take drugs? Besides diabetes, there are many other meds that are taken by a syringe in a muscle. For example some kind of corticosteroids, medication for thrombosis, antiinflammatories...She could have ten thousand reason to have a syringe (or more than one) in her bag. For herself, for family or friends that need meds taken by a syringe. Neither a police officer has the right to arrest you if you are found with only a syringe and no drugs, so why in the hell a manager can think that she can behave like that?

kds avatar
KDS
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Once I and my mother and father stayed at a local motel and we had a similar experience. The manager saw my mother with her insulin and asked us to leave and my mother told them earlier that she was diabetic.

hmoore_1 avatar
H M
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Husband was pulled over by police once, he used to carry glucose powder for his lows, messily, in a plastic bag in glovebox. Aha says cop...got you now! Taste it says husband. Massive look of disappointment on cops face. As if, it was a large bag, glucose spilled out all over in glovebox....clue perhaps?

dc1 avatar
DC
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

... would my Boss dare to look into my stuff, I wouldn't only sue him, but get that little physical about not being ok with that that I will not be punished for - slap him one time, and push him away from my stuff. Seriously, which dystopian nightmare do you live in that this is not a major problem, causing the boss major problems???

Popular on Bored Panda
Trending on Bored Panda
Also on Bored Panda