How employers can help employees better manage diabetes

Many workers with diabetes say they hide their condition from employers and coworkers. Here's how to get them to open up.

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert | February 24, 2020 at 10:11 AM

Diabetes is one of the most expensive diseases affecting U.S. employers, yet many workers try to keep it a secret, according to a Roche Diabetes Care survey of 500 U.S. adults with the disease.

Indeed, 40 percent of the workers polled say they keep their disease hidden from their bosses and co-workers–half are concerned they will be judged differently from their peers and a third worry it may hinder their chances of being promoted.

However, most (81 percent) say they would be less likely to hide their disease if their employer offered a personalized, company-sponsored wellness program to help combat their diabetes. As it stands now, 38 percent say they don’t participate in their employer’s programs because they find them generic and not motivational. A further 22 percent say wellness programs, and even some diabetes-specific programs, are not tailored to their needs.

Virtually all (92 percent) would use a diabetes management program if it included personalized digital coaching and blood sugar tracking to simplify disease management at work and home.

Such programs not only can help workers improve their health, it can also help an employer’s bottom line, so says Roche Diabetes Health Connection’s white paper, “Changing the course and costs of diabetes at work: Best practices for employers.”

“Poorly managed diabetes can impact employee productivity, and reduced productivity due to inadequately managed diabetes comes at a substantial cost,” the authors write. “Full-time employees living with diabetes miss an average of 5.5 more days each year compared to others, and also can struggle with productivity as a result of common diabetes-related side effects such as fatigue.”

However, if their employer offered a personalized diabetes management program, 84 percent of those surveyed say they would be more confident at work, less stressed at work (78 percent), more productive (81 percent) and less likely to leave the company (79 percent).

The white paper recommends best practices for employers to help reduce the impacts of diabetes on their workers and organization, including cultivating a culture that “champions and supports an individualized and authentic approach to wellness and engaged diabetes care.”

Ways to accomplish this include offering the option of dedicated and/or private spaces where blood glucose monitoring, insulin delivery and other needs can be taken care of; hosting in-office diabetes-related education for all employees to encourage awareness, understanding and support across colleagues; offering health fairs that might include optional blood pressure and cholesterol monitoring, among other strategies.

Employers should also prioritize a personalized approach with digital, 24/7 coaching support and motivate employee participation and engagement.

“Employers should actively promote any diabetes-support programs that are launched with internal marketing and onboarding activities to help boost employee enrollment and usage,” the authors write. “Sharing and celebrating resonant success stories and testimonials internally can also be an effective means of boosting morale, promoting adherence and rallying others to get involved.”

Katie Kuehner-Hebert is a freelance writer based in Running Springs, Calif. She has more than three decades of journalism experience, with particular expertise in employee benefits and other human resource topics.

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