At Make a Difference’s end-of-year Leaders’ Lunch last November, which explored employers’ priorities for workplace culture, health and wellbeing in the year ahead, one concern was hard to ignore: in the drive to cut costs, some organisations are scaling back their cancer support.
Marking World Cancer Day on 4 February, this article by Tara Ferguson is a timely reminder that cancer is not a marginal workplace issue — and that reducing support risks eroding trust, damaging retention and undermining the very cultures employers are working to build.
For many years, cancer has been treated in workplaces as an uncomfortable anomaly — either a short-term illness someone recovers from, or a terminal diagnosis that triggers compassionate leave and benefits discussions. But this outdated view no longer reflects medical reality, or the needs of today’s workforce.
Advances in cancer treatment mean more people than ever are living and working with cancer as a long-term condition. Yet workplace support, leadership confidence and organisational policies have not kept pace. If employers are serious about inclusion, wellbeing and retention, it’s time to rethink how cancer is handled at work.
Cancer is no longer just an “acute” workplace issue
According to Cancer Research UK, cancer survival rates have doubled in the past 40 years. Many people now live for years — even decades — with cancer, including those with advanced diagnoses. For working-age adults, this has major implications.
Macmillan estimates that around 890,000 people of working age in the UK are living with cancer — roughly one in every 48 employees. To put that into context, a similar proportion of people access statutory maternity or paternity pay each year. Yet while organisations have built robust systems, policies and cultural norms to support new parents, support for people affected by cancer remains inconsistent and often improvised.
Cancer is no longer a temporary disruption to working life. For many, it becomes an ongoing reality that requires flexibility, understanding and sustained leadership support.
Why good intentions aren’t always enough
Many leaders want to “do the right thing” when an employee discloses a cancer diagnosis. But good intentions can still miss the mark if they are based on assumptions, outdated beliefs or discomfort with difficult conversations.
Common mistakes include:
- Assuming someone will want (or need) to stop working entirely
- Treating cancer as a short-term issue with a clear “end point”
- Avoiding conversations out of fear of saying the wrong thing
- Expecting a full return to normal after treatment ends
These approaches can leave employees feeling isolated, reduced to a diagnosis, or pressured to perform in ways that don’t reflect their reality.
The power of human-centred leadership
What makes the biggest difference for employees affected by cancer is not clinical knowledge or perfect language — it’s human leadership.
When leaders respond with curiosity, flexibility and genuine care, it creates psychological safety. A simple question like “What can I do to help?” opens the door to meaningful support and shared problem-solving.
This kind of leadership acknowledges that every cancer experience is different. Some people want to stay engaged with work; others need time away. Many fluctuate between the two. The role of a leader is not to decide for them, but to listen and adapt.
Supporting employees who want to keep working
For some people, work provides purpose, identity and connection during treatment. Staying engaged — even in a limited or flexible way — can be protective for mental wellbeing.
One practical approach is to identify “important but not urgent” work: projects that add value without rigid deadlines or pressure. This allows employees to contribute when they feel able, without fear of letting others down.
Crucially, this kind of flexibility benefits everyone. It normalises varied capacity, builds trust, and signals that performance is measured by outcomes, not presenteeism.
There is no “back to normal” after cancer
One of the most misunderstood aspects of cancer at work is what happens after treatment ends. Many organisations assume this is the point at which things return to normal. In reality, this is often when new challenges begin.
Long-term and ongoing treatments — such as hormone therapies, immunotherapies or regular monitoring — can cause fatigue, pain, cognitive issues, sleep disruption and emotional strain. There may also be psychological impacts, including fear of recurrence, identity loss and reduced confidence.
Leaders need to understand that a phased return is not a box-ticking exercise, and that support may need to continue — and evolve — for years.
What great leadership looks like when cancer comes to work
Supporting employees affected by cancer does not require leaders to become therapists or medical experts. It requires consistency, empathy and a willingness to stay engaged over the long term.
Effective leaders:
- Acknowledge uncertainty and avoid assumptions
- Ask open, respectful questions — and keep asking
- Offer flexibility around hours, workload and location
- Review support regularly, not just at key milestones
- Treat cancer as a wellbeing and inclusion issue, not just an HR one
Even small actions — checking in before scans, remembering that treatment continues, or simply listening — can have a profound impact.
Why this matters for organisational culture
How an organisation responds when cancer enters the workplace sends a powerful signal to the entire workforce. It shapes trust, loyalty and psychological safety — not just for the individual affected, but for everyone watching.
Employees notice whether leaders disappear after the initial disclosure, or whether they remain present. They remember whether flexibility was genuinely offered, or reluctantly granted. And they carry those lessons forward.
In a labour market where wellbeing, values and inclusion increasingly influence career decisions, getting this right is not just compassionate — it’s strategic.
Leading with humanity
Cancer will touch almost every workplace, if it hasn’t already. The question is not whether leaders will face this situation, but how prepared they are to respond.
The solutions are not complex or costly. They are rooted in humanity: listening, asking, adapting and staying alongside people for the long haul.
That is what great leadership looks like when cancer comes to work — and it’s a standard every organisation should aspire to meet.
About the author:
Tara Ferguson is the founder of Onward With You, which was set up to do three things: develop leadership teams, provide business coaching and transform how workplaces support people affected by cancer
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