News

The Importance of Cancer Policies

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This spring the UK government launched an independent review to Keep Britain Working, to review the role of UK employers in creating and maintaining an healthy and inclusive workplace, The figures that have driven this review are startling: “Today there are nearly 800,000 or 40% more people of working-age who are economically inactive for health… [Read More]

High Likelihood of Cancer Sufferers Not Returning to Work without Career Support

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More than four in ten people who used the services of Working With Cancer (WWC) say it is likely they would have left work without the coaching, or career support they received. The stark figure in an impact survey run by the not-for-profit WWC found that 45 per cent of people felt it was likely… [Read More]

8 Top Tips for Managing Work and Cancer

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Receiving a cancer diagnosis is a very personal experience that affects everyone differently. Adding the question of how you manage work during your diagnosis and treatment can be an additional strain at a difficult time. Working With Cancer is a social enterprise dedicated to bridging the knowledge gap for people encountering the need to manage… [Read More]

UK Workplaces Falling Short in Supporting Employees Affected by Cancer

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New research launched today by Working With Cancer reveals that many HR managers are ill-equipped to navigate the complexities of cancer and long-term health issues in the workplace. Working With Cancer’s report which was produced in conjunction with the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) shows that although many organisations are demonstrating areas of good practice, too many still do not take into account the specific needs of the increasing number of employees working with cancer.  Too many organisations do not yet provide adequate information, training and support to their HR and line management teams. This new report calls for organisations to develop specific cancer policies, provide training for HR and line managers and review current employee benefits to better support employees with long-term health conditions. 

Supporting Employees Through Cancer Treatment and Recovery: A Manager’s Responsibility

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One of our coachees about to go for her breast screening has asked us to publish this blog about ‘scanxiety’ and how managers should be supporting employees living and working with or after a cancer diagnosis. This is an important reminder to all those with management responsibility.

Take Part in Ground Breaking Research This Summer

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The number of under-50s worldwide being diagnosed with cancer has risen by nearly 80% in 30 years but research has shown that 50% of employees are afraid to tell their employers. ‘With more than 178,000 people diagnosed this year in the UK alone, responsible leadership demands more than just compliance with regulations: it requires empathy,… [Read More]

Black Spot

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Our regular contributor, Harmer Parr, is now on palliative care, designed to make his last months as comfortable as possible. In this article, he reflects on his cancer diagnoses and treatments over the years and his palliative journey.

Palliative Perceptions

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In this second article, Harmer Parr writes about his palliative care, which is often rather misunderstood, and how he and his family are adapting to this new stage in his life.

I’ve been on palliative care for two months now. As I revealed in my last article, I was transferred for hospital to hospice. While death is a long-established taboo subject, I’ve discovered that the words ‘hospice’ and ‘palliative’ create their own frisson as well. Can friends send you a message asking simply how you are? Do they wonder if this implies the question: ‘are you dead yet? ’Well, the answer to that question is that I’m still around. I was told to ‘think months not years’ and I’m determined not to be short-changed.’

How to navigate the transition from cancer treatment to the workplace

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An article by our founder, Barbara Wilson, about how to navigate the transition from cancer treatment to the workplace recently appeared in UNLEASH magazine. ‘Cancer isn’t just a concern for individuals, it is also a risk for organizations. More and more people of working age are getting cancer, and it is high time that employers step… [Read More]

Home Straight

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WWC regular contributor, Harmer Parr, has previously updated us about his advanced cancer, Melvyn the Melanoma. Harmer is now, as he puts it, on the ‘home straight’ having been discharged from the hospital and having further treatment, and now in the hands of his hospice team and excellent GP.