Diabetes Week 2025
- Corazon Health
- Jun 2
- 7 min read
Highlighting the role of workplaces in promoting diabetes prevention, treatment, and management.
about diabetes week
Diabetes Week (09th-15th June 2025) is an annual initiative organised by Diabetes UK aiming to raise awareness of diabetes and shine a light on what it’s like to live with this condition. The campaign also encourages people to make positive lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is one of the biggest public health challenges facing the UK. Diabetes UK estimates that more than 5.8 million people in the UK are living with diabetes, which is an all-time high. Also, many people have blood sugar levels above the normal range, but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes. This is sometimes known as pre-diabetes.
Diabetes occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to make insulin, or when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces. There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 (1 in 10 people with diabetes have this type) and Type 2 (accounts for around 90% of all diabetes cases).
Diabetes is a serious condition, which left untreated, can lead to long-term complications. Public education on diabetes is critical to improving early diagnosis rates and supporting better long-term health outcomes. This year's Diabetes Week is a perfect opportunity to highlight the importance of diabetes prevention, treatment, and management.
DIABETES IN THE WORKPLACE
Employers should be aware of the implications of living with diabetes, encourage greater understanding of this condition in their employees, and take steps to address unhealthy work environments. Although most people are able to control their diabetes very effectively and the condition has little or no impact on their work-life, employers may need to support employees so that they can stay in work.
Reasonable adjustments
Under the terms of the Equality Act 2010, diabetes can be considered as a disability. The Equality act 2010 defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that has had a substantial and long-term negative effect on a person’s ability to do normal daily activities, whereby long-term means 12 months or more. Because diabetes is a long-term condition which can seriously affect a person's ability to do normal day-to-day activities if it's not treated, they may be considered disabled under the Act. This means employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments if needed. There are many small, simple, and cost-effective adjustments that an employer can make to support an employee with diabetes, for example:
making temporary changes to an employee’s work pattern or shift
allowing regular breaks to allow employees to monitor their blood sugar levels and administer their dose of insulin
creating a safe, discrete and clean environment to administer insulin
providing ‘sharps’ boxes to safely dispose of used medical supplies
providing access to glucose sweets or drinks in an emergency
providing specialists equipment like screen readers or larger computer monitors to display increased font sizes or screen magnification software if employees have issues with eye sight associated with diabetes
giving time off to attend routine medical appointments and health check ups, or take part in diabetes education courses to help them learn about their condition and how to manage it
The impact of diabetes varies among individuals, therefore it is important to assess an employee's situation and see what specific support they may need. Through our Management Referral Service, the Occupational Health Advisors can advise on reasonable adjustments and provide guidance on how employee with diabetes can be supported in the workplace.
Risk assessment
Employers may want to consider conducting a risk assessment for employees in safety critical roles who are diabetic to ensure a safe working environment and take the right precautions to protect employees and others from harm. It is because people with diabetes are at risk of having hypoglycaemia (hypo). A hypo is when the blood glucose levels drop too low and can cause various symptoms, such as shaking, blurred vision, disorientation, problems with balance, or a sudden loss of consciousness. If an employee experiences a hypo while carrying out tasks like operating heavy machinery or driving, the consequences can be serious and even fatal. It is important that those conducting the risk assessment, such as line managers, have both an understanding of the specific job role, diabetes as a condition and how it is managed. When carrying out a risk assessment, they should think about possible risks arising from diabetes and what necessary control measures could be put in place, for example checking glucose levels before operating machinery or driving, followed by repeat tests during breaks. The risk assessment should be periodically reviewed in order to monitor the implementation of the action plan and effectiveness of agreed control measures.
Mental health support
"One in four people with type 1 diabetes have high levels of diabetes distress, as do one in five people with type 2 diabetes."
Diabetes doesn’t just affect people’s physical health - it can also have a negative impact on their emotional wellbeing and mental health too. According to Diabetes UK, emotional and mental health problems, such as diabetes distress and depression, are common among people with diabetes and are mainly associated with poor self-management, diabetes-related complications, reduced quality of life, as well as increased health care costs.
