Joint planning and workplace flexibility

Breast cancer can be unpredictable, so it is important to devise a flexible joint return to work plan. This process allows both you and your employee to discuss and agree the best way forward.

The plan should be regularly reviewed and amended as appropriate.

Reasonable adjustments

Reasonable adjustments may help ease your employee back into the workplace, e.g. flexible working hours, or planning a phased return to work.

It’s important to involve your employee in these conversations, to ensure collaborative decision making.

Make a plan

Developing a work and breast cancer plan (or a return to work plan) is an important step to put in place before your employee comes back.

• Schedule a meeting with your employee approximately two weeks before they are due to return. This allows them to visit the workplace, receive important information and updates, and raise any concerns they may have.
• This meeting is a good time to ask them how much information they want to share with the team and wider organisation, and how comfortable they are talking to others in the workplace about how they feel.
• Recovering from cancer is often a long process and side effects can continue for months or even years. It’s important to be flexible with your employee’s return to work plan. As part of this plan, you will need to discuss and finalise any reasonable adjustments required.