Impressively, many high-quality sources are Canadian,
and a number of academic reports spoke directly to
workplace stakeholders.
Ensuring sound cancer and chronic disease management prac-tices
starts with progressive policy. This should cover:
■■ Continued access to adequate health and disability benefits
while on leave, as well as employee assistance plans (EAP),
access to quality health information and second medical
opinion services
■■ Assistance to navigate the health system, understand treatment
decision, and submit benefit forms and applications at a time
of great personal distress
■■ Professional input into work ability assessment (both physical
and cognitive dimensions) and accommodation during or
following treatment, which may include graduated RTW, post-
RTW support and more frequent rest
■■ Training for managers and co-workers to avoid confusion,
frustration, resentment or stigma
■■ Awareness of legislation that protects the disabled worker and
requires reasonable accommodation
Employers have an opportunity to affirm, include or better inte-grate
their approach to cancer within a healthy workplace strategy.
Many chronic conditions, including cancer, share common life-style-
related risk factors and can be improved when employers
deliberately create a culture of health through leadership, manage-ment
and labour relations levers and provide targeted support to
employees (both as patients and as caregivers) in accordance with
best practices.
RECOMMENDED PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES
HR professionals can help establish principles that ensure effec-tiveness,
fairness and consistency in key domains, as well as lead
the implementation of better practices across their organizations.
There are five main areas for employers to consider.
1. Health benefits
Health benefits play an important role in helping employees who
are affected by cancer manage what is often an expensive and
lengthy journey. Benefits also help employers enhance work pro-ductivity
and reduce time off work. Cancer drug coverage varies
by province and newer, innovative medications are expensive, so
coverage should be evidence-based, using accepted standards of
clinical and economic value. Beyond the immediacy of cancer, pa-tients
often experience the simultaneous presence of two or more
chronic diseases or conditions (comorbidities), and adjunct thera-pies
also add cost and complexity. Out-of-pocket expenditures for
all necessary therapies and supports should be reasonable enough
that the cost does not deter access to them.
It is not enough, however, to simply provide coverage. Employees
often do not understand the benefits they have and make assump-tions
about the extent of provincial and employer coverage. Timely,
plain-language communication is essential, both in writing and
with personal support if needed to create “no surprises” navigation.
Cancer patient assistance and support programs offered though
insurers and pharmaceutical companies can provide access to pro-gram
staff with oncology-specific knowledge. However, programs
from different sources often create confusion and duplicate ef-forts.
These programs should be aligned with each other and with
feature
CANCER AFFECTS
WORKPLACES
■■ Cancer can change how people set
priorities, but most survivors see
work as therapeutic. They want
to stay connected to people and
events at work.
■■ About 60 per cent of cancer
survivors continue to work during
treatment, or return to work
afterward.
■■ About 20 to 30 per cent of
survivors report continuing
issues with fatigue, memory and
physical strength.
■■ Surveys indicate many cancer
survivors have other chronic
conditions, including depression,
heart disease and diabetes. A
comprehensive health strategy
makes it easier to manage all these
diseases more effectively.
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26 ❚ SEPTEMBER 2017 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL