To email colleagues about the realities of returning to work after cancer treatment.

[bsmirched]

I have recently returned to work full time as a teacher after having a year off for treatment for breast cancer that included chemo, a mastectomy with full lymph node clearance and radiotherapy.
I am - and will continue to be for the foreseeable future - on several pretty potent drug therapies with various delightful side effects. I was having herceptin but that has given me moderate heart failure.
I have many lovely colleagues but very few seem to really understand that I'm not, and may never be, back to full fitness. There is a very good reason why anyone who's had cancer is classed as disabled in terms of employment for the rest of their working lives.
I absolutely don't blame anyone for thinking that now, several months on from the last of the major treatments and with a phased return completed, I should be back to normal. I'm sure anyone who hasn't been through it themselves or been closely involved with someone who has, might assume that.
I'm considering emailing everyone with some info on long term cancer treatment effects as well as on the drugs I'm still on. It wouldn't be done in an attempt for pity or to patronise or have a go at them, but just as a plea for some understanding that I may need to sit down more often and may not cope with taking a class on a trip out for a day.
Is this a horrendous idea do you think?

@jennymanara It's not about the effects of treatment making someone disabled or not. It's about protecting someone who has had a cancer diagnosis from discrimination. E.g. my boss can't legally say "I'm not promoting her because she had cancer before and it might come back" or "I'm not giving her x project because she'll need time off to have hospital check ups" or whatever. Add to that chemotherapy and radiotherapy increase the risk of cancer occurring again and the chances of discrimination also increase.

I think it’s a good idea. I would really appreciate getting an email like this from a colleague.
A lot in your email resonated a little with me - i most my ma 6 months ago and feel worse now mental health- wise than I did for a few months afterwards. I don’t think most colleagues have any idea how I’m struggling.

I think it’s a great idea for you. Good luck all round.

I am aware you are already back. My point is, that you can review it (the hours, the way you have tried your phased return with just 6 school weeks). What you think you will be able to manage isn't necessarily the same as what you then find you can manage. I suspect many people are the same. Hence the reviewing it, even though you have tried it.

I think there may be some confusion about what I said when I talked about pay and working reduced hours. I am not talking about making a decision to only work PT in the future, I am talking about finishing each day early (or however it works best for you) as part of a phased return to work. That does not have to be limited to 6 weeks is the point. I was not aware that so many teachers are working under different terms and conditions. If you are back at work, but it has been agreed that as part of your phased return you are not doing a full timetable, then your pay isn't cut. Well mine wasn't, and my BiL;s isn't and my colleague's wasn't, etc etc.

Thank you Will, glad to hear this isn't only my experience.

@chickhonhoneybabe
.......An employer must not treat you less favourably for any reason related to cancer you had in the past.

I'm not disputing,, and can't imagine why anyone would, but that doesn't make me disabled for life and I really resent that being said (not by you - I know you just quoted the legislation).

bsmirched. I really think you are doing too much too soon. Teaching isn't a job anyone can do when not operating on all cylinders, which is the only reason I'm trying to suggest you revisit the arrangements for working this year, with support from Occupational Health and your Union. I hope you can work something out

@StrippingTheVelvet
Sorry, I think you've misunderstood my point. Or maybe we are talking about different fields as schools are usually under LAs. A phased return to work - that's not excessively long (and a 6-12 weeks phased return wouldn't be seen as such after 6-12 months off for cancer treatment) would not incur a 0.4 or 0.6 pay only when worker is usually FT , if Local Authority (don't know about private companies) as it is covered by reasonable adjustments and back to work phased return policies, so it'd be full time pay usually if that's where s/he is heading and working back up to. Going back part time instead long term is different.

I wasn’t trying to be goady OP. I almost didn’t reply because I didn’t like to be a negative voice. I may be in the minority but an email like this wouldn’t sit that well with me.

