Telecoms giant BT has launched a campaign to help its employees protect themselves from cancer by making changes to their lifestyle.
The firm’s Work Fit: Cancer and You campaign, which will run for six weeks and include worldwide roadshows, articles and interactive displays, aims to help its 104,000 current employees from across the globe, as well as 120,000 BT pensioners.
Part of the campaign offers line managers advice on how to support a colleague who has cancer. It is also hoped that, by assisting staff to spot early signs, it will help with breast, prostate, colon and skin cancer in particular.
BT’s chief medical officer Dr Paul Litchfield, OBE, said that cancer is one of the biggest health issues facing us in the world today and over the next two decades.
“Lifestyle factors have a significant role to play in the prevention and early detection of cancer so we need to help our people take responsibility for their health at home and at work,” he added. “BT takes pride in the way it supports people who develop chronic illnesses but we want to go beyond that and help them avoid ill health in the first place so they can lead happier and more productive lives.”
Around 2,000 of BT’s employees have overcome cancer so far, however, another five are diagnosed with a form of cancer every week.
The campaign is supported by the Communications Workers Union, Connect and charity Cancerbackup. It follows the company’s previous health campaigns on exercise, giving up smoking and mental health.
