How prepared are you to offer the support an employee will need when they share the news that they have cancer? Are your line managers equipped with the understanding, empathy and listening skills they’ll need? And are you aware of your legal obligations and the reasonable adjustments you could be asked to make for those working through cancer?
When an employee develops cancer, the shock can be overwhelming. All of a sudden, their health and worries about the impact on their family and livelihood can be all consuming. It can be difficult to know how to respond, or what help to offer. But offering this support is so important, on both a human level as well as for business efficiency.
We have brought together our thoughts to help organisations support their employees diagnosed with cancer.
Recognising the cancer journey
‘Cancer is a journey’. We often hear this phrase when people talk about their experiences with cancer. Due to the many different forms of cancer and the treatments that go with them, many have highly individual experiences. The initial conversation – when the employee informs their employer of their diagnosis – is just the start of this journey.
The good news is that due to more effective detection and treatment, increasing numbers of people survive and return to work – but the journey that takes them back to the workplace is one of uncertainty and anxiety and where productivity and performance naturally will suffer as a consequence. Line managers in particular need to be understanding of the impact a cancer diagnosis may have.
Working with cancer – the numbers
According to research by Macmillan Cancer Support, it is thought that nearly 900,000 people in the UK of working age (16 to 65) are living with cancer. This number is set to rise to 1,150,000 by 2030. And, despite the impact a cancer diagnosis can have, 87% of employed people say they want to continue working. For many, work and the company of colleagues provides structure, purpose and familiarity.
With nearly a million people of working age with cancer, no organisation can afford not to be prepared to support those who want to stay in their roles. Of course, not everyone will be able to, or will want to. But for those who do, here’s a few reasons why that’s good for both employee and employer.
Benefits of helping people with cancer stay at work
- You retain their knowledge, skills and experience and also avoid the costs of recruiting and training any replacements.
- It’s good for employee engagement and team morale when an organisation is seen to be supportive of those in ill health.
- It’s the human thing to do. It creates a positive and caring culture and supports a favourable employer brand.
- Helping your people stay in work through cancer meets your legal obligations (as we’ll cover below).
- You therefore avoid any reputational damage and legal costs due to preventing any disputes.
The impact of cancer in the workplace
It’s not only performance levels that employers need to be aware of. Employees undergoing treatment may be able to work in the office or they may wish to work from home. Adjustments will need to be made with equipment and technology in order to support these options. As treatment starts, time off will be needed for appointments and treatment. These will often come with side effects such as fatigue, changes in appearance and the ongoing emotional impact.
What’s more, don’t forget what may be happening outside of the workplace. Employees may be worried about their job security, feeling disconnected from colleagues, frustrated at losing their independence and anxious about the possible impact of their diagnosis on the family and finances.
All of this means that colleagues and line managers need to be understanding of the challenges their fellow workers are going through. What might seem like poor timekeeping, slower output and longer breaks will be happening for a reason. Lack of understanding or awareness of the needs of people working with cancer may unintentionally lead to discrimination – which leads us to the legal issues.
Legal obligations and reasonable adjustments
In employment law, cancer counts as a “disability”. This means that:
- It is unlawful to discriminate against your employee in terms of redundancy, promotion, opportunities for career development, etc.
- Your employees have a right to request reasonable adaptations around hours, workloads, roles, additional equipment etc., which should not be refused unless it would be unreasonable or impractical to make them.
Given what employees are experiencing, listening to any requests with compassion and understanding should be a given. You may find that the request made is entirely reasonable and has minimal impact. In which case, try to be as positive and supportive as you can be.
These requests might include:
- Requests for greater flexibility in terms of hours and start/finish times, working from home etc.
- Adjusting the role to remove the more stressful components and any travel.
- Requests for equipment to help manage any restrictions in movement – or better tech such as assistive software.
- Access to virtual services such as healthcare and counselling.
- Changes to the office layout, perhaps nearer to the toilets.
The overriding aim is to help your employee to remain doing the work they want to do throughout their treatment – as long as that’s what they want. As we’ve mentioned, work can play an important part in preserving a sense of normality and belonging within a team which in turn is beneficial to mental health.
What else can you do?
Empathy in conversations: Cancer is not an easy conversation to have – for those diagnosed and those listening. So, when your employee wants to talk, make it as comfortable as possible and if they need a friend with them, that’s fine too. Let them go at their pace and don’t book any meetings that risk cutting them short.
Financial support: Are you able to advise them on the grants and other support that may be available. Access to work grants may cover the costs of equipment and travel and other benefits may be available. They may need to know how Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) works for example. Anything you can do to alleviate financial worries will be helpful.
Occupational health support: If your organisation doesn’t have the experience to advise on reasonable adjustment, your occupational health provider will be able to assist and may also be able to offer additional external counselling.
Help plan for their return: Many employees want to return to normality as soon as they can, so a plan to enable this to happen in a manageable way is a positive step towards this. What adjustments might need to remain in place, how will you bring them up to speed and how will they integrate back into their team? Just some of the things to consider.
In conclusion
A diagnosis of cancer is a worrying time for anyone, and the role of the employer can make a huge difference in how they are able to cope and build the resilience they need to begin treatment and recover. While continuing to work will present challenges, work itself provides stability, structure and self-esteem and can be a welcome distraction from treatment and all that this entails. Knowing what to say to your employees can be daunting too, but line managers and colleagues can play a vital part in giving them the reassurance that they are there for them all the way to recovery.
Get our guide
We have produced a new Cordell Health guide on Working Through Cancer. This is available to subscribers to our wellbeing service. If you are not signed up to this service and would like to find out more, please contact us on wellbeing@cordellhealth.co.uk
Additional reading
Macmillan Cancer Support has an extensive collection of cancer resources: www.macmillan.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/how-we-work/work-and-cancer
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
