Cancer and work

[user3291]

I returned to work (retail) at the beginning of the year after treatment for cancer. I was on a phased return for 8 weeks and reduced my hours from full time to part time due to not coping with full time work.
I was doing lighter duties to begin with a lot of jobs involving sitting down but the past few months I have been doing more of a physical work due to staff shortages.
I'm struggling a bit with been on my feet all day and rushing around. I go home from work feeling exhausted and anxious.
I worry about telling my manager how I feel I don't want my colleagues thinking I am not pulling my weight 😥

I think you really need to ask your manager to extend your light duties. Was it reviewed at the end of the 8 weeks? If so, what was said or agreed?

Have you got an occupational health service at your work? Was it them who decided the first pattern for return, Do you have an Employee Assistance Programme to talk it through with or much smaller company? Specialist support from someone who really understood return to work would be best here. What we be good in your shoes is a really individualised approach to return to work with some checks and balances in it. For instance it would be really good if your line manager was checking in to see how the return activities were going every few weeks , so they could be reviewed if needed, and had the support to do that effectively. So I would look at what is available. Macmillan provide this www.macmillan.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/how-we-work/work-and-cancer/macmillan-at-work?&infinity=ict2~net~gaw~ar~558759847670~kw~cancer%20work~mt~b~cmp~G_PS_MAW_UK_GEN_Work_B~ag~Work&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzLje27Kc9AIViLbtCh0bYA4UEAAYAiAAEgI4t_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

It sounds as though you have been doing brilliantly - and this tiredness and anxiety completely to be expected.