Work and Cancer

A cancer diagnosis is always tough to deal with, but especially if you are working or the sole breadwinner in your family.

It is important to understand your human rights and labour law.

It is also important for HR departments and employers to understand their role in supporting employees diagnosed with cancer.

What are Cancer Patients’ Rights in the Workplace?

CANSA encourages employers, managers, HR teams, employees, and caregivers to recognise that cancer in the workplace is not only a health issue, but also a matter of fairness and practical support.

CANSA created a guide for both employers and employees, to help workplaces respond to cancer with compassion, fairness, and respect for South African labour law and human rights principles.

Cancer does not remove a person’s right to be treated with dignity at work. Employees affected by cancer may be managing treatment side effects such as fatigue, or are unable to attend work as required.  They experience fear, financial pressure and uncertainty about their future.

At the same time, employers may be unsure how to respond appropriately. This guide helps bridge that gap by offering practical guidance rooted in compassion, human rights and South African workplace realities.

The guide highlights key legal frameworks that protect employees with cancer, including the Constitution of South Africa, the Employment Equity Act, the Labour Relations Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. It also explains that employers should consider reasonable adaption before taking steps towards incapacity hearings or dismissal.

Reasonable adaption may include adjusted working hours, temporary remote or hybrid work, reduced workload, flexible leave for treatment and recovery, temporary reassignment to less physically demanding tasks, or adjusted performance expectations during treatment. The guide emphasises that support should be tailored to the individual employee, their role, health status and treatment plan.

CANSA also encourages workplaces to manage disclosure and confidentiality with care. Employees are not legally required to disclose a cancer diagnosis to colleagues, and medical information must be kept confidential unless the employee consents to sharing it or disclosure is required by law.

The guide further provides practical advice on supporting employees with cancer, colleagues affected by a team member’s diagnosis and employees who are caregivers for loved ones with cancer. It reminds managers that a cancer diagnosis does not automatically mean an employee cannot work, and that many people find purpose, routine and emotional benefit in continuing to work in some capacity during or after treatment.

Download Guide: Human Rights and Cancer in the Workplace

Employers, HR professionals, managers, unions, employees and caregivers can download the guide and use it as a practical resource for building more informed, compassionate and legally sound workplace responses to cancer.

Emotional and Practical Support

The guide further outlines CANSA services available to people affected by cancer, including affordable cancer screening, CANSA Care Homes, Tough Living with Cancer (TLC) support for children and families, CANSA Tele and Virtual Counselling, public hospital Information and Support Desks, stoma support, medical equipment hire, wigs and prostheses, online patient materials, support groups and the CANSA Help Desk.

CANSA Tele or Virtual Counselling can be accessed via the CANSA Help Desk on 0800 22 66 22 toll free, or book online. This is a confidential, professional, cancer-related telephonic counselling service to cancer patients, caregivers and their families and parents or guardians of children living with cancer. Counselling is available in most SA languages and is free of charge.

Tips:

PPT: What to Say to a Colleague with Cancer

Leaflet: What to Say to a Colleague with Cancer

CANSA is committed to connecting people facing cancer with information, day-to-day help as well as emotional support they need. Our aim is to ensure that cancer Survivors and their loved ones don’t have to face cancer alone; we’re here to support them through every step of their cancer experience.*

* The responsibility rests with patients to contact CANSA for assistance. CANSA is not informed of any diagnoses / of patients being treated at medical centres. Family need to obtain permission from patients, before CANSA may contact them. Read more…