Which barriers are you likely to face at work?
Having cancer or being treated for cancer is likely to affect many aspects of your working practice because of the significant effect of extreme tiredness and fatigue.
Your symptoms will depend on where the cancer is, how big it is and how much it affects the organs and tissues. Below are some of the known symptoms of cancer:
- Back and stomach/intestinal;
- Fever;
- Extreme tiredness;
- Weight loss;
- Dizziness; and
- Nagging cough or hoarseness.
Below are some of the likely side effects of chemo and radiation therapy:
- Diarrhoea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fatigue
- Dehydration
- Loss of appetite
- Mouth sores
- Insomnia
- Skin rash
What kind of adjustments may be considered?
Macmillan (the charity) recommends the following adjustments for workers with cancer:
- Allowing a phased return to work;
- Allowing time-off to attend medical appointments;
- Modifying a job description to remove tasks that cause particular difficulty;
- Being flexible about working hours;
- Offering the option to work from home;
- Maintaining contact – staying in touch;
- Allowing extra breaks at work;
- Adjusting performance targets;
- Providing easy access to the workplace in the case of mobility issues;
- Providing disabled toilet facilities; and
- Changing the date or time of an interview if it coincides with a medical appointment.
