Nearly half of SME managers have not received training to help support employees with cancer in the workplace, according to Unum.
In contrast, 11 per cent of employers needed to find training on their own rather than having the company supply it, according to Censuswide research that was commissioned by Unum in May 2022.
Nearly 60 per cent of managers acknowledged that it has been difficult for them or would be difficult for them to discuss their employees’ cancer diagnoses and treatments with them.
The top three topics managers claimed they lacked sufficient knowledge in order to support workers with cancer were: how to make reasonable accommodations to support worker wellbeing; how to ensure effective communication with workers with cancer; and what the company’s legal obligations were to the worker.
The study also showed that the biggest issues managers experience when managing and helping employees with cancer are figuring out what resources and services to direct the employee to for support and recognising and supporting the impact of the employee’s mental health on them.
Unum UK chief distribution officer Glenn Thompson says: “Clearly, there’s room to do more to assist managers who are supporting employees with cancer.
“There’s a direct link between 70 per cent of employees who said they could have returned to work sooner after cancer with greater support from their employer and the lack of return-to-work support such as access to cancer specialists, mental health and rehabilitation professionals.
“It’s fantastic that medical advances mean mortality rates from cancer are falling. Life Insurance should therefore move towards providing support for those living with cancer — not just to the loved ones of people dying from it. That’s why, with Cancer Assist, Unum puts the life into Life Insurance.”