LittleAndOften I mean I just think it would sound better as an official piece of information from the organisation rather than from an individual. I work in the NHS and am used to getting information like this in Team Briefs, Newsletters or via the Trust Intranet. My Trust currently has a drive on the Menopause for example and we’ve had information on symptoms and reasonable adjustments to the workplace. That may be traced back to an individual who has had a problem, but it has been addressed as a general thing.

I wasn’t suggesting the OP have chats with every person who works at her place of work, but the ones she works with most directly. I appreciated that with my colleague.

Patronising in the sense that people may be all too familiar with it and not want a painful reminder, and I don’t know, I suppose I would read it as if I was being told I wasn’t being caring/understanding/empathetic enough.

It all has to be agreed though and regularly reviewed. And Occ health in LAs usually do, even if managers forget (or misunderstand) that they can agree it.

Oh yes apologies. I put my two points very close together. A phased return including should hopefully be paid as ft by an employer (although not an automatic entitlement). Schools definitely would pay it. However if someone needed to work reduced hours long term rather than as a phased return, they would only be paid for the actual time worked. Sorry for not being clearer!

*including 0.4, 0.6 etc

@DarkDarkNight
I think in this situation working in the NHS would be different given it's full of experienced health professionals unlike LAs and schools, so that might be a more likely route in your field but not in other fields. However I suspect we are talking very different content in emails. Not imagining OP was thinking of sending out a health information broadcast email on post cancer symptoms and experiences cancer but more s brief personal one that said "to bear with her whilst she might be tired as on meds still, & build up her stamina, etc" type email.

@StrippingTheVelvet
Oh well, then we agree totally. I was wondering whether I had "tired eyes" tonight!! 😁

Thanks for clarifying Stripping 🤩

that doesn't make me disabled for life and I really resent that being said

There are plenty of conditions which count as disabled under the Equality Act, which are chronic conditions rather than disabilities, and if well managed, will have little effect on life. However - IME, I can get a normal GP or phlebotomist appointment at the start of the day, so there's no impact on work, other than possibly being a bit late - but any specialists or specific clinics, you usually have to go with the slot they give you, so it's a lot more disruptive, if it's mid-morning. If your employer uses something like the Bradford factor to track sickness, you could easily end up on a disciplinary through routine check-ups which just confirm everything's being managed fine. Some employers are not understanding, so having some protection in law is a good thing. I agree that the wording isn't always helpful, though.

OP, I think it would be best coming from the head, and if possible, just a few bullets. This also means if someone else is dealing with something similar, but hasn't told the world, they may have told the head, and the head will be able to handle that, too. But I think it is useful for colleagues to have some awareness.

No there are not lots of conditions under the equality act that have little impact on day to day life and are counted as disabled. I have a condition that is counted as disabled under the act. The act says "if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities."

Will you’re right, phrased in that more personal way I wouldn’t be patronised by an email. I was imagining a more factual email with info and stats listed which I think would be better coming from management and not personalised.

I'm also surprised by this:
There is a very good reason why anyone who's had cancer is classed as disabled in terms of employment for the rest of their working lives.

OP, I was diagnosed with Stage 3c breast cancer in 2012, radical mastectomy, axilla removal, dose dense chemotherapy and 25 sessions of radiation, followed by aromatase inhibitors (for 5 years) I had 8 months off, then returned to work part-time about 8 weeks after I finished radiation. Like you, I struggled early on, I was so tired and so shell-shocked by what had happened to me. My colleagues were great, but honestly they had no clue how I was feeling. They threw a morning tea to welcome me back, and I took that opportunity to talk to them about how I felt. I spoke for about 5 mins, quite honestly and openly, about the reality of my physical condition and how difficult things were emotionally. For me, that worked wonderfully as everyone got a very honest and clear picture of the fact that I was not 'fine'.

