Expert insight: How to develop a comprehensive cancer policy

Contributing to REBA’s recent report, Employer-funded health: the impact of chronic ill health and specialised support services, Working With Cancer’s Barbara Wilson outlines how employers can better support those working with cancer.

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Thanks to decades of research into diagnosis and treatment, cancer survival in the UK has doubled over the past 50 years, but the disease is still the defining health issue of our time, according to Cancer Research UK. Employers will need to develop health benefits to reflect this.

Barbara Wilson, founder and director of Working With Cancer, recommends that employers should:

Offer specialist cancer coaching and counselling services, either through critical illness cover and private medical insurance, or as an add-on provision.
Set up a cancer employee resource group to help make sure employees feel supported.
Introduce a policy of at least 12 weeks’ phased return to work following treatment.
Develop a comprehensive cancer policy to help managers to provide reasonable adjustments for employees. It will also help to ensure that all employees with cancers are treated equally in the workplace.