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SMEs given cancer advice

Published On 5 February 2007 at 17:01:02

SME employers are being offered advice on handling employees with cancer thanks to a new group.

Working with Cancer was set up by four City women with cancer, in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the charity Cancerbackup, Personnel Today reports.

It has published guidelines for employers on managing employees with cancer, including how to maintain employee engagement, the legal aspects of critical illness and a cancer policy template.

Hilary Wright, an HR consultant and one of the founders of the group, said: "Cancer is still such an emotive subject in the workplace and it still frightens people. But it's now a treatable condition and HR managers can raise awareness of the issue and provide support."

However, SMEs without an HR department shouldn't assume they are exempt from the need for a cancer policy.

Cancer victims in all businesses are protected by the Disability Discrimination Act, although past research found that nearly a quarter of employers are unaware that the Act classes cancer as a disability.

It has also been found that nearly three-quarters of employers do not have a formal policy in place and this figure is thought to be higher among SMEs.

 

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