Cancer and return to work

Employers’ interactions with occupational health in supporting employees with cancer

Summary:

Jen Remnant and Rachel Forshaw explain the results of a quantitative and qualitative study on employers’ use of occupational health services in supporting workers diagnosed with cancer. They also discuss why many line managers need a better understanding of what OH can offer.

More than 100,000 working-age people are diagnosed with cancer in the UK each year¹, and while such individuals often take substantial sick leave from work, around two-thirds of those who are in paid work when they are diagnosed will return to work^2,3 – though in some instances, with reduced capacity.

Cancer remains a potentially life-threatening illness. The number of people living with cancer is rising and more people are surviving it for longer⁴. Figures from Cancer Research UK indicate that half of the people living with a cancer diagnosis in England and Wales have survived the disease for 10 years or more⁵. Survivors often experience long-term side effects and symptoms including chronic fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, pain and incontinence issues, as well as comorbid conditions including mental health issues⁶.

In practical terms …

 

Jen Remnant is a chancellor’s fellow at the University of Strathclyde, working within the Scottish Centre for Employment Research.

Rachel Forshaw is an assistant professor of economics in Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University.

 

Author: Remnant J, Forshaw R

Tags absence cancer Return to work sickness absence

Occupational Health at Work October/November 2024 (vol. 21/3) pp13-18

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