Introduction
We know that your needs will change over time. This guidance has been designed to support you at the various stages of your cancer experience.
On Diagnosis
Facing a cancer diagnosis is stressful. We want to support you and this section of the guidance explains how we can help you in the early days.
Support we offer you
The University of Glasgow offers a range of support resources that may be helpful to you during this time and at later stages.
Flexibility
Until you have started treatment for cancer, it is difficult to know how it will affect you. You may need to take time off at short notice, depending on your type of cancer and your treatment. Under our cancer guidance, managers should understand the need for flexibility, as each person’s experience of cancer is different.
The earlier you tell your line manager about your cancer diagnosis, the more time everyone will have to plan around the potential impact on your work. As the situation becomes clearer, make sure you keep them up-to-date.
Occupational Health Services
You may benefit from the help of an Occupational Health Adviser. This is a health professional, such as a nurse or doctor, who specialises in workplace health issues. Occupational Health professionals draw on their clinical knowledge and an awareness of your role in the workplace.
The Occupational Health professional also serves as an adviser to you and your managers.
They can help with:
- Adjustments to your job to accommodate your health needs
- Correspondence between The University and your doctors
- Advice when you return to work after treatment
- Ongoing support for you and your managers
Occupational health services are not provided free under the NHS. They are provided at the discretion of employers. We have and occupational health adviser in-house. To find out more, speak to your line manager, your local People and OD team or contact Occupational Health directly at ohu@admin.gla.ac.uk.
Workplace Cancer Support Ambassador Network
The University has a support network where Lived Ambassadors primarily share their personal experiences and insights on specific challenges they have encountered. They can also signpost colleagues to relevant resources and support. You can contact the Network here.
Employee Assistance Programme
Colleagues and their immediate family members* have access to a helpline operated by Health Assured. The Employee Assistance Programme is a confidential and impartial service that offers support, whatever the problem, be it personal or work-related. The number is free to call and open 24/7, 365 days per year. Call Health Assured on 0800 028 0199 and quote MHA237526.
*Health Assured define immediate family members as spouse/partners and children aged 16 to 24 in full-time education, living in the same household.
Wisdom app
Provided by Health Assured, colleagues can also access the Wisdom app. The app provides online personalised wellbeing content, tools, health trackers and includes a resources library. Learn how to download the app: Wisdom How to Download Guide . When registering enter Unique Code: MHA237526.
Private Health Care
MyLifestyle Benefits and Perks provides a range of options for private healthcare, offering access to 24/7 GP and Mental Health helplines, access to Diagnosis and Treatment, plus more for a monthly fee per person. Learn more at https://www.edenred.uk.com/.
Communication
Some people may want to keep a cancer diagnosis to themselves, find information on their own and organise their own system to cope at work. We recognise that telling people at work about your cancer may not be easy and you are not required to do so by law.
However, if we know that you have cancer, we can help you by providing support and giving you information about your rights.
We can also make sure that you have time off if you need it and that you receive any sick pay you’re entitled to. We can also take steps to arrange cover when you are away and minimise the impact on your colleagues.
Telling management about your cancer
The first thing to do is request a private meeting with your manager. If you wish, you may have someone else with you to act in a support capacity (e.g. a work colleague or a trade union representative) for this or any other meeting relating to your cancer.
If you feel unable to discuss your cancer diagnosis and treatment with your line manager, you can speak to, your People and OD Partner, an Occupational Health Adviser or a member of the Workplace Cancer Support Ambassador Network.
Once you tell your manager, they will need your permission to share that information with People and OD and other managers who may be affected. Equally, you may prefer to tell them yourself.
As soon as it is possible and appropriate to do so, your line manager will discuss with you:
- Whether you need to take time off to come to terms with the immediate diagnosis.
- The possible impact on your work and whether you would like colleagues and relevant people outside of the University to be told about your cancer.
- Your permissions for us to obtain advice from your doctor about your illness and recommendations for returning to work and time off.
