What If One of My Employees Is Diagnosed with Cancer?

How good employer practices, medical guidance, and sustainable employability converge

When an employee is diagnosed with cancer – or when cancer affects a loved one – good employer practices extend beyond medical treatment and absence policies. It involves maintaining control, mental resilience, quality of life, and sustainable employability.

More and more organizations are encountering this. Not as an exceptional situation, but as a structural issue that is both human and business-critical.

Cancer in the workplace: no longer an exception

Each year, cancer affects tens of thousands of people of working age in the Netherlands. This makes it a reality within organizations of all sizes.

Approximately 40% of all cancer diagnoses occur within working age
The average duration of absence due to cancer is between 10 and 18 months
Approximately 75% of employees return to work two years after diagnosis, often in an adjusted capacity
Employees with cancer do not automatically qualify for WIA benefits, which increases uncertainty
The likelihood of unemployment after cancer is approximately 37% higher

For employers, the direct and indirect costs of long-term absence can quickly amount to €100,000 or more per employee, depending on their role, salary, and replacement impact. Cancer is therefore not an individual problem, but an organizational issue.

When absence becomes business-critical: key positions

For employees in key positions – such as executives, senior professionals, IT architects, specialists, or commercial leaders – the impact of illness is rarely linear.

Absence in these roles often leads to:

delays in strategic projects
loss of knowledge, cohesion, and decision-making power
additional pressure on colleagues and management
reduced organizational agility

The true costs are often not fully visible but manifest as missed opportunities, delayed decision-making, and uncertainty. It is precisely in these areas that prolonged medical and mental uncertainty can have far-reaching business consequences.

Contact Mauro

The most vulnerable phase lies outside the hospital

Oncological care in the Netherlands is of a high standard. However, many employees find that the heaviest burden does not arise during consultations, but between consultations.

During this phase:

treatment options and advice need to be interpreted
side effects and consequences become noticeable
medical choices directly impact work, income, and future

A large portion of employees do not discuss the implications for work with their treatment team. This uncertainty often remains unaddressed but significantly impacts recovery, capacity, and the duration of absence.

Common Doubts Among Employees with Cancer

Employees with cancer often experience a process of doubt and inner turmoil parallel to their medical journey. These doubts largely occur outside the consultation room but significantly influence their functioning.

Common questions include:

Am I making the right treatment choice?
What does this mean for my future and quality of life?
Is continuing to work helpful or harmful?
Is there sufficient opportunity to discuss this with my doctor?
How open should I be with my employer?
What if I regret my choices later?

When these doubts remain unaddressed, they can lead to mental strain, procrastination, and delayed recovery – with direct consequences for employability.

Why Sound Medical Decision-Making Provides Peace of Mind

Medical decision-making in cancer is rarely straightforward. Often there are:

multiple treatment paths
varying side effects and long-term effects
consequences for quality of life and work capacity

By explicitly addressing doubts and clearly explaining medical choices, decision quality is achieved. And decision quality provides peace of mind.
Peace of mind is an essential condition for recovery, focus, and sustainable employability, especially for employees with significant responsibilities.

Where Absenteeism Support Ends

HR professionals, company doctors, and managers play a crucial role in:

absenteeism and reintegration
employment law frameworks
psychosocial support

What they – rightly – cannot assume is:

medical interpretation
contributing to complex treatment choices
providing guidance for oncology treatment pathways

This creates a gap between medical care and employer responsibility.

The Role of Mauro

Mauro Medical Specialists operates alongside and in connection with regular healthcare. We do not provide treatment ourselves, but offer independent medical guidance for employees and their families.

This means: providing support with decisions, clarity, and coherence, without any conflict of interest or medical responsibility on the part of the employer.

What Mauro Specifically Does

Independent Medical Guidance

Mauro guides employees by:

carefully analyzing and interpreting medical information
continuously contributing to treatment decisions
maintaining an overview and coherence regarding treatment options and studies (domestic and international)
preparing for discussions with treating physicians
supporting the balance between treatment, work, energy, and private life

This guidance is ongoing, personal, and adapts to the employee's journey and capacity.