You may need to take time off for appointments and follow-up. In most cases, your employer must, by law, give you a reasonable amount of time off work to attend necessary hospital appointments. However, there is no absolute right to paid time off unless your contract of employment specifically states this. It is good to give your employer as much warning as possible if you need time off, because if you give very short notice your employer may be unable to agree to the request.

You may also need to take time off during your treatment. This time off may be taken as sickness absence, or an agreed reduction in working hours or days per week. See financial issues for information about sick pay and benefits.

It is helpful to talk about your need for time off with your employer, so that they can support you in the best way possible.

Having to take time off can make you feel a range of emotions. You may feel angry that you have to leave your work when you have a lot to do. You may also feel guilty if others have to take on some of your work when you are not there.

Taking a lot of time off can make you feel out of touch with what is going on at your workplace and can make you lose confidence in your ability to do your job well. You may think that your colleagues are annoyed with you or feel that you are not pulling your weight.

You may also lose a sense of 'normality' when you are not working and some people find that they lose confidence and self-esteem.

All the above emotions are natural and normal when you have to take time off for cancer treatment. It can help to talk honestly about these feelings and emotions to your employer and colleagues.

Sometimes, counselling can help to reduce these feelings and to help you find ways of talking to the people in your workplace. Counselling can also help to restore your confidence in your self. Some companies or GP surgeries provide counselling.

You can also have face-to-face or telephone counselling from the Cancer Counselling Trust.