Creating a Diabetic Inclusive Workplace - Diabetes in the Workplace

TITLE - Creating a Diabetic Inclusive Workplace

SERIES - Illness is not a burden

SECTION: Diabetes in the Workplace

RUN TIME: 18 minutes

Is your workplace truly supportive of employees with diabetes? 

Here’s why it’s time to step up!  

With nearly 6 million people in the UK living with diabetes, it’s a workforce reality we can’t ignore. Organizations that fail to understand their legal responsibilities may lose talent and face increased absenteeism, costing billions every year.   

Creating a genuine workplace means making reasonable adjustments and fostering an environment where everyone can thrive. Inclusive policies are not just a legal requirement; they signal maturity and attract top talent.  

Let’s shift the conversation from blame to action. The organizations that treat chronic illness as valuable information rather than a burden will lead in talent retention and productivity.  

How does your workplace support chronic conditions? 

Share your thoughts with me, and share this episode with others.

#DiabetesInTheWorkplace #ChronicIllnessAwareness #InclusiveWorkplace #EmployeeWellbeing #WorkplaceHealth

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Relatively low friction actions that leading organizations are taking. First, build manager capability. The 63% figure on unsupportive managers tells us that the gap is often at the front line. Short practical training, what diabetes looks like from day to day, how to respond to a hypo, how to discuss adjustments without making it awkward can change culture fast. I'm your host, Ellie Evans, and today we are turning the lens to the employer side of our series Diabetes in the Workplace. How can UK organizations create genuine workplaces for people living with diabetes? That's workplaces that don't just meet legal minimums, but actively maximize productivity, retain experienced talent, and become magnets for the best people in the competitive market. With nearly six million people in the UK now living with diabetes, an all-time high according to latest diabetes UK figures, projections showing that one in ten working age adults affected by 2030, this is no longer a niche issue. It is a strategic workforce reality. Now many employers are doing their best, yet the data shows there is still a persistent gap. Specialist analysis referenced by the British Safety Council highlights that employees with diabetes take an extra two to ten days of sickness absence per year on average. Across the UK, that contributes to around 1 billion in additional absenteeism costs, with presentedism people at work but not fully at capacity adding to an estimated 3 to 4 billion in lost output. Now if you add that to the broader picture from 2026's Keep Britain Working Review, poor workplace health already costs the UK employers around 85 billion.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

With diabetes sitting inside of that number as both a risk but also an opportunity. But this episode isn't about blame. It's about clarity and action.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

We're gonna look at the business case, legal foundations, practical steps that deliver measurable returns, and how getting this right positions your organization as a place where talented people choose to stay and grow.

SPEAKER_00 4:19

So why does this matter? Why does it matter?

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Let's start with the numbers that matter to showboards and leadership teams. Productivity losses come in two forms. Azzenteism is visible. Presenteism is the hidden drag, fatigue, concentration dips from blue-coloasts, fluctuations, or the mental load of managing a condition without support, when people feel that they must hide or push through, the output suffers quietly. And retention is equally concrete. People with long-term conditions who feel unsupported are more likely to leave or reduce their hours. Now, in a tight labour market, losing experienced colleagues carries a real replacement costs, recruitment on boarding, lost knowledge, and interim. A lot of knowledge. I can't say these words today. It's horrendous. But you know what I meant. Institutional, that's the word. That's the word I was looking for. Institutional knowledge. Now, if you've if you were listening to the audit in our last episode, here we are, the ripple effect. Conversely, organizations that make reasonable adjustments and create psychological safety will see higher engagement and loyalty. Talent attraction is the forward edge. Because the workforce is changing. Now, type 2 diabetes is rising among younger adults, and the talent you want to hire, high performance who bring in skill, creativity, leadership, increasingly expect employers to understand that chronic illness is a part of life. Inclusive policies that are no longer soft, they are a signal of organizational maturity and a competitive differential data. Now at the chronic edge in framing, the organizations that treat the body's information as valuable data rather than a problem to manage around are the ones building sustainable advantages over the rest of the competition. But there is also the risk. Nearly one in six working people with diabetes already report feeling discriminated against. When that leads to formal complaints or tribunals, the cost, financial representation and leadership time mount up very, very quickly.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

Proactive inclusion is simply better risk management.

