This information is about how to manage diabetes at work and to support you in knowing your rights at work.
Jump to:
- Your rights at work
- Managing your diabetes at work
- Time off work for illness and check-ups
- Time off work to support someone else
- Applying for a job with diabetes
- Being self-employed with diabetes
Your rights at work
One in six working people with diabetes feel they’ve been discriminated against by their employer because of their diabetes.
If you feel you’ve been mistreated, remember you have rights. Read what to do if you would prefer not to tell your employer about your diabetes.
As someone living with diabetes in England, Scotland or Wales, your rights at work are set out in the Equality Act 2010. If you live in Northern Ireland, they are in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
Both these acts state the steps employers must follow in their treatment of employees and job seekers who have a disability. While you might not think of your diabetes as a disability, you should be protected by these acts.
The Equality Act 2010 describes a disability as a physical or mental impairment that has a large long-term negative effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
If you take medication, the decision is based on how your impairment would affect you if you didn’t take the medication. So, to ask whether diabetes fits the description of disability, you must consider the effect of diabetes if it wasn’t being treated.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has guidance for workers and guidance for employers on the Equality Act, which gives information on what the law means in practice and includes practical examples.
For a more detailed description of the legislation and to see the Act itself, go to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The Equality Advisory Support Service can also provide further advice.
The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is where you should go for more information and advice about the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and how that applies to you in Northern Ireland.
You can also contact our helpline staff who are here to support you if you're having issues at work.
{"preview_thumbnail":"/resources-s3/public/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/x52kRN9m9jI.jpg?null&itok=aqd04SSj","video_url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x52kRN9m9jI","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}
Reasonable adjustments
Disability law is about making everything fairer by making sure people with a disability have the same chance at a career as others. This means your employer may need to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ so you can do your job.
If you're living with diabetes, a reasonable adjustment might include:
- flexibility over eating and having lunch or tea breaks at different times of the day
- flexibility over managing your diabetes, for example, treating low blood sugar
- providing a private place to take medication (such as insulin) which feels comfortable.
You can get advice on reasonable adjustments from the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local Jobcentre Plus office, or the Disability Employment Service if you’re in Northern Ireland.
Access to Work is a government programme to help keep people with long-term conditions and disabilities in work. You should speak to them if your employer can’t or isn’t willing to make reasonable adjustments so that you can carry on working.
There’s more detail about employer obligations on the Equality and Human Rights Commission website.
What if I don’t want to tell my employer I have diabetes?
If you feel unable to tell your employer you have diabetes, you may wish to seek a fit note from your GP.
This may simply be a recommendation that you work from home or in a different role given the functional impact of your condition. Ideally it should also state that this condition has lasted or will last for more than 12 months so it is clear that your condition is classed as a disability under the Equality Act 2010.
Your employer should meet the recommendations of a registered medical professional. However, ideally the letter would mention your condition to make sure you benefit from protection under the Equality Act 2010.
Managing your diabetes at work
Like anyone, your stress levels are likely to be higher when working, which can make managing your diabetes more difficult.
Make sure you take time out to relax throughout the day. And talk to your manager about flexible working options, which can make it easier to manage your diabetes and do your work.
The better your colleagues understand your diabetes, the easier it will be to get the support you need. A good first step can be to share our information about diabetes and let them know about our guide on supporting people with diabetes in the workplace.
There can be lots of misconceptions about diabetes. If you feel comfortable talking to your colleagues about the condition it can help to raise awareness about diabetes.
Encourage your colleagues to ask you questions and give them the information they need to help. Reassure them that you’re in control of your condition and it’s nothing to worry about.
If you didn’t talk about your diabetes when you applied for the job, it’s a good idea to tell your line manager about it sooner rather than later. They’ve already decided you’re the best person for the job and will want you to be the best you can be at work. And if they don’t know about your diabetes, they may not be able to give you the support you need.
While working, it's important to be organised to manage your diabetes safely. Some people find putting reminders for blood sugar checks and injections in their calendar helpful. Look at what meetings you have at the start of the day so that you can plan around them.
“I've had to make some adjustments at work – regular breaks, keeping Jelly Babies nearby and letting my managers know about my condition. I've also told all my colleagues too, which is not something everyone does, but I feel safer knowing they know.”
Online forum member
Treating your diabetes at work
If you inject insulin and monitor your blood sugar levels, you will know these are things you need to do to keep safe but not everyone you work with will understand why you need to do these things. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed about it, or feel the need to hide in the toilet.
If you feel comfortable doing so, you can explain to your colleagues what you’re doing.
