(Emma left, Polly right)
About Polly: Hello! I am Polly and I work on the Macmillan Support line as a Work Support Adviser. I have been in this role for over two years.
Before I came to Macmillan I worked for Welfare Rights organisations and Citizen’s Advice, I have been working in the advice sector for 18 years.
How do you like to relax? I love a good book, keeping fit and good company.
My inspiration: I am inspired by the hard work and commitment of Trade Unionists from around the world who make it their life’s work to improve the lives of their members - including the fight for a living wage, health and safety at work and the promotion of educational opportunities. They teach me the importance of combining our voices to make the world better for everyone.
About Emma: Hi! My name is Emma and I’m also a Work Support Advisor for Macmillan on our Support Line.
Before working for Macmillan, I was a manager in a call centre and a Union Representative. I’ve always had a passion for helping people and so using my skills to support people who are affected by cancer is the perfect job for me.
How do you like to relax? I’m not very good at relaxing, so in my spare time I volunteer for another charity helpline and I’m a school governor. I’m also a mum to 2 kids and 2 cats and a wife to 1 husband who all keep me busy – there’s never a dull moment in our house! On the very rare occasions when the house is quiet you’ll find me trawling the internet for my ancestors, as I’ve been researching my family tree since I was 16 – I’ve gone back to the 1780s so far!
My Inspiration: My son is very much my personal inspiration. He was born very prematurely and so has had a fair few challenges in life, but he always keeps battling. Historically Marie Curie is also an inspiration. She was such a strong, intelligent, humanitarian woman. She had to fight against lack of funding, being barred within her own country of Poland from studying, then she needed to fight to be recognised for the work that she did purely because she was a woman. She was also vilified for her beliefs and her nationality. Yet her work changed modern medicine because she pioneered mobile x-ray units and her work with radium.
What does Work Support mean?
Many cancer patients and their carers are of working age and need support to continue in work and retain their jobs. We offer advice and support to people who have worries about their work life and who want to know more about their rights.
You can call us if you are worried about a dismissal (for example redundancy), you need adjustments to your job so that you can continue to work or if you need a sounding board. Perhaps you have a difficult meeting coming up?
We help people cope with their work problems, identify their next steps and help people find the right words and solutions for them.
Our blog
We’ll be blogging monthly about common work issues for people affected by cancer and the ways in which we can help. We’ll be talking about various issues from month to month including: talking to your employer about your diagnosis, returning to work and reasonable adjustments, phased returns to work and more. Is there something in particular you want to know about? Let us know by commenting below.
Did you know?
The Equality Act (Disability Discrimination Act in Northern Ireland) protects Cancer patients from disability discrimination from the date of diagnosis. You are protected if you are looking for work, a worker or an employee. It makes no difference whether you are full or part-time, you are protected. Please see our resources on line or give us a call on 0808 808 0000 if you need help with your work problems. You can also email us by using this link if you prefer - Contact Us