But here's the thing - almost 7 years on from diagnosis, and things are very different. I have been promoted to a very senior position, I am also studying for my masters, and I am feeling fine. Apart from being minus a breast and having osteoporosis, I am physically doing really well. Mentally, cancer no longer owns me. I only think about it rarely and fleetingly. It doesn't interfere with my daily life at all, and is not a consideration in any of the choices I make - with the exception of the osteoporosis, which means I can't do any sports which would put me at risk of a broken bone. But honestly at 49 I probably wouldn't be doing that anyway LOL.

Things are very tough for you right now, and I don't want to downplay that. Yes, you should let your colleagues know what it's like for you, and do that in whatever way makes you feel comfortable - if that's via email, then fine. I am sure they will appreciate knowing and it will help them to understand your situation and support you in lots of small ways, which on a day-to-day basis is really important. But as a long-term survivor, which given the amazing stats with breast cancer you may well be, please don't think that what you're experiencing now is how you will always feel. Physical and mental recovery takes years and it's a process, but you won't necessarily experience long-term and/or significant disabilities because of cancer.

Best wishes to you.

I’d leave it between you and your supervisor. I understand how difficult it can be. I’ve been there. I guess I’m still there, but it’s just my normal now.

Bloody hell Cherry Pavlova. I have to admit to a bit of jealousy that you took 'a few days off' around chemo. Gasp. Glad it went well for you though.

So, yes, it's different for everyone. How on earth the treatment didn't kill me I'll never know, because it certainly felt like it. And, yes, I am affected by it (very much) 4 years later and haven't been able to work since - latterly largely due to my mental health.

People do assume you bounce back - and I was one of them. At the time I thought 'Shit, this is tough' but I thought I'd 'bounce back'. Not so. I am shocked how much it has taken the stuffing right out of me on many levels. So you do have to manage people's expectations in that eg someone sailing through it didn't have that experience because of a 'positive attitude' ffs .

Do keep it short and straight to the point - or you'll have people say 'well, my sister's husband's wife's cousin was playing badminton all through chemo, what's she complaining about'.

I am in awe that you're FT teaching only a year later - when you're still taking quite debilitating meds. Have you returned too early?

I think it is a very good idea. But I would first speak to my line manager/the head etc.

Good luck with your return to work.

Please look after yourself. Sit when you need to, don't apologuise for needing to sit etc, my dear friend has had breast cancer and I must admit she looks back to normal but I know she needs more rest time because she told me so. It is very helpful for people to know the reality of the situation.

Bless you,

@OneTitWonder

Thank you for your post, I found it very moving.

Yanbu

I would draft and get a trusted friend (or one of us !) to test it

It’s only when you know people you actually get it . And how the aftermath is in as many ways as hard as the during

Wishing you strength , remission and peace

And yay for OneTit very moving

I think you need to discuss a realistic plan for a phased return and let your Line Manager send an email outlining it to your colleagues.
I dont mean to sound harsh but people have all sorts going on in their lives that you may not be aware of and I personally would find an email about your illness intrusive.( coping with illness myself currently)

I agree with the previous poster who said to be mindful of a mixed audience. We had a colleague who had made a series of quite big errors in meetings and reports around 6 months after her return from sick leave for breast cancer. She then, without discussing with her line manager, sent an email round, saying that although she was back the effects were long term and that chemo has an impact on memory so please be patient with her. Most people were very sympathetic but there were at least two other colleagues who received this email who had gone through the same illness and treatment as her in recent years. They felt quite upset that she had used her illness to cover up for her errors when they had just got on with it. I think the email would have been far better coming from her line manager, if only she had given her the opportunity to send it. Wishing you all the very best

YWNBU to send an email detailing to your colleagues how YOU feel right now and asking for their patience as you continue with your treatment and return to health. As all the different responses on this thread show, everyone is different. Some don't want to share these kind of details, others don't feel the need to, and others would like to but struggle on anyway. I think as long as you make it clear that this is just how YOU feel right NOW, rather than trying to make it a more general 'This is how cancer patients feel', then you could ease the pressure on yourself. However, I think I'd speak to my immediate superior about it first and I'd probably take advice from a charity like Breast Cancer Care and see what they recommend.