Cancer in the Workplace – Supporting Treatment for Positive Employee and Employer Results

The big “C” – cancer -- can cause panic and feelings of helplessness. These feelings, however, often are shared beyond the patients being screened or treated for the disease. Employers often are unsure of how to help their employees who have been diagnosed with cancer and desire to remain at work during treatment or return to work after care. Yet we know from existing research that having access to proper screening and high quality treatment can have positive effects on these employees’ work outcomes. Since chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes and obesity) and unhealthy lifestyles that contribute to cancer rates are on the rise while innovative cancer treatments are available employers would be wise to consider lessons learned on the topic of cancer in the workplace.

• This session, moderated by IBI with practical insights from an employer and provider covered the following:
• Importance of cancer prevention and treatment to work outcomes and the business imperative
• CWHP’s recent analysis of cancer and work outcomes including discussion of innovative oncology treatments
• Provider action – supporting employees during treatment to stay at and/or return to work during and after treatment
• Employer action - one employer’s approach to supporting employees with cancer
• Reflection on bringing in broader outcomes to further the business case

Speakers:
Mary Bradley, Director of Health Care Planning, Pitney Bowes
Lillie Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, Associated Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-founder of Managing Cancer at Work
Kimberly Jinnett, PhD, Executive Vice President, Integrated Benefits Institute