You will be offered information on:
- Our sick leave and sick pay policies
- Counselling and other wellbeing support services
- Flexible working, time off and work adjustment policies
- Other sources of information and support
Telling your work colleagues and others
The University respects your wish for privacy and confidentiality concerning your personal circumstances. At the same time, we will need to plan to cover sickness absence effectively.
Your line manager will agree with you (if anything) what to tell your colleagues at work. We will agree what to say to others verbally and what to tell people in writing. We will also ask if you want colleagues to know about your illness but feel unable to tell them yourself. This will also apply to relevant service users and other third parties.
Financial considerations
Our intent is to try to minimise any financial hardship which our colleagues may encounter as a result of cancer. If you have any concerns about your financial position because of cancer, please feel free to discuss this with your line manager or People and OD Partner. Doing this early on may help you lessen the impact of any financial problems. We will be able to advise you on the University’s policies and benefits.
You may also be eligible for state benefits. This can be a very significant source of new income for people affected by cancer. Some benefits for carers and people with cancer are not dependent on income and you may be able to claim while in work. It is important to apply quickly so you do not miss out on payments.
Where possible, we will also give you information about where to seek expert advice on state benefits and other financial matters. For more information, please call MacMillan’s financial guides and benefits advisers on 0808 808 00 00, or visit macmillan.org.uk/moneyworries.
Payment during sickness absence
If you have a cancer diagnosis, you are likely to need time off for further tests, treatment and recovery. You should discuss the options with your manager as soon as possible.
Remember to ask your doctor for a medical certificate to cover any periods of sickness absence beyoind 7 days, and to send them to your line manager.
Statutory Sick Pay is part of the benefits system, which can become a complex area if you take extended periods of time off world. We would be happy to refer you to independent experts who can advise you on SSP and other state benefits. For more information, please call MacMillan’s financial guides and benefits advisers on 0808 808 00 00, or visit macmillan.org.uk/moneyworries.
Working during treatment
Depending on your illness, you may wish to carry on working during your treatment, either full-time or part-time.
Before treatment, it is often difficult to know exactly how the treatment may affect you. It is helpful to let your manager know this so that they are aware you may need to change your work plans at short notice.
Options for flexible working
While you are affected by cancer, and to support our colleagues as best we can, we are willing to consider flexible working options, if these suit your needs and are practical for the University.
If you decide that in order to support your wellbeing, you would benefit from working more flexibly, you should discuss this with your line manager. Consideration can be given to the feasibility of working more flexibly and if approved they can arrange for any necessary technological support to be provided.
Other ways we may be able to help include:
- Planning a reduced or more flexible scheduled, for example changing your hours so that you can travel to and from work at less busy times (outside of rush hour)
- Arranging for you to undertake ‘light duties’ for a period
- Asking colleagues to be supportive and to help with some of your work
- Allowing you to take a short break every now and again to rest
Equally, you may decide that you cannot continue to work but that you just want to keep in touch with what is happening. Again, we can make arrangements for this.
Time off during treatment
Even if you decide to work either during or after treatment, you will probably need to take time off for medical appointments and follow-up procedures.
When it is necessary to do this during working hours, you should, as far as possible, let your line manager know in advance so that any cover arrangements can be made.
Extended absence during treatment
If you need to take an extended period of absence, this time off will be treated as sickness absence. You may find you need to take a few days or weeks off. This may be as one period of sick leave or could be a few days every month for a period of time.
Staying in touch
In the case of an extended period of absence, your line manager will ask you if you would like your colleagues to keep in contact with you and if so, how frequently you would like that contact to be. This may help you keep up with what is happening at work and help you feel like you are still part of the team. If you need privacy, we will respect that too. You can always change your mind and re-establish contact when it feels right for you.
When you feel up to it we encourage you to have regular discussions with your line manager to review how your absence is being managed. This can be by phone, video call or in person.
Returining to work after treatment
If you have been away from work during treatment, when it is finished, you will need to decide whether you want to return to work, and if so, whether this will be on a full-time or part time basis. If you have remained on the job during your treatment, you will need to decide when and if you want to return to your previous patterns of work.
Your decision may depend on your health as well as your personal circumstances and wishes, and any changes will be made in accordance with medical advice from your doctor and/or our Occupational Health advisers.
