Working while caring for someone with cancer

This section is for anyone who is working, either full- or part-time, while also caring for an adult partner, relative or friend with cancer.

It aims to help you cope with work issues you may face because of the impact of your caring role on your working life. You will find information on employment rights| and how to get support at work, suggestions about flexible working and tips on talking about cancer| with your employer and colleagues.

Approximately 289,000 adults are diagnosed with cancer in the UK each year. As treatments for cancer improve, more and more people who have cancer are learning to live with it as a chronic illness. So are their families, friends and colleagues. 

Many people affected by cancer depend on the physical and emotional support of a carer. Very often, that carer has to combine working and earning an income with their new – and often unplanned for – role as a carer.

There are approximately 3 million working carers in the UK, all having to combine the pressure of working while dealing with the physical and emotional pressures of caring for someone who is ill.

Continuing to work can be important for both the carer and the individual with cancer, as it can provide both income and social contact outside of the home.