16.02.2024 Christin Müller 6215

Cancer in the workplace: How employers can provide support

As an HR manager or executive, how can I best support colleagues who have cancer? Nils Hofert, Head of HR at pme Familienservice and Meike Bukowski, Head of HR Development at pme Familienservice, explain in an interview how employers and managers can relieve the burden on affected employees and their families.

According to statistics, one in three people in Europe will develop cancer by the age of 76. The probability is therefore very high that employers, managers or team members will be confronted with the disease at least once in their lives - directly or indirectly. The good news, however, is that according to the German Cancer Society, 60 percent of all cancer survivors return to work after treatment.

Cancer is an enormous psychological and physical burden for those affected. Many ask themselves questions such as: Will my team be understanding if I drop out all of a sudden? Will my boss accept that I might not be able to work the same way after my recovery? A supportive working environment and responsible actions by managers can therefore have a significant impact on the working environment and provide helpful relief for affected employees.

A team member is diagnosed with cancer. What are the first steps to provide good support?

Nils Hofert: First of all, we hope that affected team members will turn to their manager, our employee representative body or a colleague they trust in confidence. It is very important to us that we create an open and trusting atmosphere in the company that is characterized by empathy, understanding and active listening. We want to reassure our team members that we are there to support them sensitively and helpfully in this exceptional situation.

The team members should concentrate fully on getting well. We find that it helps a lot to keep work-related worries away from them and to give them the assurance that we can find ways to do this together.

Meike Bukowski: It is also important to us to respect our team members in their differences and to offer them individual support. Coming to terms with the illness and the associated fears and finding a good way of dealing with it takes time. Many team members need a space to talk and a lot of closeness and security, while others are interested in specific practical forms of support and clarity about the next steps, e.g. possible advisory services from the company, financial support, cover arrangements in their absence.

What specific support does the pme Familienservice offer?

Meike Bukowski: For example, we offer services from our own service portfolio, such as various crisis counseling sessions in life coaching, BEM counseling or health relief services. We provide financial support with the help of our company's own social fund. 

We also train our managers in conducting discussions with seriously ill and stressed team members. To this end, we offer regular communication training and have provided managers with an accompanying checklist for preparing, conducting and following up on these discussions.

We are currently informing, sensitizing and training our specialist advisors from life situation coaching, occupational integration management and homecare eldercare in psycho-oncological counselling for inquiring customers and for counselling requests from our own team members.

How should the team be involved when a colleague is diagnosed with cancer?

Nils Hofert: In addition to caring for the sick team member, as an employer we also have to deal with their absence from the company and keep an eye on the economic aspects. Colleagues are usually absent very suddenly and for a long period of time. In this situation, the entire team is required to show a high degree of empathy, sensitivity, organizational skills and flexibility.

It is therefore advantageous to involve the team promptly and to communicate openly and transparently about the illness and the changes in the work context. What specifically may be communicated is discussed closely with the affected team member.

The earlier all parties involved are involved, the better procedures and processes can be adapted.

Concrete agreements on how to proceed are therefore crucial:

• How are the tasks of the affected team member continued or redistributed to other team members during the illness?
• How does the handover take place?
• How do we stay in touch during the period of absence?

A cancer diagnosis is an enormous burden, both mentally and physically. How can employers provide emotional support to those affected?

Meike Bukowski: During the absence of sick team members, we naturally stay in close contact with them. We discuss with them before their absence whether and which communication channels they want to use and at what frequency.

If the sick team member wishes, we are happy to visit them at home or in hospital. We send get-well cards, small surprises and gifts such as flowers or small presents. We invite sick team members to special events such as team celebrations, breakfasts, birthday parties or staff meetings or encourage them to simply drop by for a coffee. If the team member wishes, we can also send them the company newsletter so that they are always up to date with what is happening in the company. Most team members really appreciate this interest and feel involved, valued and very much a part of the company.

It is fundamentally important to address issues such as serious illnesses as a matter of course within the company and to sensitize, inform and train all team members in dealing with the disease. With our current cancer campaign "Unspeakable? Cancer in everyday working life", we are putting the spotlight on employees suffering from cancer and their relatives.

Although the campaign is primarily aimed at our customers, it is also being heavily promoted internally on various channels such as our intranet and the company's own social media channel. We are receiving an incredibly positive response to the articles, presentations and training offers and are creating a great deal of openness for future situations.

How do you make it easier for affected team members to return to work?

Nils Hofert: It's great to see that many cancer patients are highly motivated and want to return to work. We support them very closely in this process with various stakeholders.

The reintegration process usually begins before the actual return. We immediately provide team members with a BEM advisor who is also a possible contact person for the sick team members during their absence and supports the reintegration process. We look specifically and individually at how a cautious return to work - usually according to the Hamburg model - can succeed.

