In 2023, Cancer and Careers commissioned a survey fielded by Harris Poll to better understand the experiences of people working or looking for work after a cancer diagnosis in the U.S.  The data illuminated a range of differences in the experience of those 18-40 as compared to those 41 and older. Details on the methodology of the research or how to request the full data report which covers additional topic areas can be found at the end of the article. For previously released data, click here.

Adults between the ages of 18-40diagnosed with cancer who disclosed their diagnosis to a supervisor/manager, co-worker/colleagues, or HR department/representative* are more likely than those age 41+ to report all aspects of their work life improved:

·       Support from supervisor/manager (67% vs. 43%), from co-workers/colleagues (65% vs. 47%), from HR department/representative (61% vs. 29%)

·       Flexibility of hours worked (57% vs. 46%)

·       Relationship with supervisor/manager (57% vs. 28%), co-workers/colleagues (54% vs. 30%), HR department/representative (48% vs. 19%)

·       Loyalty to workplace (50% vs. 25%)

·       Level of stress (42% vs. 23%)

·       Workload (42% vs. 22%)

·       Happiness at work (39% vs. 20%)

Adults between the ages of 18-40diagnosed with cancer who are employed full/part time** are more likely than those age 41+ to say…

·       People with cancer face stigma in the workplace (51% vs. 32%)

·       I worry that my cancer diagnosis will negatively affect how I am treated in the workplace (44% vs. 18%)

·       At work, I tend to feel left out because of my diagnosis or treatment (42% vs. 12%)

·       I have stayed at my job longer than I wanted to because I fear disclosing my cancer diagnosis to a new employer (34% vs. 11%)

Adults between the ages of 18-40who are diagnosed with cancer** are more likely than those age 41+ to say…

·       Their race or ethnicity played a negative role in how they were treated at work after their cancer diagnosis (30% vs. 8%)

·       Their gender identity played a negative role in how they were treated at work after their cancer diagnosis (27% vs. 8%)

·       Their sexual orientation played a negative role in how they were treated at work after their cancer diagnosis (26% vs. 7%)

* Results from respondents who are or were employed full/part-time after being diagnosed with cancer and chose to disclose their diagnoses at work.
** Results from respondents who are or were employed full/part-time after being diagnosed with cancer.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY:

The research was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Cancer and Careers among 908 US adults age 18+ who have been diagnosed with cancer and are either employed full time, part time, or unemployed but looking for work. The survey was conducted between August 21st through September 20th, 2023.

Data are weighted where necessary by age by sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, household income, employment status, and propensity to be online to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 3.9 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.

SOURCE:

Cancer and Careers/The Harris Poll

If you would like access to the full results from the 2023 Cancer and Careers/The Harris Poll research, please reach out to Leticia Bennett-White at lbennett@cew.org.