What Can Employers Do For Employees With Cancer?

In the year 2020, cancer is expected to take the top spot among causes of death for Americans away from heart disease.This scary statistic means that more people will be living with a more chronic condition than those who currently survive heart disease.(For about 25 percent of people who suffer from heart disease, the first and only sign is fatal heart attack.)Treatment for heart disease is also less catastrophic.While both conditions may require surgery, cancer goes further with radiation and chemotherapies that may cause hair loss, vomiting, and appetite loss.All of these things can lead to a person not only not being able to perform his or her job, but also opening the person up to ridicule and derisive statements regarding lifestyle choices that could have been made to avoid cancer.

While not all cancer is cause by lifestyle (some is cause by environment over which few individuals have control) and not all cancer is treatable, there are some things that employers can do for employees with cancer.The first thing is something that the company should have done before the cancer struck.The company can start a campaign to help people prevent cancer and adopt healthier lifestyles.This campaign should just be the beginning of a shift in corporate culture that allows employees to live more fulfilling, healthier lives.Vending machines should be revamped.Smoking cessation programs adopted for those who still smoke and weight and nutritional classes should be made available on a regular basis.Unfortunately, this type of program will not help the person who has cancer though some studies suggest that a change to a whole food, plant based diet can actually have a healing effect on cancer and send it to remission.
It is important to celebrate the person and their contribution to the company.Celebrations are life affirming affairs that allow people to display their appreciation for the person or accomplishments being celebrated.They allow people to enjoy each other to create a common mythology and vocabulary.By celebrating the person, the company is also letting others know that contributions do not go unnoticed.
Even with health insurance coverage, it is certain that the person is going to need financial help.The company can help with this and still incur a small financial burden by allowing other employees to donate unused sick leave to the person who is ill.It is usually good to put a limit on the donation, so that employees still have a cushion should they need it.Not only does this help the person who is experiencing cancer, it also helps the employees who are making the donation feel good about themselves and feel like they work as a part of a team that cares about one another.Coaches will often talk about locker room chemistry, and in the workforce, it is these types of situations that can create great locker room chemistry for a business.
The company may also start a campaign to collect donations for the particular type of cancer that the person is experiencing.By raising awareness and supporting a nonprofit organization that may also be supporting the employee with cancer, the company is helping to raise awareness.Done correctly, this type of move can also provide the opportunity to raise awareness of the problem in the community and about what the company is doing to help combat it.Good publicity for a good cause never hurt anyone and often generates more good will and donations for the cause through example.While the publicity may not be the primary reason, as a secondary or tertiary reason, it works for everyone involved.