If you identify as a person who is in the role of owner/director, executive, management, leadership or people management, this article has been written to assist you and other management within your business or organisation to be prepared for the unavoidable.

Let me share a real-life story with you….

A team member in an organisation, let’s call him Simon, went to one of his managers to let them know that he had recently been diagnosed with cancer and with that, provided a treatment plan. Simon didn’t share any information with his manager until he had received an absolute diagnosis and was clear about what the treatment was going to be. The manager that Simon was reporting to was very new to the business. When Simon enquired about what this diagnosis meant for him in his role as an employee and in terms of support, the manager replied with what they believed to be the case.

The manager explained that Simon had ten days of personal leave available that year and that once those days were used up, he would be required to use his annual leave to cover the rest of the days. Simon explained that he was going to need surgery with a rest period of a minimum of two weeks and following that he would need in-hospital treatment as well as chemotherapy treatment which would require additional time out of the office - not just for treatment but also for potentially the after effects of the treatments.

For Simon, who had been an employee for over six years, having had to gear himself up to have such a difficult conversation about something so personal and significant - in addition to adjusting to the diagnosis - he walked away from that initial conversation, additionally troubled.

The company was very close knit and had enjoyed good employee retention rates however after that initial conversation, things quickly flared up. For Simon, his only thought was that he had to leave his job and that seeking new employment wasn’t a possibility either, due to his current situation.

Things spiralled from there. Naturally, Simon explained to some of his colleagues that he was going to need to leave based on the news that he had only ten days of personal leave and that there was nothing that could be done about it.

For the other team members their response was, ‘oh my gosh, this person has to leave their job because they were diagnosed with cancer and weren't supported. If the business didn't support them through something so massive in their life, why should I continue to put my heart and soul into this company? If this were to happen to me, am I going to be treated the same?’

The manager had gone with their initial instincts. Perhaps that was how these instances had been dealt with in a previous business, perhaps they believed they were doing the right thing by the business, perhaps there was no policy in place to deal with these significant employee health problems. Whatever the case, Simon did not feel supported and it began to impact the wider team. They were questioning the company where they hadn’t before, concerned that this is what would happen if they were to find themselves in the same boat. It significantly affected team morale.

Simon then went to the HR Manager to say that he was going to need to hand in his notice because he had been diagnosed with cancer. The HR Manager responded immediately by telling Simon to hold up and said ‘ We want to support you through this. What can we do?’

A vastly different response from Simon’s first point of contact.

So, as with most companies, until this situation arises, a manager hasn’t been exposed to or aware of what kind of support should be offered or what an initial conversation about something such as this, should look and sound like.

For at manager, knowing how to respond in those instances relieves some of the pressure and stress because chances are, they don’t know, with absolute clarity, what the business is prepared to offer in support of their employees in these situations. In Simon’s circumstance, there was a solution but the manager was unaware and had no training in how to manage a health disclosure such as this one.

While there is a need to create policies and to monitor the legal side of things, there are so many other elements that need to be considered. The language and tone that is used, taking into account the psychological effects that that employee is going through from the initial diagnosis to the treatments they have following post-diagnosis. To foster an understanding of the journey that people who have been diagnosed with cancer are going through, specific to their prognosis.

If we consider how managers handled mental health concerns in the workplace ten years ago…

If somebody came to a manager and expressed that they were having some mental health difficulties, a manager wouldn't have known what to do with that information. They may have responded to what they knew to be true, based on their natural instincts or prior experience in another business. That is no longer the case in most organisations. Equally, devising a plan for how your leadership team and managers deal with employees who are faced with cancer, is paramount.

In addition to taking into account the employee’s needs, there is also a need to consider how this will affect and impact the team as well as their manager. Poor communication can lead to disharmony within teams, particularly when there is a deadline and they are down a team member. There are the financial considerations as well. Planning for a short-term replacement and ensuring that there is a process to follow is key to avoiding significant financial blowouts.

At MyMuse we work with businesses who are in the middle of a crisis like Simon’s employer but for the businesses who are proactive, we plan ahead and co-design a tailored program that works for their specific organisational needs. Their leadership team and managers know what the businesses procedures are when an employee discloses a health diagnosis, what is available to support employees and they have been able to action processes to assist cancer survivors in their return to work. MyMuse compromises of a team of specialists in HR, Oncology, Psychology, Grief and Legal.

Leading businesses like Atlassian, PWC, Google and Lend Lease that attract great talent commit significant amounts of their budget into the wellbeing of their staff. It pays the business back in spades - low staff turnover, increased employee engagement, ...

So, as you start a new year and a new decade, now is the time to be prepared and determine how this will unfold in your business or organisation. With 1 in 2 Australians being diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, Simon’s experience is not a rarity in Australian businesses.

To help you and your colleagues avoid having uncomfortable or potentially company-threatening conversations that could end up having a huge impact on employees and the organisation you work in, now is the time to be proactive.

MyMuse works with businesses and organisations across Australia and New Zealand. To discuss your needs or learn what is involved in co-designing a workshop or program with the MyMuse team of experts, phone on 0420 790 091 or fill in this contact form and we will be in touch shortly.