Beyond 'How Are You?': Meaningful Workplace Support During a Cancer Diagnosis

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a worthwhile initiative to get behind and promote. Accelerate People’s Jo Massiah shares how you can support your employees and apprentices going through a cancer diagnosis.

“It’s been three years since I lost my sister to breast cancer, and through her cancer journey, I learned first-hand how much workplace support can mean to someone facing this diagnosis, either personally or as a family member. My sister was diagnosed in 2020 just before lockdown, so in a time of COVID lockdowns I spent many hours working not from home but from my car! My employer at the time gave me the flexibility within my workday to drive her to her chemo appointments, I was incredibly fortunate; I know many would not be given this accommodation.”

As employers and colleagues, we often want to help but struggle with what to say or do. Here are some tips about how you can provide meaningful support in the workplace:

Questions that help:

• "What kind of support would be most helpful right now?"

• "Would you prefer to keep work discussions separate from your health journey?"

• "How can we adjust your workload or deadlines to reduce pressure?"

• "Who should we communicate with about project updates when you're not available?"

  
  

Actions that matter:

• Clear communication about available support options and policies

• Respecting their privacy - let them share what they want, when they want

• Maintaining normal interactions when appropriate - they're still the same person

• Following through on any commitments you make to support them

  
  

What to avoid:

• Sharing stories about other people's cancer experiences unless asked

• Making assumptions about their capabilities or timeline

• Treating them as if they're fragile in every interaction

• Using language like "fighting cancer" or "battle" - if someone doesn't survive, it implies they didn't fight hard enough

  
  

The apprenticeship and assessment sector has taught us the importance of individual pathways and reasonable adjustments. These same principles apply when supporting colleagues through health challenges - there's no one-size-fits-all approach.

Creating a workplace where people feel safe to be vulnerable about their health challenges benefits everyone. It's about building a culture where support is practical, consistent, and genuine.

“COVID had created so many additional hurdles - treatment at distant hospitals, childcare challenges when relatives were isolating, the constant juggling of work, home schooling, and medical schedules. The flexibility my employer gave me rippled out to support everyone in my sister's care network; I’m still grateful to them now.

But this support wasn't a one-off experience. By 2022 I had moved to Accelerate People and they supported me through one of the worst times of my life – giving me the time and space to grieve my sister.”

When your employer becomes part of the solution rather than part of the problem, it transforms how you experience one of life's most difficult periods.

Finally, this Breast Cancer Awareness Month, please remember the importance of regular self-examinations and health screenings – according to Breast Cancer Now 44 % of UK women do not check their breasts regularly. Early detection saves lives. Read more on how to check thoroughly.