Managing cancer in the workplace overview

 

Over 100,000 people of working age are diagnosed with cancer in the UK each year and there are currently over 700,000 people of working age living with a cancer diagnosis.

Many people living with cancer tell Macmillan that work is important to them. A job can restore normality, routine, stability, social contact and income. These things are also important to carers. Around one in eight workers in the UK are carers|, many of whom will be supporting a friend or relative with cancer.

At Macmillan, we know that employers play a pivotal role in supporting people with cancer and their carers. We also know that a good relationship between an employer and an employee is more likely to lead to a successful return-to-work. This is particularly important because less than 40% of people are advised by health professionals about the impact cancer and its treatment may have on their ability to work.

As an employer or line manager, you may not always feel confident about how best to support an employee who is affected by cancer. There are challenges at the time of diagnosis, during treatment, at the time of return-to-work and afterwards. We also recognise that you need to meet the needs of other individuals in the workplace and your organisation as a whole. In these difficult situations, you may also be affected, both on a practical and a personal level.

The benefits of best practice Back to top

Supporting employees who are diagnosed with cancer makes business sense for employers. By making reasonable adjustments, employers can retain their employees and allow them to perform to their potential.

Being confident about disability issues not only helps an employer avoid legal risk, it can enhance the performance of the organisation and the individuals within it.

By implementing some small changes you can really make the difference to your employees who have been affected by cancer. These changes could include arranging time off for medical appointments, or making reasonable adjustments such as offering flexible working arrangements or organising a phased return-to-work.

For employees, a supportive approach from employers can reduce anxiety and provide the skills and confidence to deal with cancer at work. Research commissioned by Macmillan has shown that a good relationship with the employer and a phased return-to-work are two important predictors of a successful adjustment back to work.

Over 70% of organisations that make workplace adjustments consider them to be easy. Many adjustments have no cost at all. Where there is some cost to the adjustment, it’s usually small, and grants from the Access to Work scheme| can cover some or all of the cost.

There is a clear business case for employers to support people affected by cancer to return to work.

Other benefits include: Back to top

Financial benefits

• Employers can retain valuable skills, knowledge and experience, and maintain productivity.
• It avoids the cost of replacing employees. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) estimates the average cost of recruitment to be £4,333 per employee, with an average recruitment time of between 6 and 16 weeks depending on the level of the position.
• It avoids the time and cost of training new employees.
• Employers who support someone with cancer can begin to develop a greater understanding of the needs of diverse groups – people who could be potential or existing customers. The spending power of disabled people in the UK is estimated at £80 million.

Employee engagement and improved morale

• Employers who support an employee with an illness such as cancer will foster a greater sense of loyalty from them. This will naturally have a positive impact on employee engagement and morale.
• Retaining experienced employees can reduce pressure on other employees and colleagues who would otherwise have to train new recruits.

Positive image

• An employer who is seen to support employees with cancer is more likely to become attractive to customers, other businesses and job applicants.

Fulfilling your legal obligations

• Meeting legal obligations under the Equality Act (or the Disability Discrimination Act in Northern Ireland) will help avoid potential discrimination charges and their associated costs on time, reputation and money. The median award for a breach of the Disability Discrimination Act in 2008 was £8,000, but there were also awards of almost £500,000. Defending a tribunal case can also incur significant legal fees as well as management time.

Everyone is different Back to top

It’s essential to work with the employee to understand their requirements. Each person will have individual needs and aspirations, and employers need to treat each case as such. For example, flexible working can be as simple as agreeing to accommodate the employee coming in late occasionally if they are feeling unwell. Pivotal to this is maintaining good communication between the employee and the manager.

Our cancer support specialists| can provide emotional support to employees and line managers, as well as put them in touch with other sources of information and support. Call us free on 0808 808 00 00 (9am–8pm, Mon–Fri).