Today, the Princess of Wales spoke about the life-changing impact and long-term challenges of recovering after chemotherapy. She said: “You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment, treatment’s done – then it’s like ‘I can crack on, get back to normal’“. She added ‘But it’s life-changing for anyone, through first diagnosis or post treatment and things like that, it is a life-changing experience both for the patient but also for the families as well. You have to find your new normal and that takes time… and it’s a rollercoaster it’s not one smooth plane, which you expect it to be.’

That is so true! There are still too many employers who assume that once treatment has finished, cancer is ‘done and dusted’. After a couple of weeks, they push employees to get back to the office and return to full-time work as if cancer was akin to a heavy cold or flu.

Employers have clear responsibilities under the Equality Act to support their employees in specific ways to manage work and cancer, and to exercise a duty of care. Too often they ignore this and assume that because someone looks well they must be well, that if someone worked through treatment then everyone can if they try. Catherine looks a million dollars, but one mustn’t take that at face value. Recovery typically takes a long, long time.

Managers need to understand that cancer changes lives irrevocably, and that they must give their employees the time and space to find their new normal.

That’s why employers need to seriously invest in training their managers in how best to support employees with cancer – and other chronic illnesses too – on improving their sickness and return to work policies and in providing interventions like coaching to ensure a successful outcome for all concerned.

This is not difficult, yes it demands time and money, but employees are a precious resource (in whom you have already invested time and money), so please treat them that way.