Aviva – Employers should be ready for cancer returnees

Employers are still finding the timely return to work of absent employees challenging – yet Government plans are likely to make this harder.

Aviva UK Health have said plans announced under the Government's welfare reform bill will see thousands of cancer patients no longer being eligible to receive Employment and Support Allowance after a year if a spouse or partner is working.

This is likely to encourage many to return to work before they are ready, making the employer's role even harder.

One in five (19%) employers questioned by the insurer have experience of staff living with cancer.

Although an overwhelming 61% of employers say their primary concern is the wellbeing of the employee, business priorities remain a concern: 23% of employers were anxious about the pressure this absence would put on
other employee's workloads

Interestingly, nearly a quarter (22%) of employers who have supported staff through serious illness say that the experience prompted them to reviewed their HR policy to ensure that they know how to deal with future cases.

Dr Doug Wright, head of clinical development at Aviva UK Health says: "Our research highlights that while employers genuinely care about their employees, they often don't have the right HR policies, employee benefits and advice in place to help them back into the workplace."

With survival rates improving all the time, many employees are eager to return to the normality of the office.

Although 5% of employers say that rehabilitation is not an option, nearly one in five (17%) admit that they would find it difficult to manage both the needs of the business and the needs of their employee when faced with this situation - 14% say they would be anxious about finding a way to deal with the employee without upsetting them.

Duleep Allirajah, Policy Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, adds: "There are people with cancer who have the skills and experience to benefit their employer and so it makes sense to help them return to work by making the necessary changes to their workload or environment.

"Many adjustments, such as flexible working hours or allowing an employee to work from home, are easy to make and cost very little.