Diabetes Awareness - Are You Supporting Employees?
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Diabetes affects the lives of many Canadians but many organizations do not offer accommodations for employees with diabetes. It’s time for a change.
One in three Canadians live with diabetes or prediabetes but the knowledge of the risk and complications of having diabetes remains low. In the province of Ontario alone there are around 4.62 million people living with and often suffering from diabetes or pre-diabetes and it is projected to increase to 5.6 million people. It is costing health systems $1.7 billion in the province of Ontario.
According to Diabetes Canada, individuals 20 years of age today face a 50% chance of developing diabetes in their lifetime and only 50% of Canadians can identify half of the early warning signs of diabetes.
What you may not know is that each year, diabetes accounts for:
30 percent of strokes,
40 percent of heart attacks,
50 percent of kidney failure requiring dialysis and
70 percent of non-traumatic amputations in Canada each year.
With cases of diabetes being so high accounting for many health-related issues, why is there still a stigma around diabetes?
This month we open up the conversation on diabetes and offer some ways that you can understand diabetes better while also creating awareness in your organization.
What Diabetes Is and how to Regulate it
The first step to understanding diabetes is knowing what it is and what it does to a person’s body. According to the Centre for Disease Control, diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. When you consume food, the food is broken down into glucose, also known as sugar, and released into the bloodstream. When your blood sugar increases, it signals your pancreas to create insulin. Insulin allows your body to let the blood sugar into your body’s cells to be used as energy.
However, the bodies of those living with diabetes do not make enough insulin or cannot use the insulin as it should. When this happens, too much blood sugar stays in the bloodstream and can lead to various health problems such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.
Taking insulin is the main way to regulate diabetes. Insulin is prescribed by a physician or nurse practitioner to monitor glucose levels and keep diabetes in check. Insulin can also be taken through insulin pens, insulin pumps or even through jet injections.
By understanding what diabetes is, you eliminate any misconceptions that might arise when talking to employees who live with diabetes. Learning how diabetes affects the employees living with it can also give you as an employer insight into what the risks might be if your employee experiences any health-related issues related to their diabetes and how to help them if necessary. Create an open and safe space for employees to feel comfortable discussing their needs, and also keep in mind the employee’s privacy to share only with whom they wish to.
Know the Types of Diabetes
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, it is important to understand the different types of diabetes in order to best be able to accommodate. There are three types of Diabetes to be aware of: Type 1, Type 2, Gestational, and Prediabetes.
Type 1 diabetes can develop at every age and for people of every race, shape, and size. Type one diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the pancreas does not produce insulin and this type of diabetes is not preventable. Those who live with type 1 diabetes require insulin to regulate their blood sugar levels.
Type 2 diabetes develops over time and is the most common type of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is when the pancreas stops producing enough insulin or if the body becomes unable to effectively use the insulin that is produced. Type 2 diabetes is more manageable than type 1 considering it can be regulated with a proper diet and exercise or even with the use of medications or insulin.
Gestational diabetes is common in pregnant women and typically arises during pregnancy. Affecting 2%-4% of all pregnant women, gestational diabetes develops when a woman’s body stops creating or using insulin during the time of pregnancy. While gestational diabetes usually disappears once the baby is born, the mother and child remain at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on in their lives.
Prediabetes is what someone might experience before developing type 2 diabetes. Although the signs might not be clear for prediabetes, prediabetes consists of higher than normal blood sugar levels, but not high enough to be considered diabetes. It is still possible to prevent type 2 diabetes through a healthy diet and exercise.
Once you are aware of the types and how they affect the body, you will be able to better prepare yourself on how to manage it. Those with Type 1 diabetes might require different accommodations to someone who has gestational diabetes during their pregnancy. Knowing the types of diabetes and being able to educate yourself and other employees through resources or toolkits can eliminate any stigma around what it means to have diabetes.
Understand Your Duty to Accommodate.
Employers should implement accommodations for employees who have diabetes so they can excel to the best of their abilities. This is why the Duty to Accommodate is important. Human Rights laws require that an employer must accommodate a person with diabetes up to the point of "undue hardship". This means that an employer must do what is necessary in the workplace to enable a person with diabetes to perform the essential duties of a job unless the employer would suffer undue hardship in terms of health, safety and cost. For example, if an employee with diabetes requires regularly scheduled breaks during the day to have a snack or to administer insulin, the employer is legally obligated in the vast majority of cases to permit such a break.
Along with this, some ways that employers can offer accommodations for employees living with diabetes are:
Including diabetes prevention and management information in any workplace health or wellness program.
Educating management so they can be aware of the needs of employees with diabetes and how they can best accommodate them.
Providing employees with a place to rest until their blood sugar becomes normal.
Allowing employees to keep food and testing supplies near their workstation or break area.
Providing employees with breaks to eat or drink, take medication or test blood sugar levels.
By showing your employees that you are serious about their needs and creating ways to keep them safe, you will be prepared for any situation and create a more accommodating environment for your employees living with diabetes. Having values and behaviours that demonstrate you care for your employees will go a long way!
Diabetes affects the lives of many Canadians and can be a serious health issue if taken lightly. Understanding what diabetes is and how you can help your employees will not only take the burden off of them, it will also show your employees that they do not have to deal with the stress of diabetes alone. By doing so, your organization will show what it means to put your people first.