This week is National Diabetes Week… what better time to talk about what you can do to support a worker who may be living with this condition!?

People living with diabetes work in a wide variety of industries, with little or no impact on their ability to perform their role, but they might need some support to ensure they are able to stay healthy and productive.

If you have an employee living with diabetes, here are a few things you can do to help:

• Allow for additional breaks so that the worker can check their blood glucose levels, or eat a snack in between meal breaks
• Give the worker access to a private, clean area to check their blood glucose levels, administer insulin, or other medications. Refrigeration may also be required for safe storage
• Try to offer stable / consistent hours of work so that the worker can maintain a regular routine
• Offer flexibility to attend medical appointments

It may also be beneficial to put in place a Workplace Diabetes Plan detailing:

• Medication storage requirements
• Equipment storage, location and disposal
• Hypoglycaemia (hypo) first aid at work
• Where in the workplace to perform diabetes related health tasks

If you’d like to learn more, Diabetes Victoria have some great resources to help you get started.

An employer’s guide to diabetes in the workplace

Diabetes in the workplace checklist

Source: Diabetes Victoria