Prior to Wheelhouse, were you considering making a career change?
“Yes, my work environment is very stressful, and it was getting harder and harder to manage.”
– Employee Affected by Cancer, Wheelhouse Member
You’ve probably seen a video or photo of someone ringing a bell in a doctor’s office hallway. Their medical team and family members could surround that person, eagerly watching. Tears and a smile cover their face as the ringing marks the end of active treatment for their cancer.
Facing the “c” word and staring eye-to-eye with the brevity of life changes one’s perspective, even if declared “cancer-free.”
Every person responds differently to a diagnosis; some don’t know how or don’t want to put their feelings into words. However, it’s common for cancer survivors to unite around the experience that facing cancer has changed who they are and what they value (and this discovery alone can take a significant amount of time to recognize.)
The Realities of Returning to Work
If a cancer patient returns from short or long-term medical leave, they aren’t jumping back into their 9-5 job after weeks of vacation. No, they have undergone immense physical, mental, and emotional strain and pain. Chances are, the cancer survivor wants to get “back to normal” with life. Returning to their job is a major factor in this. But, they will run into new realities, such as facing fatigue, pain, cognitive issues, or even nerve damage.
Fears continue in cancer survivorship, too, most commonly in the form of the fear of recurrence or progression. This fear is shown to be “associated with impaired quality of life and psychosocial adjustment, elevated emotional distress, and a range of physical symptoms” (American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book).
With roughly eight million working-age cancer survivors, this population cannot be ignored (National Library of Medicine). Employers will miss out on a diverse group of talented workers if they simply pass over survivors applying for jobs or fail to help cancer survivors adapt and see their value as members of society.
Why is it the employer’s responsibility to provide cancer survivor support?
Now that we’ve shown cancer’s impact extends beyond treatment ending, it’s time to talk about why cancer survivor support is critical for the workplace.
The Journal of Clinical Oncology reports that only 23% of cancer survivors have been asked by their oncologist about return-to-work concerns. Cancer survivors’ need for support in the transition back to work is not routinely addressed in the medical space and therefore becomes a problem for already over-taxed HR departments to handle when issues arise.
Employee Turnover
When cancer survivors do not have the support, mental preparation, and stress-management skills they need for returning to work, the result can be that they feel like they are a burden or without purpose. When managers and coworkers place unrealistic expectations on cancer survivors, this (among other factors) opens the door to resignation.
A study conducted by the Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology asked cancer survivors why they voluntarily resigned from their job. The top three reasons were:
- I did not want to be a burden at my workplace.
- I anticipated my lack of energy and physical strength required for work.
- I was not confident that I could balance treatment and work.
With Gallup reporting U.S. businesses lose a trillion dollars a year due to voluntary turnover, employers need to take a hard look at their employee turnover rate and listen to why their employees are leaving to be able to better support their employees and save money.
Productivity
Additionally, employers need to be concerned with workplace productivity. The lack of confidence, fears of recurrence, and stress from adapting to the “new person” that came out of cancer affect even the most devoted worker.
Consider these statistics from the National Institute on Health:
- Cancer survivors lost up to 80 hours annually due to cancer.
- Work Impairment ranged from 10-70%.
- Lost work productivity was well over $10,000/yr./employee.
It goes without saying, but it is unusual for one issue to be the reason someone leaves their job or is struggling with workplace productivity; it usually comes with a multitude of factors and influences from outside of the workplace, too. However, proven methods support employees, slowing or preventing this from happening altogether.
Solutions for Cancer Survivor Support in the Workforce
Remember the Wheelhouse member at the beginning of this post who felt it was necessary to make a career change after her cancer diagnosis?
After utilizing Wheelhouse cancer benefits, it wasn’t the same story.
With Wheelhouse, has that consideration [to make a career switch] changed? How so?
“I no longer feel like I need to make a change. The tools that Amy and I have put together have made it possible to manage my stress and recent panic attacks. When things seem overwhelming, and I feel the panic setting in, I look at my tools [and] use them. The panic goes away, and I am able to cope. I am grateful to have such support to help me manage the work stress.”
With Wheelhouse, it is possible to support the cancer survivors in your workforce while retaining their position, improving their productivity, and providing cost savings for the company.
Wheelhouse solutions support the cancer survivor and employer. With over 20 years of experience in the oncology field, we know what gaps exist in the medical sphere. As cancer survivors ourselves, we have first-hand experience in trying to return to work on our own without support.
Survivorship led by survivors: Connects cancer survivors with a trained navigator who has a history of cancer. Our coaches provide accountability for fearing cancer recurrence and give survivors the tools they need to thrive after cancer.
Additional support all under one roof: Wheelhouse creates a return-to-work plan benefiting both the employer and employee. Insurance advocates ensure all questions get answered and patients receive the right care at the right time. Tailored screening programs help patients catch cancer early.
If you don’t have cancer survivors in your workforce now, you are likely to employ someone soon. We can show you real, cost-saving examples Wheelhouse can bring to your company and how you can change cancer’s impact.
