Page 14 - Wellspring What's On - Westerkirk House
P. 14
What’s On: January - April 2014 p14
CANCER AND BACK AT WORK
Written by: Pamela Bowes, Manager of Program Development, Wellspring
Research shows approximately 65% of people who have had a
cancer journey return to work. Some return with few barriers,
others return with struggles. Research has also found there are
factors that contribute to a successful return to work, and factors
that can lead to a negative return. Factors that contribute to a
more successful return include:
• A supportive work environment
• Discretion over work hours and job duties
• Being able to mobilize social support both at work and
outside of work
• Number of months since treatment. There is an optimum
time to return to work – not too soon, and not too long from being away from work.
Factors that might inhibit a successful return include:
• A non-supportive work environment
• A physically more demanding job
• Age (the older employees struggle more than younger employees)
• Changing attitudes toward work
Many Wellspring members experience struggles with returning to work. Wellspring recently held three
consultation sessions with members to learn more about the challenges they experienced. Virtually every person
attending the consultations reported the biggest barrier was fatigue. For some, the fatigue was greatest when
they frst returned to work. Others reported that even after being back at work for a couple of years they still
experienced ongoing fatigue.
The other major symptom reported by about 70% was brain fog. So many people noted cognitive issues, and the
associated stress and anxiety as a result of performance barriers. Many members had developed techniques to try
and manage their cognitive gaps – writing everything down, memory prompts, having colleagues take extensive
notes in meetings, making small jokes about memory gaps, or talking openly with peers and supervisors about
their cognitive struggles.
To read the full article please go to Wellspring’s blog, Pass It On:
http://blog.wellspring.ca
CANCER AND BACK AT WORK
Written by: Pamela Bowes, Manager of Program Development, Wellspring
Research shows approximately 65% of people who have had a
cancer journey return to work. Some return with few barriers,
others return with struggles. Research has also found there are
factors that contribute to a successful return to work, and factors
that can lead to a negative return. Factors that contribute to a
more successful return include:
• A supportive work environment
• Discretion over work hours and job duties
• Being able to mobilize social support both at work and
outside of work
• Number of months since treatment. There is an optimum
time to return to work – not too soon, and not too long from being away from work.
Factors that might inhibit a successful return include:
• A non-supportive work environment
• A physically more demanding job
• Age (the older employees struggle more than younger employees)
• Changing attitudes toward work
Many Wellspring members experience struggles with returning to work. Wellspring recently held three
consultation sessions with members to learn more about the challenges they experienced. Virtually every person
attending the consultations reported the biggest barrier was fatigue. For some, the fatigue was greatest when
they frst returned to work. Others reported that even after being back at work for a couple of years they still
experienced ongoing fatigue.
The other major symptom reported by about 70% was brain fog. So many people noted cognitive issues, and the
associated stress and anxiety as a result of performance barriers. Many members had developed techniques to try
and manage their cognitive gaps – writing everything down, memory prompts, having colleagues take extensive
notes in meetings, making small jokes about memory gaps, or talking openly with peers and supervisors about
their cognitive struggles.
To read the full article please go to Wellspring’s blog, Pass It On:
http://blog.wellspring.ca
