Section intro: If someone in your life has Type 1 diabetes, you may have found yourself wondering what to say, what not to say, and how to help without making things awkward. You're in the right place.
Please reach us at sarah@theablediabetic.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The simplest approach is usually the most direct one - and the one almost nobody takes. Saying something like "I wanted you to know I'm aware of it, and I'm not going to make a fuss" is genuinely relieving for most people. You don't need a long conversation. Just the quiet signal that you've noticed, you care, and you're not going to make it a performance.
A few things land particularly well. "Is there anything that would make today easier for you?" is a good one for days that are out of the ordinary - a long trip, a big event, an unusual schedule. "I read a bit about it - I had no idea it was that constant" communicates care without requiring you to become an expert. And "What's it actually like?" - asked with genuine curiosity and the willingness to really listen - is more powerful than most people realise. It's the question almost nobody asks.
A hypo can come on quickly and needs treating immediately with fast-acting sugar - a sugary drink, glucose tablets, sweets, or similar. The person almost always knows exactly what they need. Your job is simply to give them space, without an audience or a lot of fuss, and quietly check in with them afterwards. You don't need to intervene medically. You just need to not make it worse. If you're unsure in the moment, ask them calmly: "What do you need?"
Yes, completely. This is probably the most common misconception about the condition, and it's a wearing one. People with T1D can eat anything. They manage their insulin in relation to food, but that is their expertise, not anyone else's. The worst thing you can say is "should you be eating that?" Please don't say that. Ever. Carry on, eat your dinner, and let them get on with theirs.
Probably not push, but don't be afraid to open the door gently once. Most people with T1D work hard to seem fine, because explaining the condition is time-consuming, complicated, and can feel like making a fuss. Knowing that someone close to them has done even a little reading - and is quietly available if needed - removes a lot of pressure. You don't need a long conversation. You just need them to know the door is open.
You've already started - reading this counts. The key things to understand are that Type 1 is an autoimmune condition (not caused by lifestyle), that it requires constant management around the clock with no days off, and that the cognitive load is significant and mostly invisible. Beyond that, the best thing you can do is ask the person themselves. "What's it actually like for you?" will tell you more than any guide can.
Very different, though they share a name. Type 2 diabetes is largely linked to lifestyle and can often be managed through diet and medication. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition with no lifestyle cause - the immune system destroys the cells that produce insulin, so the person has to provide it artificially, every day, for life. There's no diet fix. There's no cure. It's a full-time condition that most people carry invisibly.
"You can't eat that, can you?" is the big one - they can. "You don't look ill" is meant kindly but lands less well than you might expect. "I couldn't cope with that" is understandable but puts the person in the position of reassuring you. And best not to raise the condition in group settings unless they've chosen to - many people manage T1D quietly in professional and social contexts, and that choice is theirs to make.
Section intro: Most managers who have an employee with Type 1 diabetes want to do the right thing. These questions cover what you actually need to know - practically and legally - without overcomplicating it.
Please reach us at sarah@theablediabetic.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Not formal - but direct and private. If you know an employee has T1D, create a moment to talk about it on a one-to-one basis. Ask what they need, what adjustments would help, and how they'd like things handled day to day. Then follow through quietly and don't bring it up publicly again unless they do. Most people with T1D have never been asked this question by a manager. The act of asking it changes the working relationship.
Yes. Type 1 diabetes is recognised as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, which means reasonable adjustments apply. That said, many people with T1D don't identify as disabled - often they identify as entirely able, and have built their professional lives on that basis. The most respectful approach is to follow the individual's lead: offer adjustments where helpful, without framing the conversation around limitation.
The most impactful ones are often the simplest. Protecting breaks and lunch - consistently - matters more than most managers realise. Blood sugar management requires regular opportunities to check levels and adjust, and a culture of back-to-back meetings with no natural pause creates real physical and cognitive pressure. Flexibility around clinic appointments (diabetic reviews, eye screenings, annual checks) is also important - NHS appointment times are rarely convenient, and these appointments are not optional. Neither of these things is a special adjustment for one person. They're good management practice.
Stay calm and give them space. A hypoglycaemic episode - low blood sugar - needs treating immediately with fast-acting sugar: a sugary drink, glucose tablets, sweets. The person almost always knows exactly what they need. Your role is to give them room to deal with it without an audience, and check in quietly afterwards. You do not need to intervene medically. You do need to not make it worse - no fuss, no team discussion, no questions in the moment.
This depends on how you know. If it's come up informally, or through HR records, a quiet private conversation is appropriate - offered as support, not as scrutiny. If you genuinely don't know, then you don't need to act. If you do know, acknowledging it privately and discreetly is almost always appreciated. Most people with T1D work hard to keep their condition invisible professionally. Knowing that their manager is quietly aware - and won't make it a performance - is genuinely relieving.
In most roles, not at all. The condition is managed continuously in the background, and for most people most of the time, it's invisible - including to them, in the sense that they've built their lives around managing it well. What it does involve is a significant cognitive load that sits alongside everything else they're doing. Good management - protected breaks, flexibility, quiet awareness - means that load stays manageable and doesn't spill into their work.
Don't comment on what someone is eating or drinking, or ask if they "should" be having something. Don't raise the condition in group settings. Don't assume limitations - people with T1D can do anything; there are no foods they cannot eat. And don't treat clinic appointments as a performance management issue. These are the basics. Beyond that, follow the individual's lead and ask them directly what works for them.
Sarah's memoir Invisible Impacts covers her first decade living with Type 1 diabetes - including the professional realities most people never see. It's the kind of book that gives managers and colleagues a real understanding of what the condition involves, in a way that no factsheet quite manages. For ongoing insight, visit theablediabetic.com. To enquire about workplace talks, workshops, or bulk book orders, contact Sarah at sarah@theablediabetic.com.