Cancer was the main cause of insurance claims, across all risk categories, in 2024, according to new research from Group Risk Development (GRiD).
The three main categories and their percentage of claims for cancer are:
· Group Critical Illness: 68%
· Group Life Assurance: 39%
· Group Income Protection: 27%
Ongoing support is crucial
These benefits provide a range of cancer support for employees, including access to oncologists, healthcare professionals such as psychologists and physiotherapists and other specialist support such as vocational rehabilitation. They also offer access to other resources, like reading materials and workplace training and guidance to enable line managers and HR professionals to feel able and confident to support staff.
Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD said:
“Ongoing support is crucial – as although the cancer itself may be in the past – fatigue, anxiety, and the side-effects of treatment may still be very much in the present.”
Go beyond ringing the bell
As identified in this article to mark National Cancer Survivors Day (1st June), there is a common cultural misperception that the journey is over when the “bell rings”. However, this often signals the time when employers need to step up most and facilitate a successful return into the workplace. Work can be very beneficial for a person’s mental health and serve as an effective recovery tool.
“As we honour the individuals who have survived cancer, it’s important to ensure that employers have the knowledge and the means to support those who can, want and need to return to the workplace,” said Moxham.
Research shows that employees with cancer often workplace support is inadequate. For example, only 43% of employees who have, or had, cancer were satisfied with their employer’s return to work programme, according to research by Working to Wellbeing, and 71% of UK workers with cancer feared telling their employer, according to Working with Cancer.
The fact that 96% of employers do not have a cancer specific policy [ref. Working with Cancer] supports the view that employers are not providing enough of a tailored approach to this increasingly prevalent workplace illness. As this article on 11 best practice checks, the first is to develop a cancer policy, read the full piece for more practical takeaways.
