Your employer or human resources manager should give you information about your organisation’s sickness policy and how much paid and unpaid time off you are entitled to.

Most employers are willing to make changes to your duties and your working hours to enable you to continue working if you want to. However, some employers, who have not had experience of supporting an employee with cancer, may find it difficult to understand what you need.

Your employers should be understanding of the fact that you are going though a very stressful time and should relate to you in a supportive manner to help you to cope with the cancer and its treatment.

If you tell your employer that you have cancer, but do not want any of your colleagues to know, then your employer should not tell them. They should not discuss this information with other people unless you give them your permission to do so. They should respect your wish for privacy when you tell them your situation.

Union representatives and human resources managers should also respect your wish for privacy and should not tell other people about your cancer unless you want them to.

Occupational health staff are bound by the confidentiality of all health professionals and will not tell anyone about your illness without your written permission.

If you want your colleagues to know about your cancer, but do not feel able to tell them yourself, your employer or human resources manager may be able to do this for you in a sensitive way.