A digital, customized induction plan and support from a mentor help with the organization of everyday working life.

After the return, we adapt the workplace for a certain period of time if necessary, for example by reducing the tasks, responsibilities and working hours if this is seen as beneficial and is also desired by the team member.

We also look at which flexible working time models make it easier to return to work. We offer a wide range of part-time models, mobile offices and even workation, which enable a recovering team member to work from other locations at least part of the time and recover at the same time. Depending on the diagnosis, we can set up a "working environment appropriate to the condition" in consultation with the company doctor and GP and, of course, provide the opportunity to attend specialist appointments at any time. In the case of severely disabled team members, we pay attention to the special legal requirements and make use of additional external advice and support options, e.g. from the Integration Office. Our representative body for severely disabled employees is also on hand to provide team members with expert advice.

What can I do as an employer if a team member is no longer able to perform 100% of their previous duties due to illness?

Meike Bukowski: When returning to work after a serious illness, very few people function like clockwork again straight away. They need time to readjust and organize their daily work routine. We offer our managers support from our regional HR managers and BEM consultants in planning, organizing and accompanying their reintegration.

The following aspects should be clarified together with the team member:

• Model of reintegration (scope, hours, duration)
• Determination of work tasks for the period of reintegration
• Organization of induction and support by the team, training courses if necessary
• Adaptation of equipment at the workplace
• Check flexible working time models
• Information to the team
• Establishment of regular reintegration meetings
• Regular exchange with all parties involved
• Integration is successful and tasks are adapted if necessary

If the team member is overwhelmed with tasks that he or she was doing well before the illness, the employer should also show understanding here and offer further support in joint BEM discussions with the BEM consultant and the manager.

Adjusting the job description, including the work tasks, is also a good way to relieve the person.

What happens if there is a relapse or a sick team member is unable to return?

Nils Hofert: There can be ups and downs during the course of an illness. Both the sick team member and the manager should be prepared for this from the outset. It should therefore be regularly checked whether the tasks can still be managed or whether it even makes sense to qualify the person for other professional fields that are more compatible with the situation. It is very important to involve the team member and look for alternatives together.

How does pme support team members who are caring for a relative with cancer?

Nils Hofert: It is important to understand the situation of the caring team member. Because what a person has to do in this situation can be a huge personal burden for them. Health insurance companies only pay for ten days to organize care. This is usually not nearly enough to take care of everything.

In these cases, we offer to adjust the work content or working hours if necessary, or enable flexible working hours as part of the annual working time account.

Our team members can also make use of our in-house advisory services here, such as homecare eldercare advice or various training courses. Colleagues can help with researching support services, for example. Team members can also take advantage of psychosocial advice and support from our life coaching service, and BEM advice can also help. It is not only there if someone has already been ill for a longer period of time, but also provides support to prevent them from becoming overworked in the first place.

In summary: 7 tips on how you as an HR manager can support employees with cancer

 1. establish "open" discussion rooms and/or places of trust

Involve the employee representative body or a trusted colleague. Offer sick team members an atmosphere of trust and spaces for discussion that are characterized by empathy, understanding and active listening.

2. offer training for managers such as "Dealing with seriously ill team members"

If a colleague falls seriously ill, managers must act quickly and confidently.
Training in dealing with sick colleagues is very helpful for this.

3. offer affected employees individual support/discussions

Talk to the team member concerned specifically about the next steps and ask yourself the following questions:

• How are the tasks of the affected team member continued or redistributed to other team members during the illness?
• Does the sick team member have a supportive, helpful social environment?
• What financial, social or even emotional support can you offer?
• Would the team member like support?
• What should communication within the team look like?

4. involve the team (on request)

Every team member deals with illness differently. Some withdraw completely, while others want to remain an active member of the workforce. Talk to the sick colleague about the extent to which the team may be informed and whether contact is desired during sick leave.

5. introduce various support measures in the company

If possible, offer support services such as crisis counseling, BEM counseling or health relief services. Last but not least, the employer or manager should always have an open ear and actively communicate this.

6. enable gentle reintegration

If possible, offer flexible working time models such as part-time, mobile office or even workation and/or set up a "working environment suitable for those suffering from illness" and give the returnee the opportunity to attend specialist appointments at any time.
Create a checklist for conducting discussions with team members who have been ill or under stress for a longer period of time.
Conduct regular reintegration meetings and feedback sessions and regularly adjust tasks.

7. address serious illnesses

Communicate openly. Discuss serious illnesses and their effects within the company, e.g. with specialist presentations or a campaign. This will give team members the feeling that they can also overcome difficult times together.