The diagnosis of diabetes is a life changing event and the beginning of a new reality. During the first months following diagnosis, people can feel overwhelmed by different aspects of self-management. Pressures of living with a demanding long-term condition, such as monitoring blood glucose, taking regular medication, following a special diet, or attending frequent appointments can really cause emotional stress for an individual. Therefore, it's crucial that people with diabetes have access to psychological treatment and support to reduce psychological distress. Employers can signpost staff to available mental health services like Diabetes UK helpline or NHS Talking Therapies, and resources to manage emotional aspect of diabetes, such as Diabetes UK Learning Zone, podcast, and guide. Also, if you have a counselling support service or Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in place, ensure that employees know how to access these services.
At Corazon Health we are able to organise both face to face and telephone counselling sessions which are conducted by practitioners registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. We also offer an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which provides 24/7, 365 counselling line and medical information line where qualified nurses and advisors are on-hand to offer support and guidance on a range of issues.
Awareness and education
Whilst type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, the risk of type 2 diabetes can be reduced through combined lifestyle interventions including diet, physical activity and sustained weight loss. Diabetes UK estimates that approximately 6.3 million people are at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the UK based on their blood sugar levels. Employers can play a crucial role in promoting healthy lifestyle through various workplace initiatives to help employees reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This includes:
providing educational tools, resources, and information, for example:
offering ‘taste and try’ days with a selection of healthy snacks
hosting a cookery workshop to help employees learn how to prepare quick, healthy meals that are easy to replicate at home
organising 1-2-1 sessions with a dietician who can give your staff professional, evidence-based advice and help them to create their own personalised meal plans
ensuring that there is always a selection of healthy snacks during workplace events, in the vending machines and in the canteen
running seminars or webinars on healthy eating, physical activity and its impact on health and wellbeing
providing sports facilities at work or offering discounted gym membership
encouraging staff to start a walking club at work. Workplace Walking - a project toolkit from Paths for all charity can provide you with some information and resources that will help staff start their walking club and promote it in the workplace
inviting a personal trainer to the workplace to conduct fitness classes during lunch breaks
organising a step challenge to encourage employees to be more active by tracking and counting the number of steps taken over a certain period of time. It could be organised as an individual competition in which each participant competes against one another, or as a team-based challenge in which everyone’s steps are combined to achieve one goal. Employers might also think about some prizes as incentives for employees to join the step challenge, e.g. offering gift vouchers for the winning team
turning some of the work meetings into ‘walking meetings‘ where employees can discuss matters and collaborate while taking a walk
introducing The Cycle to Work Scheme - a salary-sacrifice employee benefit that enables staff to save up on the cost of a new bike and safety equipment
Physical activity, healthy eating and healthier weight: a toolkit for employers offers further practical, evidence-based guidance on how employers can support their staff to improve their health and achieve a healthier working environment.
Onsite health checks
Diabetes UK estimates that 1.3 million people could be living with type 2 diabetes who are yet to be diagnosed. With so many people being unaware that they may have diabetes, employers may want to consider incorporating regular screening assessments into their wellbeing programme to help employees detect the condition early on. Our Employee Health Checks can help to identify employees who are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, so that they can be directed to their GP for further tests to diagnose diabetes. These health checks can not only help to catch a condition early on, but also empower employees to make lifestyle adjustments as a preventative measure.
Diabetes can be a challenging condition which often requires frequent blood sugar monitoring, careful diet and exercise management and, in many cases, regular insulin administration. Despite this, people with diabetes are employed in the full range of jobs and having diabetes doesn’t stop them having fulfilling careers. Some employees may, at some point, need support or adjustments to employment practices to help them manage their condition and ensure they remain healthy, safe and productive. Supporting someone with diabetes at work. A guide for employers and colleagues from Diabetes UK and Workplace Toolkit for Employers from Breakthrough T1D can provide employers with further information on how diabetes can affect someone in the workplace and what support can be provided. Also, the Diabetes UK offers Work and diabetes. A guide for people with diabetes which has some useful information on employees rights and where they can access additional support.
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