A recent UK study revealed that 96% of businesses don’t have a cancer policy, and the lack of local data suggests that many South African companies are also not prepared either, which is a risky oversight as the data proves that cancer cases continue to rise. Is your company prepared for cancer in the workplace?
Why Businesses Need a Workplace Cancer Policy in 2026
Cancer in the workplace has risen at an alarming rate among working-age adults over the past three decades. The World Health Organisation projects that cancer cases will increase by 77% increase by 2050, while a study by BMJ Oncology in 2023 predicted a 30% increase in people under 50 by 2030.
In South Africa, Discovery Health reported that claims related to cancer increased by 40% from 2012 to 2024, and roughly one in eight South African employees aged 18 to 65 is considered at risk.
The increase in reported cancer cases is turning a health crisis into an economic one. This is worrying for business performance. In the absence of leadership, companies would benefit from developing proactive cancer policies that protect them and their staff when dealing with cancer in the workplace, as a healthy business cannot be built with an absentee workforce.
What are my rights at work if I have cancer?
An employee’s first reaction to a cancer diagnosis is often concern for their job. The first questions they often ask themselves are “Do I have to tell my employer I have cancer?” or “Can I be fired for having cancer?”
Ironically, the fear of unemployment can overshadow cancer itself, because losing your job means more than just a pay slip; it means losing everything. Cancer in the workplace is not a death sentence, and it shouldn’t be a career killer.
For companies, cancer is a business challenge, but for employees, it is about survival. People worry about being able to support themselves and not becoming a burden to their family. Besides being life-threatening, cancer also exhausts a person’s financial resources because, regardless of income, monthly expenses and medical costs continue to escalate.
Companies should work towards alleviating any stress related to job security and cancer in the workplace, so that employees can focus on recovery. People shouldn’t have to choose between survival and livelihood, because the truth is that nobody can work in survival mode, and nobody should have to.
What support must employers give employees with cancer?
Companies have their own concerns: what support employers must give employees with cancer, how does cancer affect work performance, and how long can someone work while having cancer treatment?
According to HR studies, employers face their own challenges between their financial, legal, and ethical obligations. They want to be supportive of their staff during recovery, but they still have a business to run that supports everybody in their company.
While it is reasonable to expect companies to support their staff, it is unrealistic to expect managers to deal with cancer without clear policies. Smaller companies, in particular, don’t have dedicated HR departments, and the concept of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) is unheard of.
Every employee with cancer deserves reasonable accommodation during their treatment and recovery. Most employers also know that it is more cost-efficient to retain good people than to hire new ones, but this means very little to an employee who is uncertain about their recovery, which could take weeks, months, or even longer.
There is no sure way of knowing how long recovery will take until they have begun treatment.
South Africa’s Employment Equity Act already outlines a legal framework for companies to provide reasonable accommodation to all their employees. However, there is nothing stopping companies from extending themselves beyond the minimum legal compliance.
What is reasonable accommodation for cancer in the workplace?
Companies should lead the conversation about cancer in the workplace before anyone asks what happens to their job if they get cancer. Companies can extend their support by providing tangible benefits such as extended paid leave, salary protection, and comprehensive medical and financial assistance during treatment and recovery.
Companies can preempt any anxiety by addressing fears before they become a concern. There’s also the added advantage that they retain staff, reduce turnover, and maintain continuity better than companies that don’t.
What Companies Can Do About Cancer in the Workplace
Proactive communication is best, so address employees before they even have to ask. Here are some steps to consider beforehand:
⦁ Define a clear cancer policy.
⦁ Train managers on legal and communication skills.
⦁ Reassure staff about rights, benefits, and future options.
⦁ Support prevention with workshops and screenings.
Dealing with cancer in the workplace is not just about compliance; it’s about supporting people at their most vulnerable, but, most importantly, it is manageable.
