Pound: Balancing work and breast cancer | savannahnow.com

Breast cancer strikes with a devastating impact, affecting not only a patient?s life, but the lives of families, friends, and co-workers. The collateral damage and life altering challenges are often immeasurable ? especially when it comes to balancing one?s health with one?s job responsibilities.

While the patient?s primary concern should be focused on receiving proper treatment and taking the necessary time to heal, the commitment to one?s ongoing job duties can leave one feeling conflicted, anxious and guilty. Balancing the medical demands of treatment and the daily duties of gainful employment can be challenging, if not overwhelming, and will most certainly be a point of major concern for those in the workforce.

While some people choose to devote all their energy to healing, others find that working provides a good distraction, or they simply cannot make do with lost income. It all depends on one?s health status, their treatment regimen and how they generally feel during this time.

Expense is also a factor not to overlook, as it is one that usually causes a good amount of stress. Even those who are fully insured may face numerous co-pays and deductibles that may deplete limited funds and create an unexpected financial hardship. When you add in a calendar of treatment dates and physician appointments, maintaining one?s financial income can be of vital importance during the treatment and recovery period. Without a viable supplemental income from a spouse of other family members, it could be critical.

Here are some important considerations:

Know and understand your company?s benefits as well as its policies regarding leave time for illnesses. An appointment with the Human Resources department is an easy way to answer questions that may not be readily accessed through employee handbooks or are unclear.

Understanding your health insurance coverage, as well as any plan deductibles and co-pays may go a long way in relieving some of the unnecessary pressure and stress.

Depending on the company?s benefit structure, accruals in an individual?s sick leave accounts may provide paid time off.

Additionally, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows most workers 12 weeks of leave each year, due to serious illness. Under this provision, a person cannot lose their job because of related absences. An employee need not take the leave all at once. If necessary, leave can be taken in weeks, days, or even hours, or perhaps designed to create a shortened work week.

However, it is very important to note that FMLA does not provide for paid leave. Private disability insurance may grant needed income during an extended absence, but only to those who are covered. Long term disability coverage, if available to the employee, may also provide some financial relief.

Meanwhile, those who may need to be out of work for at least a year may be eligible for the disability benefits program administered by the United States Social Security Administration (SSA).

For those who remain in the workforce during their treatment and recovery, it is important to know that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) classifies cancer as a disability when the effects of treatment hinder an individual?s ?major life activities.?

Since employers are required by federal law to provide ?reasonable accommodations? for anyone with a disability, recovering patients may find solace through any number of provisions. Such accommodations may include time off for physician appointments and to recover from treatment, short breaks during the workday to rest and recover, an altered work schedule, temporarily assigning some job tasks to another employee, changes to the workplace environment, even a work-from-home arrangement.

Most all employers will be sympathetic to their workers? needs, however, successfully navigating a very personal scenario in the workplace demands open and honest communication by both parties. Human Resources professionals can provide that needed guidance and clarity during such challenging times.

Steve Pound is Vice President, Human Resources, St. Joseph?s/Candler.

Source: http://savannahnow.com/column/2012-10-15/pound-balancing-work-and-breast-cancer

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