Chances are, you’ve got at least one diabetic employee in your workplace. What would you say if that person asked for an altered work schedule so she could eat regular meals, check her blood or exercise? Are you required by law to grant such requests?

Diabetes is not automatically a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). But as a new court ruling shows, if employees can prove their diabetes “substantially limits one of their major life activities,” such as eating, then the employee is legally disabled and protected by the ADA. As a result, supervisors would be required to engage in an interactive discussion to arrive at a reasonable accommodation.

Case in Point: Lisa Robbins, a television station manager, was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. She regularly worked 45 to 50 hours a week.

She repeatedly asked her supervisor and even his boss to reduce her hours and give her a “more manageable” work schedule so she could better control her diabetes with regular meal times, routine blood checks and the opportunity to exercise. Those requests were ignored. In fact, Robbins saw her workload increased after making the requests.

Robbins eventually resigned and filed an ADA lawsuit, claiming the station failed to accommodate her disability.

The TV station argued that Robbins couldn’t legally pursue an ADA case because she wasn’t “disabled” under the law. (The ADA protects people who are “substantially limited in a major life activity” yet can still perform the essential functions of the job, with or without a reasonable accommodation.)

The station claimed that her doctor’s recommendations to eat limited portions, have regular meal times and eat healthy was no different than recommendations made to nondisabled people who were trying to control their weight. (Robbins v. WXIX Raycom Media, S.D. Ohio, No. 1:06cv278, 3/5/08)

How did this case end … and what three lessons can be learned?