Cancer is having a huge impact within the workplace and this will continue and increase for the foreseeable future. Although long-term absence[1] (lasting over four weeks) only accounts for 5% of all absence episodes, it typically accounts for 30–40% of total working time lost. In 2013 it was estimated to cost the UK £4bn per annum. Cancer represents a significant cause of long-term absence for manual workers (29%) and…
This month, we asked Barbara:
What should an employer consider when making reasonable adjustments for an employee living with cancer?
Following a cancer diagnosis, most people need time off work for treatment. This could last for several weeks or months. Whilst most cancers have a typical ‘care pathway’, every person is unique in terms of their cancer journey, their treatment and when they feel ready to return to work…
This month, the Work and Cancer team received the following question from an employer:
How can a manager support a team feeling under pressure while covering someone’s absence due to cancer?
Usually this type of situation arises for one of three reasons.
If you read my last blog you’ll recall that I wrote, ‘returning to work is not a sprint, it’s more like a marathon and sometimes there needs to be pauses along the way to draw breath. It’s not a seamless progression but a long and winding road’. In most cases this is a journey which can be managed but it is one which needs support, encouragement and reassurance from managers and colleagues.…
How often have we in HR stated in our visions, missions, strategies and policies that ‘our people are our greatest asset’ and /or that we aim to be an ‘employer of choice’? But what does this mean in practice – when our employees have to cope with life’s misfortunes and emergencies?
These days many employers spend time developing family friendly policies, flexible benefits, and health…
