Having relevant information physically in front of you – whether on paper or in digital format – can help guide the decision-making process that ultimately informs your action plan. There are three categories into which relevant details can be organized.
- MEDICAL AND TREATMENT INFORMATION
It’s important to speak with all members of your healthcare team to understand how all aspects of treatment may impact your work ability and your schedule. Exactly how chemotherapy, surgery, etc. will impact you isn’t always knowable as different people can respond differently to the same treatment. However, asking questions ahead of time can provide a general sense of what to prepare for.
Among other things, you’ll want to:
- Discuss the timeline is for specific surgeries and/or medical treatments being recommended for you, including anticipated recovery times.
- Learn about treatment side effects you are likely to experience and any solutions for mitigating them, particularly while at work. For example, are you likely to experience nausea or vomiting, which can make it difficult to work? Can you take medication or have treatments either early or late in the day so side effects have minimal impact on work hours? Will side effects become more intense over time which could affect your ability to work, or will they decrease?
- Tell your team about the physical and mental requirements of your specific job to figure out together whether it will be possible to continue during all or part of treatment. If work is a priority, let your healthcare team know that it’s important for you to make decisions that will benefit your health and job whenever possible.
- Consider if you will still be able to handle your commute. For example: will your immune system remain strong enough to safely use public transportation? Will you have the energy to continue driving in heavy traffic both before and after work?
- Identify areas of life outside of work that you will also want to have energy for. For example, cooking for yourself/others, helping kids with their homework, tending to elderly parents/in-laws, taking an art class, participating in your religious/spiritual community, etc. Can work adjustments be made
- WORK INFORMATION
Employee benefits and organizational policies can differ from workplace to workplace, and reviewing information specific to yours can help you start to think about how to manage your treatment protocol with the way your company works and the duties of your job. For instance, researching your workplace’s existing policies and flexibilities can provide insight into how to devise a plan for continuing to work during all or part of treatment. Similarly, learning about your company’s leave policies can help clarify your ability to take time off whether for a few days, weeks or even months. Things to consider include:
- Procedures related to requesting and/or taking time off.
- Any policies regarding working remotely or modifying your work schedule.
- Benefits that are available through your employer, such as health insurance, disability insurance, paid childcare, access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), etc.
- The overall culture of your company. For example, are coworkers supportive and willing to pitch in when other staff members have had to be out on leave? Or is the environment more competitive? Or somewhere in between? How does this impact your thinking about if, when, how or to whom to disclose your diagnosis?
Much of the information you are looking for may be accessible through an online employee portal or in a hardcopy employee handbook that you can locate and go through yourself without having to speak with HR (or whomever manages employee benefits at your company) if you are uncomfortable doing so.
- LEGAL INFORMATION
You’ll also want to learn more about relevant federal and state laws that may allow for on-the-job accommodations and protections, job-protected time off, etc. It is important to note that we are not recommending that you review legal information because it is likely that a work-related situation will require legal action. Rather, it’s because cancer patients and survivors should think of the law as a tool that may be used to help them achieve their work goals, and it’s important to understand how. This article provides an overview of three key laws for which you may be eligible. However, if you would like to understand how a lay may or may not apply in your specific circumstances, it’s always best to reach out to a legal expert. You can find reputable legal resources in your area by contacting your local bar association or using the Triage Cancer website. Additional legal resources can also be found using CAC's online Resource Database.
Updated 2024