Diabetes Awareness Week: How employers and managers can help staff with the condition - Ryan Daniels

That’s especially important as this week is Diabetes Awareness Week.

And it might be hard to believe in 2023 but there is still a long way to go in achieving this.

Many people with diabetes feel they’ve been discriminated against because of their condition. Not being allowed to take breaks at certain or consistent times in order to inject insulin has been a common complaint, for example.

Having a confirmed lunch break may sound trivial but not being able to manage your condition effectively is very stressful, downright dangerous, and it can even force people to change jobs or careers in the long run.

Another concern is that bonuses due will be withheld due to someone with diabetes having more sick days than is permitted through a bonus agreement. And unbelievably, many employees can still face hurtful comments or jokes about their condition, which is discrimination, plain and simple. Nobody with diabetes would choose to have a chronic condition, and it can develop at any stage of life. That includes type one diabetes, which I was diagnosed with at the age of one.

During this awareness week I wanted to share some simple adjustments business leaders and managers - no matter the size of their company - can make today to make workplaces diabetes-friendly.

● If you manage someone who has acknowledged they have diabetes, ask if there is anything you can do to support them at work. Make sure they know they can talk to you about it at any time.

● Most people manage their diabetes, so it doesn’t affect their work, through careful planning. Providing a dedicated room or corner where they can inject insulin or take medication often makes the process easier, rather than having to use the toilets where there is less physical space, and there are hygiene concerns.

● Before bringing in any changes to work or break times, give the employee a chance to comment and raise any concerns about how this will affect their diabetes management.

● Diabetes is a chronic condition and when people with it get ill, they may need to do extra blood sugar checks or manage what they eat more closely. Providing flexible working options as appropriate and allowing them time to get fully better is helpful.

● Unsurprisingly, being diabetic comes with a lot of extra healthcare appointments! These aren’t an optional extra, but an essential part of managing the condition.

Understand they will need this appointment time to manage their condition in the best way, and check that your workplace policies align with this need.

The measures above aren’t exhaustive but they are a good place to start. They won’t cost your business any money, but they will make a huge difference to the wellbeing of employees.

Ryan Daniels is managing director at Hydra Creative, a digital transformation specialist agency in Sheffield.