A company culture is a strong and influential tool that can move the needle within its workforce on a range of issues. Companies can go green and raise employee awareness about environmental sustainability, or implement policies that show strong support for working parents.

A company culture that focuses on health and wellness can have a significant impact on many chronic conditions—including diabetes. Here's how to get started.

1. Evaluate your health and wellness programs

Many companies offer health and wellness programs that include things like better nutritional options in cafeterias and vending machines, and organized fitness activities. But does your program discuss diabetes prevention and control specifically? Employees may benefit from a forum, like a benefit fair, or a more formal health assessment as part of their benefits enrollment, where employees can have their body mass index (BMI) calculated, cholesterol checked, and complete an assessment tool designed to identify if they are at risk for Type 2 Diabetes.

You can find a risk assessment test model on the American Diabetes Association website. Information gathered from such assessments can inform programming based on the employee population.

2. Raise awareness and education

Type 2 diabetes is a manageable and often preventable disease. There are many available resources designed for employer groups through organizations like the YMCA, American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association. These include awareness campaigns and activities, educating people about lifestyle choices that can significantly impact their health. The American Heart Association offers a “Life's Simple 7” list:

Get active and stay active
Control cholesterol
Improve nutrition
Manage blood pressure
Lose weight
Reduce blood sugar
Stop smoking

3. Motivate

Consider offering incentives for employees who commit to making lifestyle changes and show improvement on health metrics. You may also try wellness or health “challenges,” which can be a fun way of encouraging healthier living, and could even spark conversation among employees about ways to get and stay healthy.

As a benefits provider with a philanthropic focus on diabetes, we have often talked about this disease and what it can mean for employers' bottom lines. Employees with diabetes, particularly Type 2, can suffer from chronic symptoms like fatigue and stress, as well as serious health conditions, like heart or kidney disease. These conditions can lead to employees working sub-optimally, often taking days off or extended leave, which can impact productivity and health care costs.

And diabetes keeps people suffering disabling conditions out of work longer. Analysis of Sun Life's short-term disability claims from 2005 to 2017 showed that, on average, members who had diabetes stayed on leave about 72 percent longer than those with the same disabling condition but no diabetes diagnosis.

Employers can act as agents of change and have a real impact on the overall health of their employees. Resources that offer research, strategy, and support are available through organizations like The American Diabetes Association and The American Heart Association. By making health, fitness, and wellness an integral part of the company culture, employers can address diabetes in a way that boosts productivity, drives down absences and leave durations, and helps employees lead healthier lives.

Read more:

Sheila Weiss, RN, is assistant vice president, clinical claims services, Sun Life Financial U.S.

Instant Insights /

Employers as agents of change: Addressing diabetes and overall health in the workplace

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