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| Statistic of Cancer Survivors at Work |
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Tags: Cancer Survivor
| Thursday, 27 November 2008 00:49 | |||
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Author：Barbara Hoffman, JD In the 1970s, a cancer diagnosis was often construed as a death sentence.4,5 Most individuals, the media, governments, and survivors commonly referred to themselves as cancer victims.1,3 To employers and insurers, a cancer diagnosis meant potential lost profits and productivity.3 A cancer survivor was the spouse who was left behind to cope alone with unpaid bills and unfulfilled dreams. A cancer diagnosis was seldom discussed publicly.1,3 Many feared cancer to be contagious.1,4 Physicians expected survivors to be satisfied with achieving medical remission; few considered or responded constructively to psychosocial sequelae, such as the impact of cancer on work.5 The five-year survival rate for the top 15 cancers as identified in SEER data from 1975 to 1979 was only 42.7% for men and 56.6% for women.6 Never before has cancer affected so many employed adults. In 2001, 38% of all cancer survivors―approximately 3.7 million Americans―were working age (age 20 to 64).28 For most survivors, work is a financial and emotional necessity. Most survivors work not only for the obvious financial benefit but also for the accompanying health insurance, self-esteem, and social support. In quality of life assessments, survivors have reported that being able to work full time and having an "enjoyable" job contribute to a better quality of life.29 Work provides a "sense of normalcy" and "control" during a period when cancer strips survivors of control over life’s routines.30 The employment problems of cancer survivors take many forms. A cancer diagnosis may affect any type of job action, including dismissal, failure to hire, demotion, denial of promotion, undesirable transfer, denial of benefits, and hostility in the workplace.31 Although cancer survivors today experience fewer blatant barriers to job opportunities, many Americans still fear that cancer will have a negative impact on their ability to obtain and keep a job. A 1997 telephone survey of 662 employed adult Americans who did not have cancer found that 40% feared losing their job if they were diagnosed with cancer.32 A survey of Hodgkin disease and leukemia survivors indicated that more than one third attributed at least one negative vocational (employment, income, or education) problem to their cancer.33 One reason survivors fear problems at work is because many supervisors and coworkers have misconceptions about survivors’ abilities to work during and after treatment. As shown in www.kungfucancer.com ,A 1992 survey of 200 supervisors found that 66% were concerned that employees with cancer could no longer perform their jobs adequately.21 Of 200 supervisors surveyed in 1996, 33% believed that a survivor could not handle the job and cancer, and 31% thought that the survivor needed to be replaced.34 Yet after working with a survivor, 34% of the supervisors and 43% of coworkers said that they would be less concerned about working with a survivor in the future.34 Nearly one half admitted that a current cancer diagnosis would affect their decision to hire a qualified applicant.21 Of 662 employees surveyed by Ferrell, 14% believed that coworkers with cancer probably would not be able to do their jobs.30 Twenty-seven percent of coworkers thought they would have to work harder to pick up the slack.30 Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites         
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 27 November 2008 00:56 ) |