Most organisations have absence policies. Many have wellbeing frameworks. Some even have menopause policies. But 96% lack dedicated cancer policies, according to research from the Institute for Employment Studies and Working With Cancer.

This gap leaves more than one million working-age people with cancer in the UK navigating their diagnosis through generic frameworks that cannot capture the complexity of their situation.

Why returning to work matters for cancer patients

For many patients, returning to work after cancer treatment is not just about income. It is about identity, routine, and regaining a sense of normality. Work offers structure, social connection, and a feeling of purpose during a time when so much else feels uncertain.

What many employers still don’t realise is that cancer is a chronic condition that requires ongoing management. For some people, treatment timelines extend over years rather than months. Breast cancer patients, for example, typically remain on endocrine therapy for five to ten years that significantly impacts their quality of life and day-to-day functioning.

Those with advanced cancer face ongoing treatment indefinitely. This means employees are not simply recovering from an acute illness and returning to normal. They are managing a long-term condition whilst trying to maintain their professional lives.

The reality of managing work and cancer

The challenge is that work can also bring stress, which is one of the biggest risks for cancer recurrence. On top of that, people face anxiety about performance, fear of recurrence (especially in the first few years), stress around annual scans, and exhaustion from managing energy and appointments.

Without clear support structures, employees often carry this burden alone. Some try to prove they are unchanged by staying quiet about what they are going through, pushing through side effects, and prioritising work over recovery. This approach frequently leads to burnout, not sustainable employment.

Others might end up leaving or going into medical retirement because they do not get the support they need to continue working.

Cancer often fundamentally shifts people’s values, priorities, and stress resilience. What felt manageable before diagnosis may no longer be sustainable. Employees may need to redefine what success looks like in their careers.

The cost of inconsistent support

When organisations lack cancer-specific guidance, support becomes a lottery. One employee might receive flexible arrangements whilst their colleague in an identical situation faces rigid attendance requirements. Employees might delay disclosing diagnoses because they fear damaging their careers.

Often, employees simply use sick leave whilst feeling guilty and afraid to hand work to colleagues because nothing is clearly communicated or officially structured. This inconsistency represents real people managing treatment schedules, side effects, and recovery whilst uncertain whether their employer will support or penalise them.

It also represents lost talent, unnecessary turnover, and organisations exposed to discrimination claims.

What cancer-specific policies achieve

Dedicated policies change the conversation fundamentally. They signal to current and prospective employees that organisations understand cancer’s complexity. They reduce anxiety around disclosure, allowing people to access support before reaching crisis point.

They protect against discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010. Most importantly, they enable employees to continue contributing rather than leaving the workforce entirely.

Generic policies cannot capture what cancer requires. Treatment schedules are unpredictable. Side effects vary wildly between individuals. Recovery is non-linear.

Employees managing cancer need:

• Clarity about sick pay provisions from diagnosis.
• Flexible working arrangements that accommodate treatment.
• Phased return-to-work options that acknowledge ongoing symptoms.
• Support for carers who are often managing their own work alongside caring responsibilities.

Effective policies should clarify these entitlements specifically, not force employees to navigate generic absence frameworks whilst dealing with a life-threatening illness. This specificity removes ambiguity. Employees know exactly what support they can access. Managers understand what they should provide.

Building policies collaboratively

Policies work best when developed with input from HR (Human Resources), occupational health, union representatives, and employees with lived experience. This collaborative approach ensures policies address real challenges whilst remaining operationally viable.

Those who have navigated cancer whilst working understand the emotional intensity of scan periods, how cognitive effects from treatment affect decision-making, and that joint pain makes long office days physically difficult. This insight transforms policies from theoretical documents into practical support.

Implementation matters as much as the policy itself. Managers need confidence to have supportive conversations without fear of saying the wrong thing.

Once the cancer policy is in place, organisations benefit from workshops using real-world case studies, training that equips managers to support colleagues confidently, and coaching that guides individuals through treatment and return to work.

Starting the journey

Begin by auditing current provision. Review existing policies, identify gaps, and speak with employees who have experienced cancer to understand where frameworks failed them. Build your case using workforce data, turnover costs, and legal obligations.

Assemble a working group and seek specialist guidance from organisations like Working With Cancer that offer frameworks and consultancy to prevent common pitfalls. Launch as a pilot, acknowledging that no policy is perfect from the outset.

The broader opportunity

Forward-thinking organisations are using cancer policies as a framework for supporting other long-term health conditions. The approach translates to diabetes, mental health challenges, chronic pain, and neurological conditions.

The compassion embedded in cancer policies extends beyond individual employees. It shapes organisational culture, demonstrating that people matter more than processes. In an employment market where values increasingly drive recruitment and retention, cancer policies offer competitive advantage alongside human decency.

Generic health policies serve generic situations. Cancer, with its complexity and duration, demands thoughtful approaches. The encouraging news is that building these approaches is achievable, and organisations need not navigate it alone.