A recent study from NEOMA Business School explores the experiences of nearly 200 people as they return to the workplace after a cancer diagnosis or treatment.
If in France, 40% of people diagnosed with cancer remain in the workforce after their diagnosis, an approach endorsed by the French Health Authority, researchers underline nonetheless that the existing legal mechanisms are often too rigid to accommodate employees
Marion Kahn-Guerra comments for International Employment Lawyer the study’s findings.
Key insights:
— Catch-22 – putting an end to stigma and respecting confidentiality: one of the major obstacles to effective implementation of support and work adjustment measures is the stigma still surrounding illness in the professional environment, as well as the necessity to respect the medical confidentiality of a diagnosis.
— French law does outline a series of effective but underused support schemes: liaison meetings with the occupation health and prevention service and pre-return visits can be quite effective and helpful tools.
— Undeniable disparities depending on company size: the situation of employees varies depending on whether they work for large companies, which have necessary means to implement prevention and support actions, or SMEs, which are obviously more challenged.
Read her full analysis in Josh Stephen’s article: French cancer survivors face tough battle returning to work, study finds
