There's something very satisfying in the simple act of knowing you've helped someone else and I had the chance to do this on Wear It Pink Day, as a guest panelist on a webinar discussing supporting employees with cancer.
My co-panelist works for an organisation in the UK who specialise in providing employees and managers with support and she shared some shocking stories of what cancer patients have been told by people at work. I kid you not, things like “when are you going to be back to normal?” Or “I told the team you're on sabbatical as I don't want to frighten them”.
I was horrified and it's no wonder than c50% of employees are worried about telling their employer about a diagnosis and 1/3 feel isolated at work.
The webinar was great and gave the audience (mostly HR Managers) tips and ideas - provide managers with materials and signpost them to experts like Macmillan, develop internal campaigns to promote cancer awareness, encourage employees to share, listen to cancer patients returning to work and ask when they need to support a phased return, understand recovery is not linear, remember it's not one-size-fits-all.
It was a super discussion and I was happy to be part of it and it made me think. It's energising and satisfying to be able to use this negative experience of my cancer to support others!
