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Macmillan Cancer Support 2014

Wellness at Work after CancerLiz Egan, 23 April 2015

In the UK:

•More than 750,000 people of working age are living with cancer

•Around 500,000 carers of people with cancer work full or part-time

•82% of people think it’s important to continue to work

•However, 47% had no choice but to give up work or change their roles as a result of their diagnosis.

750,000+ 750,000+

82%

The survival journey of 27,000 breast cancer patients over a 7 period from 2004 to 2011

6.5% 13.8% 5.5% 4.5%

19.2% 29.1% 20.5%0.9%

2004 2011

Limited survivalLimited survivalMore aggressive complications/

recurrence

Limited – moderate survivalPatients with other morbiditiesLimited interventionLess aggressive complications/

recurrence

Ongoing survivalLiving with or beyond cancer complicationsLiving with or beyond other morbiditiesLiving beyond cancer

Cancer and its treatments can cause:• Persistent hair loss

• Body image issues

• Depression, anxiety, loss of confidence

• Swallowing/speech problems

• Heart disease

• Nausea, vomiting

• Urinary or bowel incontinence

• Lymphoedema and osteoporosis

• Sexual difficulties.

Other typical long-term consequences include: fatigue & pain. Social and financial difficulties are also common.

The Equality Act and Disability Discrimination Act in NI

• Cancer is classed as disability from the moment of diagnosis• Applies even when there is no longer any evidence of cancer• Half of all line managers are unaware of these facts

The Equality Act and Disability Discrimination Act in NI

Carers have the right to:

•Request flexible working•Have emergency time off for dependents•Have protection against discrimination

 •£5.3 billion - the cost to the economy, when people with cancer drop out of the workforce

•40% of the population will have at least one chronic condition – including cancer – by 2030

•The costs of recruiting and retraining are high •Employee engagement and morale can improve

•Positive employer image – “Does the right thing”, “Fulfills legal obligations”.

A successful return to work involves two key factors:

1.A good relationship with the line manager•Often the first point of contact and manage the day to day•Good communication is essential•Influence workload and level of pressure or demand

2. The provision of reasonable adjustments:•Allowing time off for medical appointments•Being flexible about working hours•Allowing extra breaks to cope with fatigue•Adjusting performance targets

The facts47% of employees say their employer did not discuss sick pay entitlement, flexible working or adjustments when they were informed of the diagnosis. 70% of employers who made reasonable adjustments considered then easy to do.

Visit macmillan.org.uk/atwork for more information

Three hour coursedesigned for HR and line managers. This can be delivered in house to your organisation or you can attend an open workshop

If you need a series of shorter sessions or tailored content, we can create a bespoke package for your organisation

We can provide you with the materials and skills to establish a sustainable training model for your organisation

Bespoke service to enable your organisation to develop best practice provision to support staff affected by cancer

Challenge: A 20 year-old, male staff-member had been undergoing chemotherapy but his cancer had become resistant to the treatment. So he had to be away from work more and was possibly starting a drugs trial. How could the company best support his small team of 15 people through this difficult situation?

Understanding: Macmillan expertise and knowledge of cancer, helped support him, his colleagues and his work. Macmillan has experience of working with over 150 public and private sector employers.

Solution: An experienced trainer, gave an special one-hour session to the next team meeting a week later. The trainer had his own cancer experience to draw on.

Complete Service: A dedicated training coordinator was the one point of contact, ensuring a smooth delivery in a short time.

“From start to finish the team at Macmillan were extremely helpful. They were quick to respond, helped understand the training needs of the business and put together a bespoke package for us. The team have already commented on how beneficial the session was. Until recently, I never understood just the amount of services Macmillan provides and I think the work undertaken is fantastic.”

(Lindsey, Protomed HR Officer)

Workplace well-being charter

Occupational health

Fit for work service

Specialist vocational rehabilitation services

@workandcancer

@workandcancer