6 ways to support employees with cancer

Did you know that, statistically speaking, about two out of five of your employees will develop cancer during their lifetime?

Given the prevalence of cancer, it’s essential for employers to have a plan in place to support employees who disclose a diagnosis. Not only is supporting employees who have cancer simply the right thing to do, but it goes a long way in building loyalty with your team.

As you build a cancer plan for your business, keep in mind these six ways to support your employees.

 1. Understand and comply with all labor laws

It’s important for you to know about all the workplace protections for individuals impacted by cancer. For example, under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees have the right to: take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, federally protected leave; have continued group health insurance; have job protection; and have protection against retaliation.

Even if FMLA doesn’t apply to your business because you’re not a large enough employer, consider giving your employees at least the same level of benefits and protection that they’d receive at a larger employer.

2. Go above and beyond labor laws

Now that you know your employees’ rights under FMLA, consider going above and beyond.

Think about yourself an your family: What would you want if you faced a cancer diagnosis? Would you want to continue to receive a paycheck even if you had to take time off? Would you want to have all the time you need to make a recovery?

Going above and beyond for an employee who has cancer will show that your company has a moral compass and cares about its people. Plus, the costs of finding, hiring and training a new employee will often cost more than the expense of keeping a good worker on payroll and contracting out some of their tasks for a period of time.

3. Provide good benefits

Even if a high-deductible health plan is what makes the most sense for your budget, did you know there are affordable ways to enhance this coverage?

Voluntary benefits like critical illness insurance and cancer insurance can help employees seek medical care when they need it, while helping to safeguard them from the financial impact of cancer. Direct cash benefits can help protect employees from draining savings, dipping into retirement accounts, and filing for bankruptcy due to a medical condition.

Voluntary benefits are typically considered to be very affordable for employers and employees. For example, a 30-year-old nonsmoker may be eligible for an employer-sponsored critical illness insurance policy for around $1.64 per month.

Related: Cancer and critical illness: scenarios for a breast cancer patient

4. Communicate about benefits

When someone is facing a cancer diagnosis, they have a lot on their mind, so make things easier for them by reminding them of all the benefits they have that could help.

Whether it’s cancer insurance or disability insurance, help them understand how to utilize their benefits and file claims. Also keep in mind mental health resources that could help patients manage stress and navigate the range of emotions that come with a diagnosis.

Related: Helping employees understand their health plans

5. Provide benefits advocacy

One of the best resources you could provide your employees—especially if they’re facing a serious diagnosis like cancer—is benefits advocacy.

When your employees have access to benefits advocacy, knowledgeable and experienced advocates can answer your employees’ benefits questions, provide procedural cost and quality reports, explain employees’ out-of-pocket costs, resolve claims issues, and help employees make better decisions about their care.

Want a real-life example of how advocacy can help a cancer patient? One Optavise advocacy member received an $18,000 bill from their health care provider for chemotherapy after their valid insurance claims were rejected multiple times by their carrier. After an Optavise advocate spent 18 hours on the case, the carrier accepted the claim, and our member spent $0 on their chemo treatment.

Most employees don’t have the time or the know-how to address issues like these on their own.

6. Understand the impact of cancer—and be flexible

If you’ve ever spent time with someone going through cancer, then you know the physical and mental toll treatment can take on a patient. Debilitating fatigue and nausea are just a couple side effects. Chemo brain can cause concentration difficulties, confusion, memory loss and overall mental fog.

Check in regularly with your employee to see how they’re feeling and if they need schedule or workload adjustments. Being flexible, understanding and reasonable will go a long way in showing that your employee’s well-being is your number one concern.

Cancer plan: final thoughts

In an ideal world, you’d probably do anything to support an employe who’s going through cancer, but your bottom line might impact what you’re able to do. You might be able to do some, but not all, of the above. Communicate with your employee about what you’re able to do for them and why. And remember that supporting a good employee through cancer could result in a short-term cash hit but be a long-term investment in overall employee loyalty and retention.

Want more? Check out our blog, Benefits employee turns beneficiary in battle with breast cancer

Optavise is your benefits partner

Optavise is a trusted partner, guiding employers and their employees through healthcare choices including voluntary benefits, benefits administration, and year-round advocacy services that reduce costs and increase benefits engagement.