The question is ... they are not yet my employer ... they haven't offered me the job yet ... that's the trick ... that's what I'm seeking advice on.

Hi Dawn,

Apologies, that other response was not affiliated with CAC.

Since you can't really count on the employer 'stalling' I think it is a good idea to begin thinking through your approach of discussing your circumstances with them. Have you confirmed with your healthcare team that you'll need 6 full weeks or is that just an estimate they give for recovery to everyone? Is this a job that you could potentially do remotely? In that case you may not need the full time 'off'? Since typically you will need to have worked for 12 months before you qualify for Family and Medical Leave, you may not be able to access protected leave.

With all of that said, of course it's great that you (potentially) got this job but I encourage you to give some thought as to whether right now is the best time to begin a new job given what you have coming up. It could be a challenge to take 6 weeks off shortly after starting a new job, so it may be more beneficial for you to hold off on starting a new job until after surgery, when you may have a better sense of what you can expect in terms of your ability to work, etc. Of course this all depends on your current circumstances, but it’s worth considering since there may be a number of question marks regarding the next few months.

If you are set on starting work now, you’ll want to do some digging regarding the company. Perhaps look on Glassdoor to see what you can find out about benefits, flexibility, culture, etc. at the company. This way you can develop your approach in a way that will hopefully get you a positive response. If you hear from them, you can say that you have an existing medical commitment down the road, and ask what type of flexibilities or solution would they be open to given that you will need some time off. It’s a tricky situation since 4 months is still a ways away, but in the context of starting a job, you’d still be relatively new. Regardless, I think it’s a good idea to check out some of our resources focused on the disclosure piece of the conversation, and think through what will make the most sense for you in this scenario.

I’m happy to hop on a call with you if you want to talk through this some more. Shoot an email to cancerandcareers@cew.org if you’d like to schedule a conversation.

Warm regards,

Nicole Jarvis, LMSW

Assistant Director of Programs

Cancer and Careers