L&G has added a new HR and line manager toolkit to its cancer awareness and nurse support services, which are available on its range of group protection products.
These services, launched in partnership with Perci Health, are designed to ensure employers have the right skills to offer appropriate support for employees with a cancer diagnosis.
It offers guidance for HR and line managers, alongside best practice and training tools, with information that is tailored to specific employee situations. This includes digital access to cancer nurse specialists and HR experts.
The range of digital tools and information available can be used to support employees going through cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery as well as those who are caring for family members with cancer.
L&G says this launch comes after concerns were raised in the recent Keep Britain Working report, about a “culture of fear” felt by employers, HR staff and line managers when it comes to offering this kind of support.
The report says there is often a distance between employers and employees, discouraging safe and early disclosure of illness and constructive conversations about potential support when it is needed most.
This new services are available via the employer toolkit page of L&G’s group protection website for employers, via its Spark platform. The toolkit was developed using Perci Health’s multidisciplinary approach, including cancer nurses, a HR expert and digital engagement specialists.
Perci Health’s digital training toolkit is designed to provide practical, actionable guidance on supporting employees during treatment; managing ongoing absence or return to work and handling sensitive conversations in the workplace. There is also guidance for employers to help them develop or refine workplace cancer policies, ensuring alignment with best practice, in terms of inclusive practices and return to work frameworks.
Others services via Spark include cancer risk assessments and nurse support for employees as well as an EAP, virtual GP and online physiotherapy.
Perci Health co-founder and CCO Morgan Fitzsimons says: “Research shows that 87 per cent of people employed when diagnosed with cancer said it was important to continue working after their diagnosis.
“The feeling of normality that comes from work, when everything else in life is far from normal, cannot be overstated. But all too often, the conversations that matter – with HR and line managers – aren’t happening; not because employers don’t care, rather because they’re afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. It’s for all these reasons, that we’ve designed and launched this toolkit in partnership with L&G.”
L&G claims & clinical development director, group protection, Vanessa Sallows says: “Improving HR and line manager confidence and capability are vital in supporting better employee outcomes. Not least because in many smaller companies, the role of HR is being taken on by a manager, alongside their day job.
“Regardless of whether an organisation has dedicated HR support though, this can be a complex area. It’s important to note that cancer is a protected condition under the Equality Act 2010.
“Therefore, employers must consider reasonable adjustments. Understanding what is reasonable will differ for every individual. In other words, the access to clinical expertise – and associated practical guidance – afforded by our new toolkit, is likely to prove invaluable for employers of all shapes and sizes.”
