If you were to walk into your workplace, no matter how small, the likelihood is that someone there has been affected by cancer. A macabre version of ‘six degrees of Kevin Bacon’ - in which it’s suggested he can be linked to any other actor within six connections or less – cancer is so pervasive that you’re more likely to know someone who’s had it than not.
One in two people will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime, with breast cancer cited as the most common to be newly diagnosed. Given these statistics, it’s safe to assume that at some point in our careers, someone we work with is going to have been through it. Despite this, talking about it at work – particularly to colleagues currently in or returned from treatment – remains largely taboo.
According to research conducted by AXA PPP Healthcare in 2016, just one fifth of managers who had team members with cancer had discussed the illness with them, because they aren’t sure what to say. A Cancer and Employment survey by iES shows that this left many of these team members feeling under supported, with a clear need for more employers to offer a phased return, vocational rehabilitation and job redesign.
For Jessica Jackson - the protagonist in journalist and author Laura Price’s debut novel, Single Bald Female - who is diagnosed with breast cancer just days after landing her dream job as a magazine editor, quitting work just isn’t an option. Partly because she can’t afford it and partly because she just doesn’t want to – she loves her career, has worked hard to get to where she is and isn’t about to let it go easily. Though she takes the days after each chemotherapy session off, she works throughout her treatment, making this one of few modern depictions of what living with cancer might actually be like for a young woman with ambition.
“Jess’s career is important to her in terms of her mental health and her independence – she needs something to keep her going, and she doesn’t want people to feel sorry for her,” explains Laura, who wrote the book after going through a similar experience herself. Diagnosed with breast cancer at 29, when she initially returned to work, her colleagues were understanding, but as more time passed, they struggled to see her remission status as anything other than absolute.
“When I returned to work shortly after finishing chemotherapy, people were very understanding because I still had the physical signs of cancer such as a bald head,” she explains. “But later, when I still suffered from extreme fatigue and some days struggled to get out of bed, it was hard for my team to understand why I might not be up to working, or up to socialising after work.”
Now with a secondary diagnosis, Laura is once again navigating work and treatment at the same time.
“I was lucky enough to have paid leave when I underwent chemotherapy for primary breast cancer when I was 29, but I am now working full-time throughout ongoing treatment for secondary breast cancer at 40 because I have to for financial reasons, because the treatment is for the rest of my life and because I’m not too unwell to work.”
Despite what many cancer depictions in film and TV tell us, most women who have received treatment for cancer will have to return to work in some capacity afterwards. A large part of making that transition easier is having colleagues who provide adequate support.
So what is the best way to do this? It’s understandable that many of us worry about getting it wrong and as Laura points out, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here, but there are actions we can take to make it less of a hurdle.
Don’t make assumptions
First of all, Laura suggests following the lead of your colleague and not assuming what they can or can’t do – even as more time passes by. “Remember that even if your colleague is not going through something as intense as chemotherapy, they may still be having other types of treatment,” she says. “There is every chance they are still suffering physical or mental side effects of some form, so be aware that their needs may change from week to week. Never assume their illness is completely in the past.”
Be direct
Unlike those managers unable to overcome their own awkwardness, Laura believes it’s best to have an honest conversation and actually ask the person what they need. “Don’t pussy-foot around your colleague or assume they are less capable than they were before. Be direct with them – ask them how they are feeling, and what they need from you. A simple “What do you need from me?” will go a long way.”
And for those with the illness…
“Decide on what your boundaries are,” Laura recommends, “whether you want your colleagues to know what’s going on with you on a personal level, and how you want to be treated. If you don’t want to be treated any differently, make that clear. But if you need more help or some extra flexibility, make that clear too. I always asked colleagues to ask me directly if they had any questions about my cancer – I didn’t want anyone talking or speculating behind my back – and Jess does the same in the book. But there really is no right or wrong way to handle returning to work after illness – you do you.”
Aside from articles and books, Laura also writes a newsletter. To follow her experiences, subscribe here.
If you or your colleagues need support on returning to work after cancer, you can contact the Macmillan Work Support Service here.
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November 04, 2022 at 08:38PM
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