Diabetes in the workplace is becoming more prominent as an increasing number of people are diagnosed with the condition every year. More than 4.9 million people in the UK are currently living with diabetes, and by 2030 Diabetes UK predicts that over 5.5 million people will have a diagnosis.
To coincide with World Diabetes Day (November 14th), Dr Richardson, consultant endocrinologist at Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital, is highlighting why employers need to understand what diabetes is, what impact it could have on their staff and business and how they can support those who have diabetes.
“Diabetes is a condition that causes a person’s blood sugar to increase and there are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 develops when the body’s immune system attacks the pancreas, stopping it producing insulin. If left untreated, type 1 is life threatening, but the effects can be reversed once the patient is given insulin.
“The most common is type 2 diabetes which is often caused when insulin is not being used for carbohydrate metabolism but being redirected into fat metabolism. Type 2 can potentially be reversed with weight loss, therefore releasing more insulin to deal with meal carbs.
“While not everyone can lose enough weight to reverse their type 2 diabetes, healthy eating and regular exercise can improve blood sugars and reduce the long-term problems that are associated with diabetes.
“As an employer, it’s important you understand the condition to be able to support your staff with diabetes and know the impact it could have on health and safety at work if not managed correctly. Health and safety risks could include impaired awareness and reduced concentration which could lead to accidents. All this could result in increased time off work for those not correctly managing diabetes.
“So as an employer, what could you do to support employees with diabetes. Here are some practical tips:
- Open up the conversation – Having an honest conversation around diabetes can help in many ways. It can improve employee mental health and wellbeing and you will gain an understanding of how they are coping.
- Provide privacy – those with diabetes may need to take insulin injections or check blood sugar levels throughout the working day. Give them access to do this, which will provide peace of mind as well as reduce stress.
- Stop sitting down – Encourage people to take the stairs or go for a walk while on the phone and at lunch time. Also, consider standing workstations.
- Look at your company values – Aside from supporting staff who have diabetes, there are improvements you could make to reduce the risk of diabetes. You can make healthier choices in food and drink available in the workplace, encourage exercise and work-life balance and have policies on mental health and wellbeing.
“Diabetes is can have a significant effect on peoples’ quality of life. If dealt with well in the first few years, there is evidence that the body develops a metabolic memory resulting in fewer complications later on. Therefore, taking it seriously right from the beginning is paramount and as an employer you can play your part to help with this.”