For 2025, the International Diabetes Federation calls on organisations to “Know more and do more for diabetes at work.” It’s an invitation for employers to recognise how deeply diabetes and wellbeing are linked, and to take action in creating inclusive environments that support employees living with the condition. By making small, thoughtful changes, workplaces can make a big difference in helping their people live well, work productively, and feel genuinely supported.
The Reality of Diabetes at Work
For many, managing diabetes requires careful planning, regular glucose monitoring, scheduled meals, and, at times, adjustments to work routines. Yet, in most workplaces, diabetes remains a silent challenge. Employees often face stigma, misunderstanding, or simply a lack of awareness about what living with diabetes entails. According to a Diabetes UK survey , the vast majority of people with diabetes face judgement for their condition in settings like the workplace, affecting 86% of those with type 1 and 75% of those with type 2.
Something as simple as needing an extra break to test blood sugar or have a snack can be misinterpreted as disengagement. Shift work, long meetings, or high-pressure deadlines can make it harder to maintain consistent routines. For some, fear of judgement or discrimination discourages disclosure, leading to stress and reduced performance.
But when organisations take steps to understand and accommodate these needs, the results are tangible: higher morale, improved productivity, and stronger employee loyalty. Supportive environments empower people to manage their health confidently, which benefits both the individual and the business.
Why Employers Should Act
Creating a workplace that supports diabetes management isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also a smart business decision. Healthy, supported employees are more engaged, take fewer sick days, and are better equipped to perform at their best.
Beyond the moral imperative, employers have a strategic reason to act. Chronic conditions like diabetes are among the leading causes of absenteeism and presenteeism. Even small improvements in employee wellbeing can lead to measurable returns in productivity and retention.
Supporting employees with diabetes also aligns with broader corporate goals around Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards and workplace inclusion.
As the Global campaign from the International Diabetes Foundation reminds us, it’s time for workplaces to “Know more and do more for diabetes at work.”
Practical Steps for Employers
Creating a diabetes-friendly workplace doesn’t always require sweeping reforms. A lot can be done with empathy, education, and small, consistent actions.
1. Create Awareness and Education
Awareness is the first step toward change. Many employees and managers still lack a clear understanding of diabetes and how it affects daily life. Employers can close this gap by hosting awareness events, wellness webinars, or short learning sessions around World Diabetes Day.
Providing resources from credible organisations such as the International Diabetes Federation or the NHS helps normalise conversations about health in the workplace. These sessions can also address myths and misconceptions, empowering teams to offer informed support to colleagues living with diabetes.
2. Promote Flexibility and Inclusion
A culture of flexibility can transform the experience of employees managing chronic conditions. Simple adjustments such as flexible working hours and allowance for regular meal breaks can make daily management far easier.
HR teams can ensure policies explicitly include chronic health conditions, reinforcing that disclosure won’t lead to stigma or penalty. Training managers to handle these conversations with empathy and discretion can go a long way in building trust and psychological safety.
3. Encourage Healthy Living Through Workplace Initiatives
Physical activity plays a major role in both preventing and managing diabetes. Encouraging regular movement can help employees stabilise blood sugar, improve cardiovascular health, and boost mental wellbeing.
Workplaces can promote this by introducing wellbeing initiatives that make fitness more accessible. This could include walking meetings, on-site wellness sessions, or, for greater flexibility, partnerships with platforms like Hussle, which provides employees with access to thousands of gyms, pools, and fitness facilities nationwide. With a benefit like Hussle, employees can stay active in a way that suits their lifestyle, location, and schedule, thereby making it easier to prioritise movement as part of daily life rather than an afterthought.
Alongside fitness, small nutritional shifts matter too. Offering healthy food options at meetings or in canteens, and promoting balanced snacks over sugary alternatives, helps reinforce the message that the workplace cares about long-term wellbeing.
4. Integrate Diabetes Awareness into Broader Wellbeing Policies
Diabetes should not be treated in isolation. The most effective workplace wellbeing programmes are holistic. They integrate physical health, nutrition, and mental wellbeing. Employers can include diabetes education within broader health strategies, offering screenings, wellness checks, and workshops that empower early detection and prevention.
Regular communication about health benefits and wellbeing resources ensures employees know what’s available to them. When wellbeing initiatives are embedded into company culture, participation becomes the norm rather than the exception.
Building a Culture of Understanding and Empowerment
The most impactful support happens when awareness evolves into culture. This means creating an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing health challenges without fear of judgement. Peer support networks, employee resource groups, or wellbeing champions can provide safe spaces for conversation and encouragement.
Encouraging open dialogue also helps normalise the idea that managing health is part of everyday life, not a limitation. When employees feel supported, they’re more engaged, creative, and collaborative. A culture that empowers people to thrive physically and mentally benefits everyone.
Turning Awareness into Action
World Diabetes Day 2025 is a timely reminder that health and productivity go hand in hand. For employers, it’s an opportunity to move beyond awareness and take meaningful action, to create workplaces where people living with diabetes feel seen, supported, and included.
At Hussle, we believe in the power of movement and flexibility as key tools for better health outcomes. Just as companies provide health insurance as a safety net, offering flexible fitness benefits is a proactive way to prevent health issues, including those linked to diabetes, before they arise.
By helping employees stay active anywhere and anytime, fitness benefits become an investment in long-term health and organisational resilience.
This World Diabetes Day, let’s honour the theme, “Diabetes and the Workplace” by building environments that make wellbeing part of everyday work life. Because when employers know more and do more for diabetes, everyone wins.
