As cancer diagnoses rise, experts warn many employers are still unprepared for the realities of supporting employees through cancer.
The launch of Cancer and Careers’ inaugural Best Companies for Working with Cancer Index has renewed attention on the widening gap between what employees managing cancer need and what many organisations still fail to provide.
With global cancer cases projected to surge by 77% by 2050, workplace experts say employers can no longer afford to treat cancer support as a secondary wellbeing issue. For businesses, the implications are significant. Retention, productivity, trust and workplace culture are increasingly shaped by how organisations support employees navigating serious illness.
WHY CANCER IS INCREASINGLY A WORKPLACE ISSUE
The first-of-its-kind Index evaluates workplace benefits, policies and support systems across 13 dimensions and 152 workplace elements, using employee-driven weighting based on what workers navigating cancer say matters most. The findings arrive at a time when cancer diagnoses among working-age adults continue to rise globally.
According to the National Cancer Institute, more than two million people are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States. Around 72.2% of cases occur in adults aged 20 to 74 – years closely linked to career progression, financial security and professional identity. As cancer survivorship rises, workplace experts say many organisations remain unprepared for the long-term impact of treatment and recovery. They warn that workplace policies still lag behind the realities of cancer recovery, flexible working and ongoing support needs.
“For 25 years, Cancer and Careers has sat at the intersection of health and work,” said Rebecca Nellis, Executive Director of Cancer and Careers, the workplace advocacy programme of the CEW Foundation. “This Index transforms that expertise into a roadmap for how companies can successfully balance employee need, company culture and business realities while fostering supportive workplace environments.”
THE REALITIES OF WORKING THROUGH CANCER
For many people, work during cancer treatment is about far more than income. “When you’re living with cancer, work can be a lifeline – not just financially, but mentally. As more people face that reality, employers who create supportive environments won’t just help individuals survive – they’ll build stronger, more loyal workforces,” said Pepi Sappal, Founder of Fair Play Talks.
Yet survivors and workplace advocates say many organisations still fundamentally misunderstand the long-term impact of cancer. “When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in a senior corporate role, being off sick was nothing like being off with flu, but nothing in my workplace reflected that. I was told I’d had too many sick days, without acknowledgment that cancer treatment is tough. The psychological impact was just as real as the physical, and yet there was no framework for any of it,” said Life After Cancer Coach, Charmian D’Aubosson.
CANCER DOESN’T END WHEN TREATMENT FINISHES
D’Aubosson said many employers still fail to understand that recovery extends far beyond treatment itself. “Cancer doesn’t end when treatment ends. The fatigue, the cognitive fog, loss of confidence and treatment side effects – these can last for years. There’s also an identity shift nobody warns you about, yet you’re expected to slot back into your old role as if none of it happened. That gap between who you were and who you are now is where a lot of people quietly struggle.”
She added that employers often continue to treat cancer solely as a sickness absence issue rather than recognising its ongoing emotional impact. “Most employers are still thinking about cancer as a medical event, a sickness absence, with a beginning and an end. What they miss is the emotional impact – the anxiety, the loss of confidence, the impact on relationships, the change in perspective. Just because someone has finished treatment doesn’t mean they’re free of the impact of cancer.”
WHY EMPLOYERS ARE STILL FALLING SHORT
Research from Reframe Cancer shows that 73% of cancer survivors reported a lack of workplace adjustments when returning after treatment, while 11% said they would leave their job because of insufficient support.
Reframe Cancer’s CEO Mark Stephenson argues that while awareness is growing, implementation still lags behind. “Employers are increasingly aware of the importance of supporting cancer patients. But there’s a significant gap between awareness and action,” he explained.
Experts warn that inadequate support can contribute to burnout, absenteeism, presenteeism and avoidable talent loss. That disconnect is something workplace advocates say employees feel every day.
PROVIDING MEANINGFUL SUPPORT
“Meaningful support isn’t about policies on paper. It’s about flexibility, trust and genuinely listening to the individual in front of you. Cancer is not a single experience, so support can’t be standardised,” said Sharron Moffatt, Founder of Understanding Cancer at Work.
Moffatt said employers often unintentionally remove autonomy from employees following disclosure of a diagnosis. “An employee says, ‘I have cancer,’ and suddenly decisions are made for them – like being removed from emails, or taken out of meetings without a conversation about what they actually want or need. That loss of control can be incredibly disempowering at a time when so much already feels uncertain.”
She stressed that meaningful support often comes from small but consistent actions. “Small things often make the biggest difference – a manager who feels safe to talk to, colleagues who don’t avoid the topic, and an environment where someone doesn’t feel like a burden.”
MAJOR GAPS IN WORKPLACE UNDERSTANDING OF CANCER
Moffatt also warned against viewing cancer as a short-term issue with a clear endpoint. “Cancer diagnosis is not simply a short-term absence but a long-term condition, with physical and psychological effects that can last for years, sometimes decades. The expectation of a clear ‘end point’ is often unrealistic.”
She added that recovery and capacity are rarely linear. “Someone might seem ‘fine’ one week and really struggle the next.”
