According to Macmillan, more than 650,000 people with cancer in the UK (22%) have had their cancer treatment or care disrupted as a result of the pandemic. This includes around 150,000 people who have had their treatment delayed, rescheduled, or cancelled. Over half of these were worried that delays to their treatment could affect their chance of survival1. Yet the charity estimates that even with significant extra resource (above pre-pandemic levels), it is estimated that clearing the backlog in cancer diagnosis will take 20 months2.
In all, around 900,000 people of working age are living with cancer, a figure estimated to reach 1,150,000 by 20303. But 28% of employees had either no support or very little from their employer4.
With the added impact of the pandemic, it’s clear that employers and employees need additional support, both physically and mentally. So how can you better support your staff with cancer during this difficult time?
Unum’s ‘Cancer in the workplace’ study showed that working can give cancer patients a sense of normality helps to take their mind off their diagnosis and provides a valuable social connection.
It’s important to ensure employees with cancer, who are able to and want to work, can work.
So, as we approach the end of lockdown and businesses start to consider their hybrid working strategies, we’ve developed a comprehensive and complementary range of support tools. While some are only available to businesses with an Unum policy, others are open to everyone.
Here, Natalie Rogers, Chief People Officer at Unum shares some steps and guidance you can use to improve your support of staff living with cancer, during and after the widespread impact of pandemic has subsided.
1. Implement HR and line manager training
According to Unum’s ‘Cancer in the workplace’ research, more than half (59%) of line managers had no, or very little, knowledge about their employee’s condition5.
To rectify this, Unum partnered with Maggie’s cancer charity to develop a workshop which is aimed at line managers and HR teams, the workshop provides a better understanding of the likely effects of cancer and its treatments, leading to greater confidence in discussing the needs of affected employees. Through our long-standing partnership with Maggie’s cancer charity, we can provide information and advice for HR professionals and line managers on cancer support.
Cancer is more than just a physical illness, of course. It can also have a huge impact on people, emotionally and mentally. Unum’s two-part ‘Stress management and mental health’ workshop takes in both prevention and intervention. Together, they focus on the awareness and the importance of prevention, stress awareness and management, and good mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Our workshops are available to employers via webinar, so are accessible to everyone regardless of where they’re working.
Unum also offers interactive e-modules which are based on our workshops and are open to everyone. Including cancer and mental health, the e-modules allow employers and employees to pick and choose the sections they want and access the information whenever it’s needed. The ‘on demand’ training and guidance also includes access to practical tools and videos.
2. Refer staff to cancer resources
No one cancer diagnosis is the same. Symptoms, treatments, prognoses and how we react, and cope are unique to the individual, so one size doesn’t fit all.
Unum’s Cancer Pathway provides quick and easy access to support at diagnosis, through treatment, after treatment and end of life – whenever it is needed. Employers can access the pathway by contacting Unum or by getting in touch with their existing Unum claims or Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant.
Alternatively, Unum’s Help@hand app offers eligible employees quick and simple access to five wellbeing services, including a UK-based remote GP, mental health support and medical second opinions.
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), such as Unum’s LifeWorks can also provide a wealth of information and much-needed support for everyone, including managers. Through LifeWorks there’s also access to a wealth of articles and resources for employers or employees, including supporting a colleague working through cancer, understanding breast cancer, and supporting relatives and friends with cancer, plus many more.
3. Return to remote or office-based work support
When the time is right, it’s important you have the right support in place to make the employee’s transition back to work as smooth as possible – whether they’re physically returning to an office or resuming their working commitments remotely. Given the likelihood some form of remote working – or hybrid working – will be in place for most businesses post-lockdown, there are nuances to how this needs to be handled as employees coming “back to the workplace” may still need to work from home.
For those wanting to spend part of the week working in the physical office, once you’ve discussed the employer and employee’s needs, it’s important to create a practical return to work plan for once social restrictions ease. This should include making recommendations, such as flexible hours, working from home and workplace adjustments, to ensure an employee can return to their role safely.
However, while we are all still working remotely a virtual return to work plan is necessary. Similar to a practical return to work plan, its critical this includes a clear timeline and plan to ensure employees can structure when they are “online working” or “offline and uncontactable”. It’s important to set clear working boundaries so team members respect employee’s time pressures, especially while they’re in a phased return to remote working.
4. Financial support
The effects of cancer can be far-reaching – physically and mentally, but also financially.
Almost three-quarters (74%) of workers worried about the cost of cancer, such as travel and higher bills, and how their families would cope with loss of income if they had to give up work6.
Employee benefits like Critical Illness cover or Income Protection can provide a vital safety net for people diagnosed with cancer. For example, Unum’s Critical Illness policy provides a tax-free lump sum if the employee suffers a listed critical illness and survives for 14 day after diagnosis, while Income Protection can pay a percentage of the employee’s salary if they are off work for an agreed length of time. In fact, almost 25% of Unum’s Group Income Protection claims were for cancer during 20197.
5. Communicate
Finally, communication is king. Unum’s ‘Cancer in the workplace’ study found 40% of workers were unfamiliar with the resources their employer provided for cancer sufferers before they were diagnosed. Yet 52% of employees thought they could’ve returned to work sooner if they’d received better support from their employers8.
Businesses must ensure they use every tool at their disposal to help employees with cancer return to, or stay in, the workplace as long as they’re able to or want to.
Ensuring employees are fully aware of the support available to them, both internally and externally, can help them during their cancer journey, keep valuable expertise within the business, and show employees their health and wellbeing is paramount.
To find out more, get in touch with us at pathway@unum.co.uk.
Sources
*Please note that access to some of the services mentioned in this article depend on your Unum policy.
1 https://www.macmillan.org.uk/assets/forgotten-c-impact-of-covid-19-on-cancer-care.pdf
2 https://www.macmillan.org.uk/assets/forgotten-c-impact-of-covid-19-on-cancer-care.pdf
3 https://workingwithcancer.co.uk/
4 Unum’s Cancer in the workplace study – August 2019
5 Unum’s Cancer in the workplace study – August 2019
6 Unum’s Cancer in the workplace study – August 2019
7 For Unum GIP claims admitted between 1st January 2019 and 31st December 2019, 24.8% were for Cancer, 16.5% were for mental health and 10.6% for musculoskeletal conditions
8 Unum’s Cancer in the workplace study – August 2019
