CEO explains how employers can help employees post diagnosis or treatment
Returning to work after a cancer diagnosis or treatment is more than just a physical challenge. It involves emotional and psychological hurdles as well.
Alan King is the CEO of Workplace Options and he believes that many return-to-work programs fail to address the full complexity of reintegration. That’s why the organization’s Cancer Care Compass program has been designed to change that.
“The real challenge is that there is this whole emotional health and practical side of things that often gets overlooked,” he said. “When someone comes out of a treatment program, especially as they’re trying to integrate back into work, no one knows what to say, no one knows how to respond to that.
But it’s not just the employee who needs guidance. Managers and colleagues do too.
“Do I say, ‘Welcome back’? Do I say, ‘I’m sorry’? Do I even talk about the fact that you had cancer, or do I ignore it?” King said. “Silence is worse than saying the wrong thing.”
All too often, workplace reintegration focuses solely on the physical aspects of recovery, whether an employee is medically cleared to return or requires accommodations. But as King argued, ignoring the emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis can lead to “heightened anxiety”, which in turn delays or complicates an employee’s return.
“Ignoring something is almost as loud as screaming at it,” he said.
What makes the Cancer Care Compass program different is its holistic approach. Rather than applying a band-aid approach, the program tailors support to the unique needs of each employee.
The program recognizes that supporting cancer survivors requires addressing not just physical, but also emotional and practical needs. King believes employers should take a similar comprehensive view.
“Not everyone comes out of cancer treatment and is 100 per cent ready to physically return to work in the same way,” King said, acknowledging that some may require medical accommodations, while others may struggle more with the emotional and social aspects of reintegration.
Consequently, many employees who return from cancer treatment often find themselves facing a workplace that doesn’t know how to respond to them.
“If they’re back at work after this diagnosis and treatment, that’s an accomplishment,” he said. “And ignoring this thing they’ve been through is ignoring that accomplishment. The goal is to help people integrate themselves back into the workplace sooner than they might without the service.”
King is adamant that most traditional occupational health and safety organizations focus on physicality, while trauma is often overlooked in workplace reintegration efforts.
“Trauma may have physical manifestations, but it’s not a physical illness,” added King. “It’s an emotional impact that needs to be addressed. It’s nebulous and an uncomfortable area.”
But King emphasized it’s not just about the individual; it’s also about equipping their workplace to support them effectively.
Part of the program’s approach involves working and training directly with managers and teammates to understand how to appropriately support and communicate with returning cancer survivors. Compass Care Connect also assigns a dedicated coordinator to help manage the various aspects of reintegration.
“We offer training for workplaces about what’s okay to say and what’s not,” he said. “And that’s not just general training, it’s specific to that individual. We take the guesswork out of it.”
For employers, the benefits of investing in comprehensive cancer care go beyond employee well-being.
“We call it return to work for a reason,” King said. “If someone is physically there, that’s one thing. But are they fully engaged? Are they fully contributing? Oftentimes, someone goes back, but then they may not necessarily stay. They may go in and out, and that’s not useful for the workplace or the individual.”
While the Cancer Care Compass program is new, it builds on Workplace Options’ previous structure with rehabilitation services in France and Belgium, where they looked at more than physical occupational health.
“It doesn't replicate what may be delivered through a traditional EAP. It's not trying to be a physical health program. It's not managing the medical care of the individual. It's really focused on supporting that person in ways that are often ignored,” said King.
“It combines together the practical and emotional side of things.”
King also noted he sees opportunities to expand this model to other conditions, including chronic diseases and mental health challenges.
The key takeaway for employers is that return-to-work programs shouldn’t be purely transactional. “This isn’t about checking a box to say someone is physically ready,” said King.
“It’s about supporting them in all the ways that make their return successful. Not just for them, but for the people around them as well.”
For employers interested in the program, King said the process is straightforward, noting “it’s an add-on service.”
“If someone has an existing program with someone else and they’re interested in this, they can just reach out and say, ‘We’d like a proposal for bringing this service into our company.’”
