When a Colleague has Cancer

Respecting, trusting, talking

One in two people will experience cancer at some point in their lives. We may find ourselves working alongside someone who is undergoing cancer treatment, or indeed be facing this ourselves. How do we cope with work during these times? How do we help colleagues when they have cancer? How do we combine cancer treatment with ‘normal’ work?

Summary of learning messages

• Take an individual approach
  Everyone is different, so be guided by your colleague and how they feel

• Avoid bombarding your colleague with questions or messages
  It can be exhausting managing lots of enquiries alongside treatment

• Offer practical help and maintain a sense of normality
  Help your colleague retain as much of a routine as possible.

Explore other resources about:

• Communication & Teamwork
• Culture & Wellbeing

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• Communication skills
• Difficult conversations
• Diversity and inclusion
• Ethical Culture
• Inclusion
• Interpersonal skills
• Mental wellbeing
• Providing emotional support
• Resilience
• Wellbeing

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WATCH & GO^® resources are Scott Bradbury's digital learning support tools designed to improve your people's performance and wellbeing at work.

With dozens of short videos, podcasts and interactive activities, and bespoke curated Learning Pathways for you to use as you wish, this is a treasure trove of valuable tips, phrases, techniques and models your organisation can make available immediately, to everyone, for a simple corporate-wide subscription. Topics covered include management and leadership, communication and teamwork, culture and wellbeing, and personal effectiveness.