Cancer tested for social toxicity

79% of Russians surveyed by the Tinkov Family Foundation together with the Leukemia Foundation and the diversity brand company reported that their relatives, friends and acquaintances have cancer. 43% of respondents say that there are cases of cancer in their workforce. 60% of respondents reported that they or their colleagues and friends with a cancer diagnosis had to deal with difficulties at work. Experts say that cancer has “social toxicity”, and people who are faced with it need not only medical and psychological, but also labor rehabilitation.

The Tinkov Family Charitable Foundation, together with the Leukemia Foundation and the diversity brand company, conducted a survey dedicated to the problems of people who have been diagnosed with cancer. More than 1.2 thousand respondents throughout Russia took part in the study; it took place from October 14 to October 24.

79% of respondents said that among their relatives, friends and acquaintances there are cancer cases. 4% have themselves faced or are facing a cancer diagnosis.

And only 17% do not know anyone around them who has cancer.

Let us note that according to the Ministry of Health, about 4 million Russian citizens live with cancer. Approximately 600 thousand people are diagnosed annually.

37% of those in whose circle there are cancer patients said that these are isolated cases, 59% say that there are several cases, and 3% say that, in their opinion, there are many such cases among their friends. At the same time, 41% claim that there are no cases of oncology among colleagues in the work team, 43% say that there are. And 16% admit that there are cases of serious illnesses, but their colleagues do not know the exact diagnosis.

60% of respondents reported that they or their colleagues and friends with a cancer diagnosis had to deal with difficulties at work.

Of these, 38% said that colleagues who had or have such a diagnosis had to face the problem of maintaining their jobs. 17% indicated the difficulty of finding a new job. 15% said that colleagues faced the problem of maintaining their salaries during illness. 13% noticed difficulties in communicating with colleagues, and 11% noticed problems in interacting with management. At the same time, 40% of respondents did not notice any problems in the work process in connection with the cancer diagnosis of their colleague. “The treatment took a very long time. The management hinted that they needed a person who would do the job and not sit on sick leave,” the authors of the survey cite the comment of one of the participants. “The employer forced a colleague diagnosed with cancer of the lymphatic system to resign due to long-term sick leave. A colleague lost her job,” says another respondent.

45% of survey participants believe that a person is not obliged to report his diagnosis to management. The choice should remain with the employee himself. 31% say that it is simply necessary to inform the manager about the cancer diagnosis. 11% believe that it is necessary to report the diagnosis so that there are no problems at work. Another 11% think that the decision should be made based on the loyalty of the employer. 1% of respondents believe that it is better to hide the diagnosis from the employer.

Almost all respondents (98%) believe that the employer should provide support to the employee in such a situation: provide him with flexible working conditions (67%); keep your job (55%); offer a suitable position within the company during treatment or upon return (51%); offer financial assistance (44%); provide assistance with paying for medical examinations and purchasing medications (39%).

Only 2% of respondents said that the employer does not owe anything to its employee if he is diagnosed with cancer.

Olga Goldman, director of the psychological assistance service for cancer patients at Clear Morning, says that research by the Tinkov Family Foundation and partners confirms the data of their surveys: a large number of families in Russia are faced with oncology, and this is a social problem. She notes that cancer has so-called social toxicity – it affects the social and financial situation of the entire family. Problems at work, Ms. Goldman continues, can arise not only for the patient, but for his relative, who is forced to go through this path with him. The Clear Morning service hotline, Olga Goldman clarifies, regularly advises patients on issues not only of medical law, but also of labor law and talks about available social benefits.

Russians with oncology, Ms. Goldman continues, like any citizens with disabilities, by law have the right not to inform their employer about their diagnosis. This happens quite often for several reasons, the expert points out: “For an employer, a seriously ill person is a headache; it’s easier to get rid of him than to create special conditions, adjust the schedule and workload. In addition, a person who receives a diagnosis immediately becomes lonely; people avoid him for various reasons, including prejudice. Plus, in oncology, especially at the beginning of treatment, the result is completely unclear; often the person himself does not know how much time he will need, whether he will have the strength to work, and therefore it is difficult to build a conversation with the employer.” In her opinion, research data suggests that the state needs to support employers if they have a person with a serious diagnosis, because in this case they will be more interested in preserving jobs: “Along with medical, psychological and social rehabilitation, there is also labor rehabilitation, when a sick person is helped to maintain his level of qualifications and salary. This area of ​​assistance is practically undeveloped in our country. I know of such programs only in large companies that can afford it.”

General Director of the Leukemia Foundation Anush Hovsepyan says that after communicating with the fund’s wards who were faced with misunderstanding at work, she came up with the idea of ​​making a project about opportunities for retraining, consulting, internships, having access to up-to-date information, and finding a job. According to her, several dozen people with oncology have already “managed to look at their career path differently”: “I continue to dream that with an increase in the pool of partners and like-minded people, we will be able to maximize support and increase awareness that the process of adaptation and career change the track can be comfortable.”

Natalia Kostarnova