Get involved and help Queenslanders living with cancer by volunteering. Volunteers are the heart of our organisation. Join us to make a greater impact and connect with like-minded people.
Every contribution helps support those living with cancer. Whether a one-off donation or monthly gift, your support ensures funding stability for long-term goals and future generations.
Leave a legacy by including a gift in your Will, starting a tribute page for a loved one, or funding a research grant for early-career cancer researchers driving clinical innovations.
Organise a fundraising event in your community, either as a team or an individual. You can join one of our existing fundraising events or you might like to come up with your own way.
When organisations work together, we can have a greater impact for every Queenslander going through cancer and help amplify our message for all Australians.
However you get involved, you’re making a direct impact on the lives of Queenslanders affected by cancer. See the results of what we’ve all achieved.
With workplace adjustments, you can create a supportive and compassionate workplace for the entire team.
How to best support an employee with cancer starts with knowing what they’re going through – including their treatment, the side effects, and how they’re likely to be feeling (although everyone’s experience and feelings are different).
Our team is here to listen and support you.
Cancer in the workplace is common, with around 40% of people diagnosed being of working age. For a person going through cancer, work is often more than an income, it’s a sense of purpose and social connections.
Under Australian law, cancer is a disability. This means that a business must make reasonable adjustments to its work environment to help the affected person continue to work. To do this, talk with your employee about their treatment and the side effects they might expect. You can rearrange their duties, adjust their workspace, and move to part-time or more work-from-home days to help them manage.
The question of whether to share the news with co-workers will probably arise as some side effects may become noticeable, and it can also help someone feel more supported if their workmates know what they’re going through. Ultimately, this will be a decision for the person going through cancer.
If an employee asks for advice on whether to share their health issues, it can be helpful to offer support and reassure them it’s completely their decision. It may help to offer to be there when they tell the team, and to give the team time to deal with the news.
Some employees may need support for a short time, others may need ongoing assistance even after treatment is over. Below are some practical suggestions to support your employee or coworker:
There are many types of flexible working arrangements. What is possible will vary between workplaces and jobs. Some examples include:
To make it easier for an employee to work during treatment, you could adjust project time frames, change tasks for a while (for example, by reducing or eliminating physically demanding tasks), or temporarily reallocate some work to other employees. Talk to your employee about what would help and work out a plan together.
Some workplaces are able to offer additional paid or unpaid personal/carer’s leave to employees undergoing cancer treatment. Check whether the organisation’s superannuation policy offers automatic income protection insurance.
Many people having cancer treatment experience fatigue as a side effect and commuting to work may contribute to overall exhaustion. Being able to park close to your workplace may make it easier for the person to continue working. It may also be convenient if the employee needs to attend medical appointments during the day.
Having a short nap or a rest in a quiet place during the day may help an employee manage fatigue. This can be as simple as a comfortable chair in a quiet room or screened-off section of a staff common area. It is best not to use an existing sick bay for these rests, because treatment may make the person with cancer more prone to infectious illnesses.
An employee having cancer treatment often has lower immunity, so they are especially vulnerable to other illnesses. Exposure to a cold or tummy bug may make them very ill.
List Cancer Council 13 11 20 on your organisation’s intranet or staff noticeboard and provide a link to Cancer Council’s website.
Cancer treatments vary from person to person, and so do side effects. Most are manageable, so a person going through cancer may be able to work throughout their treatment. If your employee is happy to talk about it, ask about their treatment and the expected side effects, so you best support them.
Continue to check in and try to be flexible because, as treatment progresses, unexpected side effects may appear. They might feel anxious that they are letting you down if they need more adjustments, so let them know it’s okay to make more changes.
Common cancer treatments include:
Common side effects are:
Cancer recovery rates are improving, but sadly not everyone will recover. The death of a co-worker is painful, but you can help your team to cope. If an employee has advanced cancer, you can help prepare your team for what’s to come. When someone passes, find a private place to break the news and encourage the team to support each other. You can offer counselling and check with them regularly to see how they’re coping with their grief.
After the initial announcement, some of the following actions may be helpful:
You may want to do something special to honour and acknowledge the life of your employee after their death. This can help co-workers cope with the loss:
The way you support a colleague depends on several factors. Firstly, consider what that person has disclosed in terms of how much they want to talk about it in the workplace. This information may come from the person being treated or the Manager / Team Leader.
If the person has said they are comfortable talking about it or being supported by colleagues, your support will depend on the relationship you had with them prior to diagnosis. If you were close and discussed personal matters, that will form the template for those interactions.
If they are someone you know, but not well, consider that a guide. Above, all be guided by the person going through the experience as to what they need in the workplace.
