Telling your employer about your diagnosis

How to talk to your employer about your brain tumour diagnosis

You don’t have to tell your employer about your, or your loved one’s, diagnosis unless it is likely to affect your ability to do the job because it changes your behaviour, memory and thinking, or your physical ability, you might need to take a significant amount of time off work for appointments, treatment and recovery, or it poses a risk to yourself or others whilst at work

Although in many cases a brain tumour diagnosis will affect your ability to stay in full-time employment, not everyone has the financial luxury of being able to stop working altogether.

Equality Act

The laws that protect you if you have a brain tumour are The Equality Act 2010 if you live in England, Scotland or Wales and The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 if you live in Northern Ireland. This legislation aims to protect you from different kinds of discrimination including harassment and victimisation. Employers have to make reasonable adjustments i.e. changes in the workplace to enable you to keep working or return to work.

You’re disabled under both Acts if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.

What ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ mean

Substantial is more than minor or trivial, e.g. it takes much longer than it usually would to complete a daily task like getting dressed

Long-term means 12 months or more, e.g. a breathing condition that develops as a result of a lung infection

Classed as having a disability means employers have a legal duty to support you and you must be treated the same as employees who don’t have cancer. If you’re treated less favourably than employees without cancer, that would be classed as discrimination.

If you need to take time off work for appointments or because you feel ill, try to tell your employer as soon as possible so they can plan ahead. If you are off for more than your sick leave allows, you may be entitled to one of the following:

• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).  Money that all workers can access if they’re too sick to work
• Occupation or company sick pay. This is your company’s own sick pay scheme. It may give you more money by adding a top-up amount to SSP.

Find out more about the Acts

• The Equality Act 2010
• The Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Financial worries

Time off work or not being able to go back to work may pose financial worries and difficulties. Brain Tumour Support can help. We have a specially trained specialist Welfare Benefits advisor.

More information about brain tumours or cancer at work

• NHS Scotland | Practical issues, work and cancer
• Yorkshire Brain Cancer Charity | What to do when you return to work after a brain tumour diagnosis
• Macmillan | Cancer information and support

Talk to a Brain Tumour Support, Support Professional. They can help you work out what to say and when including talking to your employer. There are also support groups and an online Facebook Forum where you can ask others what they did.

Call our support line

To access our support services, call our Support Co-ordinator today on 01454 422 701 or email support@braintumoursupport.co.uk.
Our Support Co-ordinator is available Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Our services are free and confidential. We're here to listen and support you through your journey.

#BrainTumourSupport #SupportMatters #TogetherWeAreStronger

As a service user, I know first-hand the impact of brain tumours on mental health. That's why I'm grateful for the support service that provided me with a safe space to talk, share, and heal.

Fill in our support enquiry form