As Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings the condition to front of people’s minds, we urge every employer to implement a clear policy on breast cancer so that all parties, including the HR department, the line manager and, most importantly, the employee, know what support is available.
This should involve proactive employee discussion, reiteration of the benefits on offer, and potentially even assisting the employee with communicating to their immediate colleagues about their illness – something which can be extremely stressful and traumatic”, says Chris Evans, senior consultant at Xerox HR Services. Even where budget is limited, there are low cost benefits possibilities, for example cancer cash benefits, providing a lump sum pay out on diagnosis. These can be offered on a company pay or flex basis, and can provide invaluable support. Research from Macmillan shows that four in five people with cancer are affected by the financial impact of cancer, on average incurring costs of £570 a month.1
Whilst an improvement in mortality rates is largely due to medical advances, the impact of an employer’s approach to an employee’s illness should not be underestimated; whether it’s offering practical support in terms of benefits access, or the less tangible support demonstrated through flexibility and empathy. It goes without saying, anyone with a medical condition has the right to privacy and to decline any help offered. However, this can all too easily be an excuse for not having assistance mechanisms in place. Someone with breast cancer is more likely to be open with colleagues about their condition and the problems they face if their employer does the following things: Make a statement that any employee with cancer has the right to work in a sympathetic environment, free from prejudice. Make it clear that an employee with cancer will not have to use annual leave to get treatment
Provide information on financial arrangements, including company and statutory sick pay, together with a signpost to specialist advice. Offer the opportunity, but not the obligation, for an employee with cancer to have regular meetings where the impact of the diagnosis on their work can be discussed and reviewed. This should include sessions with a HR and/or occupational health specialist, if desired.” Xerox HR Services helps employers improve their HR programmes through advisory, technology, and administrative services while enabling employees to better manage their health and wealth programs as well as their career development.
1 Macmillan research: Revealing the costs behind the illness http://www.macmillan.org.uk/documents/getinvolved/campaigns/costofcancer/cancers-hidden-price-tag-report-england.pdf