If you’re at risk of low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycaemia or hypos, tell your colleagues how to spot hypo symptoms and how to treat a hypo. This will make sure you get the right help and stop them panicking because they don’t know what to do. Talk to your first-aider so that they know what to do in an emergency.
If you have a hypo at work, talk to your colleagues afterwards, if you feel comfortable doing so. You could explain why it might have happened, as although you might not always know what caused a hypo, some things make them more likely.
You can also let them know that hypos are more likely if you take insulin or certain glucose-lowering medication.
Time off work for illness and check-ups
Everybody needs time off work when they’re unwell or have a medical appointment – whether they have diabetes or not.
Living with diabetes doesn’t mean you’re more likely to catch an illness, but it means you may be more unwell with any illness you catch. You might also be more likely to develop other health conditions, often related to your diabetes, that require you to have more time off work.
You’ll need regular check-ups as part of your annual diabetes review. Make sure your line manager understands why these checks are necessary – don’t apologise for them.
It’s important to read your organisation’s policy on time off for medical appointments and managing long-term conditions, because the rules vary between workplaces. Try to arrange multiple appointments in the same morning or afternoon if you can and give your manager plenty of notice.
Always seek medical attention when you’re ill. Don’t wait until it’s urgent. And keep your employer up to date with what’s happening so that they can support you in the best way possible.
“I work for a council and was penalised for taking time off for appointments that I had no control over the timing of. I got in touch with HR and now I can attend appointments without losing out financially.”
Online forum member
Time off to support someone with their diabetes
You may need time off to support someone with diabetes. Find out your employer’s policy on carer's leave. Talk to your manager about the condition and how you’re helping, so they understand how important it is.
Discuss options for flexible working if you need to give long-term support. And remember to look after your own emotional wellbeing – is there an employee assistance programme or in-house counsellor you can talk to?
Time off work for a diabetes education course
Going on a diabetes education course may mean time off work.
Explain to your line manager that the course will help you manage your diabetes and mean you’re less likely to need time off in future. And you’ll have a lower risk of developing diabetes related complications that could affect your work.
Some course providers, like DAFNE, have materials you can pass on to your employer that explain the benefits.
Use our template letter to put your leave request in writing. You can ask a member of your healthcare team to write to your employer explaining why the course is important and how it can improve your health in the long term. You may have the right to go on a course under the Equality Act.
If taking time off isn’t possible, or classroom-based learning isn’t right for you, check with your healthcare team about evening, weekend or digital courses. You can also sign up to our Learning Zone for free educational support online that’s tailored to your needs.
Applying for a job with diabetes
When you apply for a new job, your potential employer will want to find out if you fit the person specification and have the necessary skills and experience for the role.
If you meet the needs of the job description, you should feel confident. Having diabetes doesn’t mean you’re less likely to get the job.
For most jobs, there’s no legal obligation to tell an employer you have diabetes. The Equality Act makes it unlawful for them to ask about your health before offering you work.
But talking about your diabetes from the start can show that you’re positive about your condition. It can even be an opportunity to give examples of how resourceful and well organised you are.
In some cases, the organisation may ask if you have a disability. For example:
- to find out if you need any support during the recruitment process
- to increase the representation of disabled people in the organisation
- if they have signed up to the 'Disability Confident' scheme, committing to offer disabled people an interview if they meet the minimum criteria for the role
- or to monitor how many disabled people apply for jobs.
Telling them about your diabetes shouldn’t affect your application. Any information you give them must be kept separate and confidential.
Some professions do have special requirements because of the demands of the role. The employer will need to decide whether your diabetes poses any additional risk at work. If your condition could stop you carrying out your responsibilities or make you unsafe, think about reasonable adjustments that would make it possible for you to do the job.
If you are applying for a job that involves driving, we have information on how to apply for a licence for different vehicles.
Employers that don’t allow people with diabetes
We’ve campaigned successfully to stop employers banning people with diabetes from applying for roles.
- Emergency services. Blanket bans have now been lifted for people with type 1 diabetes and people with type 2 diabetes using insulin. It’s now up to your local service to decide – they will have their own rules. For example, some NHS Ambulance Trusts have rules about people with diabetes applying for jobs as ambulance crew. You should expect to be fairly assessed against these rules by someone who understands the role and how diabetes is managed.
- However, the UK armed forces are exempt from the Equality Act and have a blanket ban on employing people with diabetes.
Being self-employed with diabetes
Self-employment can seem like the easier option when you have diabetes. But you shouldn’t feel like it’s your only choice. Weigh up your options carefully and decide what will work best for you.
Being self-employed gives you more flexibility to attend appointments. But self-employed people don’t get sick or holiday pay. And working alone can mean you lack the support of colleagues and the social benefits of teamwork.