Moffatt also pointed to major gaps in workplace understanding and implementation. “Only 49% of line managers were aware that cancer is automatically classified as a disability under the Equality Act 2010.”
She noted that many employees continue to quietly manage symptoms without speaking openly: “Around one in 10 hide ongoing symptoms such as fatigue, pain or cognitive changes, and 45% report feeling like a burden.”
Experts also warn that workplaces often underestimate the impact on carers supporting loved ones through treatment and recovery.
THE COMPANIES SETTING A NEW STANDARD
Cancer and Careers assessed 75 organisations, with 17 qualifying as 2026 Best Companies for Working with Cancer. The top-ranked employers shared several key practices:
- 100% provide flexible schedules, remote work and physical accommodations
- 94% offer phased return-to-work programs
- 94% provide confidential HR support channels
- 88% allow reduced schedules with full benefits
- 82% provide paid medical leave beyond legal requirements
More progressive benefits included:
- PTO accrual during leave
- Paid time off for clinical trial participation
- Career coaching
- Hardship grants
- Clinical trial matching services
The full list of the Best Companies for Employees With Cancer can be found here.
COMPASSION INCREASINGLY A LEADERSHIP ISSUE
For workplace advocates, the issue is no longer whether support matters, but whether organisations are willing to embed it structurally into workplace culture. “Meaningful workplace support is not simply sending flowers after a cancer diagnosis. It is creating a culture where someone feels safe to say, ‘I’m struggling today,’ without fear that their career will suffer as a result,” said Amanda Winwood, Founder & CEO of Made for Life Organics.
Winwood said leading employers are moving beyond reactive responses. “The best employers are evolving from reactive sympathy to proactive compassion. They are putting structured support, flexible working, phased returns and psychologically safe conversations in place before employees have to fight for them.”
EMPLOYER’S LEGAL OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
She also highlighted the gap between legal obligations and workplace understanding. “Under the Equality Act 2010, cancer is recognised as a disability from the point of diagnosis, yet many employees still do not fully understand their rights, and many employers still do not fully understand their responsibilities.”
Winwood said one of the biggest misconceptions is assuming recovery ends once treatment does. “The reality is that many people are returning to work carrying trauma, exhaustion and anxiety that cannot always be seen. Cancer impacts far more than someone’s calendar availability. Treatment can affect concentration, confidence, memory, energy levels, sleep, mobility and emotional resilience.”
She added that employers often underestimate the emotional labour involved in appearing “normal” at work. “Employers often underestimate the emotional toll of someone trying to appear ‘normal’ at work whilst navigating fear, uncertainty and the lasting effects of treatment.”
FLEXIBILITY AND COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP
Winwood stressed that flexibility and compassionate leadership can make a significant difference. “Sometimes it is adjusted hours, remote working, or protected rest time. Sometimes it is simply a manager who listens properly and leads with humanity.”
She also argued that support should not depend on whether an employee happens to have an exceptional manager. “Good practice should never depend on whether someone happens to have an exceptional manager. There needs to be greater consistency, clearer guidance, and stronger enforcement at Government level, so that people affected by cancer are properly protected and supported at work.”
Winwood added that many people continue working during treatment because of financial concerns and fear around career progression. “Many people continue working through their cancer treatment, not because they are fully well, but because they are worried about financial security, career progression or letting colleagues down.”
She said true workplace inclusion means recognising that recovery is rarely straightforward: “Someone may look well externally whilst still dealing with chronic fatigue, treatment side effects, anxiety or fear of recurrence every single day.”
WHAT EMPLOYERS MUST DO NEXT
Workplace experts say meaningful cancer support often depends less on grand gestures and more on consistency, flexibility and communication. Among the changes advocates say make the biggest difference are:
- flexible and phased return-to-work policies
- manager training around cancer and long-term illness
- psychologically safe workplace conversations
- clear HR guidance and confidential support channels
- recognising recovery as ongoing rather than linear
Experts also stress the importance of giving employees autonomy over decisions affecting their workload, communication and career progression during treatment and recovery. “Small things often make the biggest difference – a manager who feels safe to talk to, colleagues who don’t avoid the topic, and an environment where someone doesn’t feel like a burden,” said Moffatt.
“Sometimes it is adjusted hours, remote working, or protected rest time. Sometimes it is simply a manager who listens properly and leads with humanity,” added Winwood.
Several advocates also warned that support should not depend solely on individual managers, but be embedded structurally into workplace culture and leadership policy.
WORKPLACE CANCER SUPPORT
According to the Cancer and Careers Index:
- 72% of employees say public commitment to supporting workers with cancer is important
- 69% say it increases trust in employers
- 60% say it influences job decisions
“Cancer is increasingly part of working life, and employees need more than policies – they need real support. Companies that recognise that work is tied to both financial and mental wellbeing will be the ones that retain talent and stand out in a competitive hiring market,” concluded Sappal.
As cancer survivorship rises and workforces age, the message from employees, advocates and researchers is becoming increasingly difficult for employers to ignore: workplace cancer support is no longer a niche wellbeing issue – it is becoming a defining test of leadership, retention and workplace culture.
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