Imagine being told that you had incurable but treatable cancer. You can live for many more years, but you need treatment to keep the cancer at bay.

Now imagine telling your HR colleague this news. You’re worried about how it will affect you. The HR colleague needs to consider how to support you and consider the long-term impact of this diagnosis on your role.

It’s an incredibly difficult situation for everyone concerned. But it’s becoming far more common.  More people of working age are being diagnosed with cancer and improved medical treatments have meant many people with incurable but treatable cancer want to continue working. 

Managing cancer at work is a growing issue

At Working with Cancer, we are seeing a substantial increase in the number of employer enquiries about supporting people with advanced or metastatic cancer. To help affected employees, progressive HR professionals are now establishing dedicated cancer policies.

The increase in cancer diagnosis for those of working age is stark.  A 2019 global study found that the number of people under 50 being diagnosed with cancer worldwide has increased by 79% in the past three decades. It is expected to increase by a further 31% by 2030. 

Macmillan research has also identified that overall median survival times for cancer (the point at which half of those diagnosed have died or survived) have improved from just one year forty years ago, to nearly six years today.

The increase in cancer diagnosis for those of working age is stark. 

Workplace cancer support is woefully lacking

People with advanced cancer can survive and work successfully for many years after a diagnosis if they want to, but we find they often face ignorance or prejudice at work.

While British employees are protected by the Equality Act, employers can still dismiss workers on the grounds of capability. We don’t think that’s fair, and we urge HR professionals to do everything they can to support the most vulnerable of their workforce.

Employers are currently falling far short of providing adequate support for workers with advanced cancer. Research of more 1,200 patients by Working With Cancer and the Institute of Employment Studies sheds light on the difficulties of combining work and cancer:

• A quarter of people with cancer did not return to work after their diagnosis.
• Half of those who did go back to their job had no return-to-work conversations with their employer’s occupational health professional (51%) or HR professional (50%).
• Only 68% discussed return-to-work issues after cancer with their line managers.

There is clearly much to be done. Organisations need to prepare for the increase in staff with cancer, including advanced or metastatic cancer. 

Simple steps such as ensuring you have a dedicated cancer policy, alongside trained employees and managers, can make a remarkable difference to affected employees at a time of extreme vulnerability.

Secondary cancer: A lived experience

It’s helpful to listen to the words of someone who has experienced this situation. Lynne is a 45-year-old working mum who has written a blog about living with secondary cancer:

“A big part of dealing with cancer is also about getting your head around it. When you’re at work it can feel unreal because you’re distracted… and then it’ll hit you. For example, when you are talking about next year’s plans, or the three-year strategy, or the future in general. You wonder whether you’ll still be around, and even whether you can commit to a holiday with friends in a few months.

“I, like many others I meet, don’t want to stop work; why should I? I’ve worked hard to be in this job; I’ve got goals to achieve and an impact to make. Why should I give up when I love my job and it gives me purpose beyond my cancer? 

“An understanding company and colleagues help me to make that a reality, knowing that I’m still me. If you put yourself in the shoes of a colleague who is living with cancer for just a moment, imagine what it’s like when your brain is the same, but your body is letting you down. 

“So how can you help someone like me? If you are the manager of someone with cancer, there are lots of practical things you can do for example, by considering: 

• Can the job be done flexibly, for example, at home or even during/after hospital appointments, if the person is still producing the outcomes required?
• What are the main results this person should be aiming for, rather than the 100 nice to-dos? 
• What travel is critical and how could video conferencing or other forms of technology help? 
• What additional parts of the person’s role could be development opportunities for others? 
• How can diary management help to avoid back-to-back meetings in the same, or even worse, a different location? 
• Is the meeting even necessary?
• Help can also be offered in the smallest, but often the most important, of ways… a note from a colleague ahead of a challenging hospital scan to remind me that they care, another saving me a desk in the morning which has the most comfortable chair, another reminding me that I’m part of a ‘work family’ and don’t need to ask for help when times are tough.”

Read the full bog post here.

Organisations need to prepare for the increase in staff with cancer, including advanced or metastatic cancer. 

Practical tips for HR professionals

So, what can a leading HR professional do to manage advanced cancer in the workplace?

• Set up a dedicated cancer policy that considers the needs of those with advanced cancer. 
• Track the number of people affected by advanced cancer in your workforce, within the terms of your data protection.
• Be aware that your employee is likely to need significant time off work to get to grips with their changed circumstances and attend hospital for advanced and continuing treatments; however, that does not mean they cannot continue to work or do not want to continue working.
• Do not make assumptions about how your employee will deal with this stage of their illness. Ensure you keep in close touch with them to ensure you fully understand their changing situation and their wishes, and that your organisation is meeting their needs as much as is reasonable and possible.
• Be clear about reasonable adjustments you can make.
• Be clear about support for time off for treatments.
• Train and coach line managers to support affected team members.
• Train and coach staff to support colleagues in the workplace.

Do not overlook the emotional toll of cancer

Finally, employers should not underestimate how mentally isolated affected employees can feel. One of our Working with Cancer coaches described her experience as “much more than a physical challenge. We face emotional and mental burdens as well as managing treatments. Often, the uncertainty of the illness and the toll of treatment are hidden beneath a professional facade. We might not always speak up about our struggles, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need extra support.”

The most important thing you can do is to keep in touch regularly and to listen to your employee.

As our coach wrote: “Something as simple as asking, “How are you feeling today?” can go a long way in alleviating some of the emotional isolation we might be experiencing.”