SPEAKER_01 7:31

Employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments so people can perform their roles without a substantial disadvantage. It's not an optional goodwill. It is a legal requirement. Reasonable adjustments often cost little or nothing, flexibility around breaks for meals, blue gokos checks, or treat in a hypo, a private space for insulin administration, time off for clinical appointments, or structured educational programmes, adjusted start and finish times, or even hybrid arrangements during periods of poorer control are just some examples. Health and safety at work obligations also apply. Roles that are safety critical or involve driving require individual risk assessments, not just blanket assumptions. The DBLA has specific rules for license holders. Employers must factor these in fairly. Slightly different in Northern Ireland as they operate under Disability Discrimination Act 1995 with similar principles. So number one, ensure leaders and HR understand the legal duty and the definition of disability. Number two, train line managers not just on policy, but on the human reality of diabetes and how to have supportive conversations. Three, conduct role civic risk assessments where relevant. Diabetes fits naturally inside a broader chronic illness or inclusive well-being strategy. The edge comes from treating it as part of that integrated approach rather than a one-off compliance exercise.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

So let's look at steps that deliver returns.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

So what does good look like in practice? Now here are some high impact, relatively low friction actions that leading organizations are taking. First, build manager capability. The 63% figure on unsupportive managers tells us that the gap is often at the front line. Short practical training, what diabetes looks like from day to day, how to respond to a hypo, how to discuss adjustments without making it awkward, can change culture fast. Now pair this with clear escalation routes to occupational health or HR. Next, normalize disclosure without the pressure.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

People should not have to choose between their health and their career.

SPEAKER_01 10:53

Create psychological safety through visible leadership commitment, clear policies and stories with permission of colleagues who have thrived with support. Many adjustments only become possible once someone feels safe enough to speak up. Next, make flexible structural rather than exceptional. Review policies on working patterns, break times, and time off for medical needs, build in the ability to plan around own patterns, for example, protecting deep focus blocks during stable glucose windows, or allowing recovery time after a difficult night.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

Now this benefits everyone, not just those with diabetes.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

Next, provide practical facilities and tools, private space for checks or injections, easy access to suitable food or hypool treatment if required. Sign posting to external resources, Diabetes UK for Guides, Diabetes Safety Organization Self-Assessment, and Tackling Diabetes Safety Charter. Some organisations are exploring access to work funding or equipment or support. Next up is measure what matters. Track sickness, absence, and presented patterns by long-term condition where possible, obviously anonymously. Run inclusion poll surveys that specifically ask about support for chronic illness. Monitor retention and engagement scores for colleagues who have disclosed long-term conditions. Use the data to iterate this as information your organization needs to improve. Next, integrate prevention and broader well-being. Now, while this episode focuses on employees already living with diabetes, supporting healthier workforce cultures movement, nutrition, stress management helps everybody reduce further incidents. It also signals that your organization takes long-term health seriously. Now these tips aren't expensive, they're intentional. The return shows up in reduced hidden productivity losses, lower turnover, fewer formal complaints, and a representation and a reputation that attracts people who want to bring their full capacity to your business.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

So, how do you know is working?

SPEAKER_01 13:41

You need to look for the following reduced and unplanned absence and presentism among colleagues managing diabetes. Higher retention and internal progression rates for those with long-term conditions. Positive feedback in engagement or inclusion surveys on manager support and psychological safety. Successful recruitment of high calibre candidates who cite inclusive policies as a factor for joining your company. Fewer escalations to the formal processes. Type 2 diabetes, as I said, is rising in younger adults and overall prevalence is climbing. The proportion of your workforce managing a chronic condition now will unfortunately only grow. Organizations that built have built in inclusive systems now will have the infrastructure ready. Those that wait will be playing catch up while the competitors pull ahead on the talent and output. Now this also aligns with wider government and economic priorities around reducing economic inactivity and supporting people with health conditions to stay in fulfilling work. The Keep Britain Working Agenda and related reviews make it clear that employer action or long-term health is part of the national productivity. With the chronic edge in framing, most forward-thinking employers are not just simply accommodating diabetes. They are decoding the information the body provides, patterns of energy, focus resilience, and creating conditions that where information becomes an asset rather than a liability.

SPEAKER_00 15:46

Now, this is how you build workplaces where chronic illness and high performance coexist.

SPEAKER_01 15:57

Now, if you lead in this work, start with these simple UK sources and I will add them as always.

SPEAKER_00 16:13

The British Safety Council and Diabetes Safety Organization resources. The ACAS Guidance on Reasonable Adjustments and Disability Discrimination.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

Consider bringing in a specialist training or reviewing your existing long-term conditions policy through this lens. Many organizations find that once they address diabetes well, the approach transfers naturally to other chronic illnesses. Supporting people to manage their condition effectively is one of the highest leverage things you can do for output, loyalty, and reputation. So thank you for listening, and remember, illness is not a burden, it's information. Use it and unleash the edge in your career, your business, and your life.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

I've been Elliot Evans, and I'll see you on the other side.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

Thank you. Goodbye.