KEAGAN MITCHELL
Cape Town - Cansa urges employers to look after their employees and to educate them around recognising the symptoms of cancer.
This comes as we celebrate Corporate Wellness Week from July 4 to July 8.
Charlton Jacobs, a project costing estimator, said he definitely agreed with this initiative.
“Employers should start awareness campaigns in-house on a regular basis. Should an employee be diagnosed with cancer, support needs to be second nature from the employer side.
“Every little support is so much needed. Families and relatives usually struggle on their own when loved ones get diagnosed with cancer,” he said.
Allan Perrins, from the Animal Welfare Society of South Africa, said the workplace had evolved and the needs of employees now encompassed a lot more than a steady salary.
“Employees want to feel valued and are bound to remain loyal to those companies and bosses who value their physical, psychological and emotional well-being.
“It is common cause that smoking causes cancer, so besides pro-actively discouraging this distasteful and destructive habit (addiction), we also have strict rules in place to protect the health of non-smokers.
“Just because an employee has cancer does not necessarily mean that they cannot be productive in the workplace and they should never be shunned. This is an indiscriminate dread condition that can impact us all.
“Investing in your employees’ health and taking a discreet but keen interest in their welfare and well-being should be considered a key performance objective for all employers,” he said.
Industrial psychologist Kim-Lee Wentzel-Ricketts said: “Many employers have been talking to employees about being regular with regard to doctor’s check-ups and introducing healthier habits into their lifestyle.
“Cancer is still so prevalent and affects our lives and those around us daily. This, among so many other concerns, has seen health become one of the top concerns (for) employers.
“As much as we are zooming into the lives people lead, employers are zooming out to get a full view of where their employees are at and how they can better strategise policies which will see employees feeling more empowered to build a more holistic approach to their lives,” she said.
Family physician and occupational medical practitioner at Groote Schuur Hospital, Dr Randall Ortel, said employers should educate their staff about cancer.
“It is not about having to do physical education all the time, but rather about having posters out and attaching cancer awareness things at the bottom of emails. In males prostate and colorectal cancer are very common and in females breast and cervical cancer,” he said.
Head of service at Cansa, Gerda Strauss, also made the point that employers should look after their employees.
“Cancer has increased and is being diagnosed more frequently. It’s important to do annual screening to enable early detection. Employees often neglect to do screening as they feel they are too busy. By bringing cancer screening to the workplace, employers can help maintain employee health and productivity levels.
“Employees should not underestimate their significant role in helping the public to lower their cancer risk and detect cancer early through allowing cancer screening in the workplace. It’s about prioritising the health and well-being of the employee,” she said.