Changing the conversation about work and cancer

Employers

Employers 

Managing a team member with cancer is always challenging. It requires a compassionate but balanced approach which takes account of legal obligations as well as day to day operational issues. 

We can support your organisation in three main ways: 

Each service is tailored to the needs of your organisation, whether you are looking for individual support, building managers’ capability, or seeking wider cultural and policy change. 

Coaching

Cancer coaching is a confidential personalised programme of one-to-one sessions with a qualified coach. Every coach on our team has a corporate background and personal lived experience of cancer, giving them an authentic understanding of the practical realities and emotional challenges of navigating work and cancer. 

Our coaching provides personalised support for employees living with cancer or returning to work following cancer treatment and those caring for someone with cancer. Uniquely, in parallel with the individual’s coaching we provide unlimited support and guidance to their line manager and/or HR partner.  

How cancer coaching supports your people and your organisation: 

  • It gives employees a confidential space to talk through concerns and helps them feel supported, stay connected and return to work successfully.  
  • It helps employers gain a better understanding of workplace adjustments and practical support options in line with best practice.  
  • It provides guidance for the line manager or HR partner, helping them respond with confidence, consistency and care.  


Watch a short film showing one of our coachees, Mandy Goodman, talking to Barbara Wilson about the benefits she derived from her coaching.

The coaching process

How it works 

Employees work with a qualified coach who has lived experience of cancer and who will support them with the practical and emotional challenges they are facing. Sessions are confidential and provide a space to talk openly about what matters most professionally, personally, and emotionally. 

Cancer coaching is tailored to the person’s specific needs. It typically includes: 

Many people tell us coaching helps them feel more confident, supported, and able to move forward at work. 

“Following my last coaching session, I would like to pass on my gratitude to all those who give their time to the organisation and who have helped me over the past 18 months. From my initial phone conversation with Barbara to my coaching sessions with Jo, and legal advice from Genevie. I may not have been able to return to and stay in work had it not been for the support and advice I received from working with cancer. 

My coaching sessions with Jo not only offered me practical advice for the day to day reality of returning to work after cancer treatment, her expertise also helped me to see how I could use my own experience in life and career to help build a life in keeping with who I am now. I can only say coaching has been like someone lifting the lid on a box I have been stuck in and reminding me of my own potential and also of the potential that is out there in the world.  

Once again thank you to all the team for the work you do and your kindness”

To find out more about our coaching services, please get in touch

Training

Working With Cancer training helps managers and HR teams understand the impact cancer can have on people’s working lives, and gives them the confidence, skills and practical guidance to support employees and carers with empathy and care. 

We offer a variety of training sessions for HR teams and line managers, ranging from a 60-minute general awareness building session to longer, half-day workshops and masterclasses. Sessions usually take place online and can be delivered via Zoom or Teams. We make these as interactive as possible with the use of examples and case studies.

Why invest in training  

Supporting an employee through a cancer diagnosis is exceptionally challenging, yet few leaders receive the training needed to handle it. Despite this, line managers can have the most significant influence on an employee’s daily well-being and their ultimate return to the workplace.  Equipping line managers with the right skills is key to embedding good practice and building a healthier workplace where everyone can thrive.  

How training supports your people and your organisation: 

Our training programmes 

Supporting a Colleague Affected by Cancer. The content is tailored to each organisation’s needs, but sessions typically include:  

Building Skills Workshops and Masterclasses for HR Teams or Line Managers. Bespoke training sessions for HR teams and/or line managers. The content of these sessions normally includes, and builds on, the content outlined above, with a greater focus on:  

You are welcome to join one of our taster Open Workshops on managing cancer at work. Visit our events  page to find out when the next Open Workshop is taking place. If you would like further information on the training we provide, please  contact us. 

You can also find out more about our training by watching this video of Barbara Wilson speaking to Maggie Newton, WWC’s Head of Training about the work that we do.

What our clients say  

“It was an engaging session and very eye opening for people. Our colleagues enjoyed the session and learnt a lot about caring for others going through cancer” navigating cancer at work. Visit our Events page to find out about when the next Open Workshop is taking place.

Policy & Consultancy

We support employers by developing and implementing cancer friendly workplace policies, ensuring employees with cancer and carers receive the necessary support, such as reasonable adjustments, flexible work arrangements and return to work plans. We also provide expert guidance and information to enhance employee wellbeing and retention whilst reducing organisational risk. 
 

Why this matters  

Employees affected by cancer, including carers, often face uncertainty, stigma and fear at work. Line managers have the greatest day-to-day impact, yet many lack the confidence or knowledge to offer the right support.  

Creating a workplace where people feel safe, understood and valued is essential for retention, engagement, productivity and compliance with local legislation such as the UK Equality Act 2010.  

Our consultancy services 

1. Organisational Needs Discovery Workshop. A two-hour expert facilitated session (virtual or in person), that helps organisations understand current support for employees affected by cancer and identify priorities, gaps and opportunities to support them.  

2. Policy Development. We help organisations modernise and strengthen their policies to reflect good practice, legal obligations and the realities of managing work and cancer today.  

3. Consultancy. Ongoing specialist advisory support to help organisations implement best practice and embed long-term change.

4. Cancer Café. A structured, confidential peer-support forum that gives employees living with cancer and carers a safe space to connect with others who understand.  

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you develop or improve your support for those with cancer or other long term/ chronic health conditions, please contact us.