Under the current legislation in the UK, you do not have to tell your boss if you have cancer, as the concerns are that people may thinking they'll be written off, viewed as potentially ineffective, or plain unavailable. However, not disclosing can also mean less support and understanding, as well as less flexibility from your employer.

However, the question lays in whether your manager is ready to provide thoughtful and supportive responses. A recent research study found that from 500 HR managers surveyed, 71% did not have any policies in place for communications with and management of employees with cancer. Professor Gordon Wishart, chief medical officer at Check4Cancer, states that a major problem is the low levels of recognition among senior executives for the implications of cancer in the workplace, while managers are expected to provide reactive responses to highly emotional and difficulty situations with little training.

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