Work

workGoing in to work during and after a cancer diagnosis can be tough. If your colleagues know, you can feel like ‘the cancer guy’, and if they don’t, you are carrying around a secret that you might want to scream in the middle of a team meeting.

We all have different experiences with treatment and the impact it has on our ability to work. Some people are able to maintain a routine and a sense of normality, whereas others may feel too tired, in pain, numb, or nauseous to work. The impact of cancer on work can also continue long after treatment finishes. In our 2019 Small c survey, 40% of people told us that they felt unable to work in the same way as they did before their diagnosis.

According to Cancer Research UK, over 100,000 people of working age are diagnosed with cancer each year and 30,000 of these are people aged 25 to 49. It can be useful to tell your manager or human resources contact about diagnosis and keep them updated on your treatment and prognosis. This should help them to support you through treatment and to return to work after. 

It’s important to know that a cancer diagnosis is covered by the 2010 Equality Act. For the purposes of the Act, anyone diagnosed with cancer is classified as “disabled” for life. This doesn’t mean that you should feel any different, but it does mean that you are protected from discrimination on the basis of your cancer diagnosis. 

Your employer should make efforts to support you, and they must not treat you less favourably because of your cancer. Legally, employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to support a return to work, including lighter duties, flexible hours, and time off to attend appointments. Macmillan Cancer Support and Maggie’s have useful resources around working with cancer, whether you’re an employee, employer or self-employed.

If you don’t feel adequately supported you may want to take it to a more senior level or speak with an expert. Shine often runs workshops on returning to work after cancer, and our coaching after cancer programme can also help you make the changes you need to work successfully.  You can also join our private Shine Facebook group and chat with over 2,000 others about your experiences.

  • In our videos, Barbara Wilson of Working With Cancer, answers common questions around your rights, the support available, and what to do if you feel unable to return to work.
  • Our blog has experiences and advice from members of the Shine community.

Podcasts on working after cancer

Videos on working after cancer

What are my rights in relation to employment?

What to consider when planning to return to work

What do I need to tell a potential employer about my diagnosis?

What support is available when I do return to work?

What are my options if work is no longer possible?

Am I entitled to extra sick days?

Articles from our blog

Meet Neil: Shine’s newest employee!

We're growing again! Meet Neil, our new Shine Network Support Officer. In this post, Neil shares his experience of having a malignant brain tumour and talks about how his life post-diagnosis led him to working for Shine.  Hi everyone! My name’s Neil and I’m Shine’s...

Looking for a job after cancer

Looking for a job after cancer can seem like hard work. Our latest blog answers the questions you put to us about the best ways to look for work, what recruiters can do for you – and, importantly, ways of dealing with that gap on your CV!

Tips for looking for a job after cancer

Looking for a job can be daunting at the best of times, let alone after you've been diagnosed with a serious illness. At Shine, we know that work is hugely important to younger adults (not least because we need the cash), and we've got some really useful resources on...

Advanced Cancer

Dating

Fertility

LGBT cancer

LGBTQI+

menopause after cancer

Menopause

Mental Health

just diagnosed with cancer

Newly Diagnosed

parenting through cancer

Parenting

Sex

Travel Insurance

Work