Heightened anxiety and stress have a direct impact on employees’ emotional resilience and productivity. Major depressive disorders are tied to 27 lost workdays per year per employee, according to the Northeast Business Group on Health, and an increased cost of $4,426 per employee per year. Additionally, mental health conditions are also tied to other chronic conditions such as obesity and heart disease.
But there are also more widespread impacts on the broader workforce.
Keep in mind that while many employees try as much as possible to compartmentalize work and life stresses, that’s not always possible. Especially at a time of widespread remote work, work and life stresses blend together and can create a charged and overwhelmed state of being.
For cancer patients, employment is more than financial security and healthcare benefits — it’s a support system.
Four out of every 10 people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute. That number is only expected to grow; by 2040, the number of cancer survivors is expected to reach more than 26 million — a 50% increase from last year.
“With a growing number of cancer survivors in the workforce, employers need to better understand and be equipped to help support them, given the challenges these employees may face,” said Candice Sherman, CEO of the Northeast Business Group on Health, in a report by the organization.
A growing number of patients are surviving a cancer diagnosis, meaning employers must be prepared to offer a workplace that supports their specific needs.
To assist with that process, the Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) has released a guide for employer benefits and human resources professionals that highlights the key challenges and opportunities in meeting the needs of cancer survivors.
Estimates suggest there will be 26.1 million cancer survivors living in the U.S. by 2040, an increase of more than 50% compared to 2019, the NEBGH said in an announcement.
48 pages. "[A] cancer diagnosis and treatment together comprise just one part of the patient journey. What happens when people move beyond active treatment to survivorship? ... [This guide] is designed to provide you with information on the challenges and opportunities associated with cancer survivorship and practical guidance on creating a workplace that supports people living with cancer and is productive for all."
Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) released a new guide for employers on cancer survivorship Wednesday morning.
The free guide was created in collaboration with CancerCare to offer employers' HR departments "practical guidance on creating a workplace that supports people living with cancer and is productive for all."
The guide covers challenges that cancer survivors may face and how employers can support them. It also includes information on support organizations, employment laws and agencies, and recommendation checklists for employers.
payment reform. Research by the Northeast Business Group on Health found that in 2015, employers spent $125 million on cancer care, and since then, cancer therapy costs have increased substantially with greater use of immunotherapy and the introduction of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies that can easily cost half a million dollars for treatment.
The federal government is taking the lead with the Oncology Care Model, which will transition into Oncology Care First in 2022 after a 1-year extension due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, but commercial payers are also testing payment reform models.
Did you know that nearly 17% of your employees may be caregivers? According to an AARP and the Northeast Business Group on Health, in the U.S. today, one in six employees is a caregiver for a relative or friend and spends, on average, 20 hours a week caring for a loved one. And it's safe to say (given demographic trends) that the number of employees acting as caregivers will only grow.
About 20% of companies offered paid caregiver leave last year, according to data from WorldatWork, a nonprofit HR resource organization. Even before the outbreak of the pandemic, employers were increasingly recognizing that they need to provide caregiver benefits. A Northeast Business Group on Health survey of employers found that 79% of respondents said caregiving will be an increasingly important issue over the next five years.
Leading-edge employers are using best practices to support employees with cancer. By doing so, these organizations are serving as role models that others may want to follow.
Many of these best practices are described in a guide from Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH), an employer-led coalition. Delivering Value in Cancer Care: The Employer Perspective features case studies and examples of employer initiatives to support employees and family members with cancer. It also gives advice on how HR leaders can engage with vendors and health plans to make employees aware of the cancer-related benefits and services available to them, such as: