"Over the last decade, our experience as a back-to-work rehabilitation specialist has found that most people with cancer want and need to be in work."
- Dr Julie Denning, Managing Director at Working To Wellbeing
Of those surveyed (529 line managers), 82% thought it was important to keep in regular contact with employees who have long-term health conditions such as cancer, so they can set ‘check-in’ times when they’re out of work due to ill-health.
Coincidently, Working To Wellbeing’s ‘Window to the Workplace’ report found that 65% of line managers felt confident they could talk to a colleague with cancer about their condition. Only 20% were unsure and just 12% said they couldn’t confidently talk with them.
However, Work To Wellbeing’s latest research has revealed that 21% of employees in the UK who have, or have had, cancer in the workplace weren’t satisfied with communication from either their line manager or employer during a period of ill-health. Notably, 25% said they didn’t feel heard or listened to by their line manager.
“Earlier diagnoses and developments in treatments mean that cancer survival rates are rising and more people with cancer are heading back into the workplace. But more often than not, there will be times when they need to take time away from work for medical appointments or a period of ill-health,” explained Dr Julie Denning, Managing Director at Working To Wellbeing & Chair of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association.
She said: “Open communication is crucial; employees need to be heard and line managers need to have the skills and the tools to both listen and act with confidence.”
“Supporting colleagues with cancer in the workplace isn’t just the ‘right thing to do’ it’s also a legal obligation. The 2010 Equality Act considers a progressive condition, including cancer, as a disability,” Julie added.
