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In
the SpotlightSurviving
Cancer And Earning a Living: What You Can Expect |
 Many
cancer survivors wonder whether having a cancer history will make a difference
in their job prospects. Common questions include: Will I be able to return to
work? Take time off for more treatment if I need it? Work as hard as I once did?
Advance in my career?
There is no one answer to these questions. Some
people choose not to go back to their jobs while others are not physically able
to return. But most work-able cancer survivors do return to work. Sometimes it
takes a year or more before survivors are ready to return full-time, but once
they go back, they almost always are back to stay. Cancer survivors have included
professional and Olympic athletes, business executives, artists and musicians,
film stars and world leaders.
When cancer survivors return to work, some
have highly supportive employers who help ease the change from patient back to
employee. Others get back to the routine without much help from their company
or organization. And at some workplaces, wrong ideas and false fears about cancer
cause job-related problems that survivors must overcome.
The
following stories reflect the workplace experiences of cancer survivors.
"After
I had my colostomy, my employer asked me to quit my job because the cancer was
upsetting my fellow workers. He said a demotion or transfer was possible if I
didn't agree. Except for my wife, that job was my whole world. So rather than
quit, I decided to fight for it. "-Jon H. "My
employer denies that my treatment last year for cancer had anything to do with
my not getting a promotion and raise. My boss said I was being defensive when
I suggested that I was being discriminated against because of my illness. He said
he just didn't feel I was ready for the responsibility at this time. I don't know
what to believe, but I'm looking into my options."-Betty C. "When
I went back to work, my boss was honest with me. She said that my situation had
been discussed at a managers' meeting. Some people had questioned what impact
my coming back would have on the company's insurance rates. Her boss asked how
she planned to get the job done with an employee she could no longer count on
to stay healthy. Fortunately she did some research and found out that the turnover
rate, absenteeism records, and work performance of people with a cancer history
are very much the same as unaffected workers. Her facts helped correct management's
wrong ideas."-Roy P.
Tips
for dealing with coworkers after cancer treatment |
Cancer
Survivors as Employees | - 80
percent of people with cancer return to work after diagnosis.
- Research
shows that cancer survivors are as productive on the job as other workers and
that they aren't absent from work any more often.
- About
1 in 4 cancer survivors experience some form of employment discrimination
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When
your coworkers hear about your illness, many of them will want to help, but they
won't know how. Others may be frightened by your situation, especially when they
don't know much about cancer and todays potential for treatment and cure. Here
are some ideas for helping them--and you--to resume a good working relationship.
Plan
how you will deal publicly with your cancer when you are back on the job.
There
is no "right" way to interact with others about your illness. Once they
are back at work, some cancer survivors don't want to focus on their cancer or
to be associated with the disease in people's minds. Others are very open with
coworkers about their experiences. They may have a frank discussion with their
manager or close coworkers to air concerns, correct wrong ideas and decide how
to work together. The best approach is the one that feels comfortable for you.
Keep
up contacts during your treatment and recovery.
Your
coworkers will be concerned about you. If they have information about your treatment
and progress, they will be less anxious and frightened.
It is also important
to stay "connected" to the people with whom you work. Talk by phone.
When you are able, have lunch with friends or stop in for an office party. Plan
to rest before and after if necessary. Your return to work will be easier for
you and your coworkers if you have stayed involved.
Ask
your employer to educate company employees about cancer.
Research
has found that people believe three major myths about cancer that sometimes affect
their attitudes towards cancer survivors:
Myth #1-Cancer is a death sentence;
Myth #2-Cancer is contagious;
Myth #3-Cancer makes workers less productive.
When coworkers learn the facts about cancer, they realize that these myths
are untrue. Open discussion calms concerns and resolves fears. You may want to
invite a speaker to discuss the issues such as an expert from a local cancer support
organization, a doctor, a nurse or social worker who specializes in cancer.
Your
company medical department, personnel office, union or employee assistance program
are possible sponsors for an educational program. Information efforts might include
making written materials available, holding a brown bag lunch discussion or correcting
wrong ideas at staff or union meetings.
- Join
(or form) a workplace support group for cancer survivors.
Such
groups may include only cancer survivors or both people with and without cancer.
Depending on what members want, support groups can be anonymous or open. They
can provide mutual emotional support for members, or they can make active efforts
to stand up for the rights of cancer survivors.
- Consider
talking to other coworkers who learn they have cancer.
Share
your experiences and insights. Let people who have just found out they have cancer
know that they are not alone. Offer to do something for them that you wish someone
had done for you.
- Get
help if you need it.
If
coworkers' attitudes about cancer are making it hard to do your job, your first
step may be trying to resolve the situation informally with the people involved.
Correcting others' wrong ideas, without being defensive, can be difficult. But
a direct approach may help things change for the better.
When your own
efforts don't work, you may want to get help. Your manager, shop steward, employee
assistance counselor or personnel office may be able to change coworkers' ideas,
procedures or the way your job fits in with others' to lessen problems. It is
a good idea to have a workable solution to suggest when you raise a problem.
Most
survivors understandably hesitate to "rock the boat," calling company
attention to personal problems. When hurtful remarks or actions get you down,
talking to a friend or counselor may help you put things in perspective. When
coworker attitudes get in the way of doing your job, however, it becomes an issue
that management needs to address.
For
more information, go to PersonalMD.com's Cancer
Center or contact the National Cancer Institute of the National
Institutes of Health http://www.nci.nih.gov/
or the American Cancer Society www.cancer.org
Source: National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
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