By Business SA senior policy adviser Karen van Gorp

Sadly, more than 138,000 Australians were diagnosed with cancer last year, three times as many as in 1982. Fortunately, improvements in early diagnosis and treatment have resulted in much higher survival rates.

Half those survivors are of working age, willing and able to return to work, but 40 per cent of survivors fail to return to work.  Losing these people from the workforce has significant economic impacts, on businesses and society.

From diagnosis employees are forced to take time off for appointments, surgery, treatment and recovery. They worry about taking time off work, paying bills, how much leave they need and whether they will keep their job.

It’s a tough thing for an employer to manage too - losing productive staff for a long period of time and working out how to manage that uncertain workforce gap.

Employers often underestimate the health benefits and value of a person continuing to work when they can, with research showing employees will feel valued, productive and positive. Employees may need to discuss how they’ll work during treatment or return to work, whether they need to work shorter hours, fewer days or take regular recovery days.

The power of work plays a significant role in someone’s confidence, mental health and recovery rate. When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2013, I was supported by my employer, Business SA, my manager and workplace through a whirlwind of doctor appointments, surgery, radiotherapy and scans. I received calls and texts letting me know they were thinking about me. When I was advised to get my affairs in order, my employer supported me without pressure, allowing me to spend precious time with my beautiful children.  Riding the wave of new treatments, I found a clinical trial and thanks to breakthroughs in science, I’m still here today.

Business SA has been extremely supportive. At first I used my sick leave, then annual leave, then took leave without pay. I ended up needing 18 months of leave, but my manager told me I could come back if and whenever I was ready.

Ongoing communication is essential – as is empathy and gentle encouragement from a manager or owner – and I was supported to return just one day each week. Things couldn’t be more positive – I now work four days a week, feel valued, contribute to my organisation, I’m productive, and in remission.

I’m a cancer survivor, but the well-travelled road is long. Statistics show survivors are 1.4 times more likely to be unemployed, and if more employers understood the value of staff returning from illness, that figure could be cut.

If an employer is looking for information on supporting those diagnosed or survivors return to work, Flinders University researcher Professor Bogda Koczwara, an expert in cancer survivorship, is leading the way with her Work After Cancer site. Cancer Council SA can also help with online tools for employers on how to support people diagnosed with cancer and those coming back to work. The return is worth it for everyone.

This article was originally published in the South Australian Business Journal on Tuesday 12 March 2019.