Prostate Cancer and Unemployment

Statistics of those men receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer and surviving the entire ordeal are less likely to keep or find employment. Why this is happening is yet to be explainable, but the facts are very clear. Men receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer and survive are less likely to remain at their place of employment. Those men who are out their in public view searching for new employment find more doors unopened to them.

Individuals receiving a diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancer will find the same fate yet no one is willing to discuss why. However, common sense does have a logical explanation for this. The sad truth of this phenomenon is that most of the individuals affected by this are under the age of sixty-five. So many good men, after fighting such a long and arduous disease are unfortunately unable to find employment because of receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Reality shows that prostate cancer survivors along with other cancer survivors are unwelcome in the working world. Employers are terrified to hire a cancer survivor because of all the myths and untruths that are circulating even today. Formal studies taken on about one hundred eighty thousand individuals who were cancer survivors and only a very small percentage was able to fine employment. There were three main studies in the realm of cancer survivors looking for employment.

Survivors of prostate cancer looking for employment

Survivors of gastrointestinal cancer looking for employment

Survivors of severe prostate cancer looking for employment

Individual survivors are sometimes limited to what they are capable of doing and the type of work they are able to perform. Many times the effects of prostate cancer on an individual will deter the ability and work capacity of the person trying to gain employment. Employers on average are apprehensive to hire survivors of prostate cancer and other cancers because of the uncertain implications. How can the employer hire a survivor of prostate cancer and not offer medical benefits after a probation period? Most employers are also apprehensive because of the cost to all employees who vested in a company group insurance plan.

Workplace rules and law today must learn to accommodate all individuals because to continue with discriminatory practices serves no one. It causes many good individuals who just survived a life and death situation to now face discrimination on the employment line. Interventions with a little common sense are in dire need to make things right for all in the employment sector.

Prostate cancer survivors receiving help and counseling on the outside to prepare themselves to re-enter the employment sector receive help in the form of specific requests they can perform to help them find employment easier. These few items are the following:

Talk with your employer and co-workers

Explain your medical diagnosis of prostate cancer without shame

Limit your time off during and after cancer treatments when possible

Show considerations for other who are self-employed

Attempt searching for new employment after cancer treatment

Report discrimination in the workplace when you discover it

Prostate cancer patients who are now survivors try to return to work after completing their treatments and receiving a clean bill of health. Their future looks bright, their self-esteem is high, and they believe they are so empowered by the simple fact they beat the cancer. Employers can and should build on this uplifting sense of well being and encourage all individuals who wish to return to work. How sad that so many are apprehensive and turn these survivors away because of a disease they just fought and won. Perhaps it is the employers that need to take a crash course on common sense and sensibility to learn how to separate fact from fiction.

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