Very often a diagnosis of cancer will lead an individual to rethink their lifestyle and their priorities. Developing a different outlook on life is very common. Some people choose not to return to work. Others want to resume their everyday lives, including their working lives; some may find it difficult to talk about career aspirations in terms of years. We are aware that returning to work after a long period away can be physically and emotionally demanding. We will provide whatever support we can to assist you at this stage in your recovery. We will usually speak to before we seek advice from an occupational health adviser about the best way to help you move back into work.
Options to discuss
Coming back to work after a break of a few weeks or months can be difficult to adjust to, and you should take the time to think about what is right for you.
Before you come back to work, we will arrange a ‘return to work’ meeting where, you, your manager and a People and OD Partner can discuss the options for making the transition back to work, in accordance with the medical advice you have been given.
It may be helpful for you to be accompanied at the meeting. This meeting will also be used as an opportunity to update you on any changes which may have taken place in your team or the wider University during your absence.
If you are still coping with some of the effects of treatment, you should discuss any changes that can be made to your work to help you. Options you may want to consider include:
- Making a ‘phased return’ to work with a fixed timescale, where you increase your hours gradually over a period of time
- Working from home (at least to begin with) for one day a week or more (if your role allows for this)
- Working flexible or reduced hours
- Changing your role or some of your responsibilities for a temporary period
- Video conferences to reduce the need to travel
- Help with transport to and from work
- Making alternations to your physical location or workstation
Try to be realistic about how much you can manage at the outset. For example, people who have been diagnosed with cancer can feel very tired for quite a long time, even after treatment is finished. We will do our best to accommodate changes while taking into account the nature of your role and the needs of the University.
Any changes to your working conditions may affect your terms of employment, and we will make sure everyone is clear about the impact before any formal agreement is reached
Ongoing medical surveillance
Often cancer patients may continue to be under medical surveillance for months and years after initial treatment. It is important that you continue to have an open dialogue with your line manager to make them aware of any monitoring you are receiving, any further tests and time off required from work.
Disability caused by cancer or treatment
All people with cancer are protected by disability discrimination legislation, from the time they are diagnosed and for the rest of their life.
The Equality Act 2010 places a legal obligation on employers to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to make sure disabled colleagues are not substantially disadvantaged when carrying out their roles, however it is good practice to consider making adjustments which remove or overcome barriers to work in any case.
Adjustments should be discussed between the colleague and their line manager and should be done on a constructive and supportive basis. The University’s Support for Disabled & Neurodivergent Colleagues hub contains guidance on Discussing Adjustments and Support.
Deciding to stop working
Some people choose to give up work completely when they are diagnosed with cancer. This allows them to focus on their illness and its treatments and to reassess their lives.
If work has been a major focus of your life, it can be difficult to adjust to not working. You may want to seek counselling to talk this through. You can do this by accessing our Employee Assistance Programme.
If your doctors find that your health is unlikely to improve, you may decide you are unable to continue to attend work.
Financial considerations
In certain circumstances you may be eligible to receive a discretionary ill-health early retirement pension.
However, it is important to consider all financial implications of your retirement, as these may be important to the welfare of your family or dependents. Before taking any formal steps that affect your employment status, it is recommended that you take appropriate financial advice and/or speak with a welfare rights adviser.
Consider your own circumstances carefully, taking your health into account, as well as your finances, before deciding what to do.
If you are unsure of where to go for advice, you can start by asking your People and OD Partner, the Occupational Health team or your line manager. Your trade union, if you belong to one; Trade Unions can also be a good source of advice. Alternatively, you can obtain more information, by calling MacMillan’s financial guides and benefits advisers on 0808 808 00 00, or visit macmillan.org.uk/moneyworries.
Fairness
The University strives to be fair to all our colleagues.
Resolving disagreements
If you feel that you have been treated unfairly because of your illness, you should raise the issue promptly with your line manager and/or People and OD Partner. They will try to resolve the problem informally.
If you are unable to resolve the issue, it will be considered in accordance with the University’s Grievance Procedure.