L&G adds HR & Line Manager toolkit to cancer awareness and support services

L&G, in partnership with Perci Health, has added a HR & Line Manager Toolkit to its Cancer Awareness and Nurse Support services; available with all the provider’s group protection products. Designed to bolster confidence and capability in supporting employees, the toolkit equips HR and Line Managers with timely and proactive guidance, tailored to specific employee situations. This might involve an employee going through cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery themselves, or caring for someone who is.

The launch comes against a backdrop of “a culture of fear” felt by employers, especially HR and Line Managers, as reported in Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working report. The report suggests this creates distance between employers and employees, discouraging safe and early disclosure of illness, constructive conversations and support when it’s needed most.¹

Accessible via the employer toolkit page of L&G’s dedicated group protection website for employers, this new resource combines direct access to expert and tailored guidance, alongside best practice and training for both HR and Line Managers. The toolkit was developed using Perci Health’s multidisciplinary approach, including cancer nurses, a HR expert and digital engagement specialists.

Features include:

• Access to clinical & professional expertise. Video appointments with a Cancer Nurse Specialist or HR expert, for tailored guidance and support.
• Digital resources. Designed as a ‘go to’ resource for real workplace scenarios, the portal includes: training materials; case studies; and best practice for supporting employees affected by cancer.
• Cancer awareness campaign material. Ready-to-use material for key cancer awareness days throughout the year, including posters and guides, to help employers tackle the taboo around cancer and build a more cancer-aware workplace culture.
• Practical workplace guidance. A digital training toolkit, designed to provide practical, actionable guidance, covering: supporting employees during treatment; managing ongoing absence or return to work; handling sensitive conversations.
• Workplace policy & strategy support. Guidance to help employers develop or refine workplace cancer policies, ensuring alignment with best practice, in terms of inclusive practices and return to work frameworks

The toolkit is designed to complement L&G’s employee-facing health and wellbeing services, which are accessible via the provider’s Spark platform. Services via Spark include cancer risk assessments and nurse support, EAP, virtual GP and online physiotherapy. The new toolkit provides guidance to HR and Line Managers, helping them signpost employees to the right support at the right time. 

Morgan Fitzsimons, Co-Founder & CCO, Perci Health, comments: “Research shows that 87% of people employed when diagnosed with cancer said it was important to continue working after their diagnosis. The feeling of normality that comes from work, when everything else in life is far from normal, cannot be overstated. But all too often, the conversations that matter – with HR and Line Managers – aren’t happening; not because employers don’t care, rather because they’re afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. It’s for all these reasons, that we’ve designed and launched this toolkit in partnership with L&G.” ^{2 3}

Vanessa Sallows, Claims & Clinical Development Director – Group Protection, L&G, adds: “Improving HR and Line Manager confidence and capability are vital in supporting better employee outcomes. Not least because in many smaller companies, the role of HR is being taken on by a manager, alongside their day job. 

“Regardless of whether an organisation has dedicated HR support though, this can be a complex area. It’s important to note that cancer is a protected condition under the Equality Act 2010. Therefore, employers must consider reasonable adjustments. Understanding what is reasonable will differ for every individual. In other words, the access to clinical expertise – and associated practical guidance – afforded by our new toolkit, is likely to prove invaluable for employers of all shapes and sizes.”

References

¹Keep Britain Working: Final report
²Macmillan Cancer Support, Working through cancer – Surveying experiences of cancer and work
³People Management, Fear of legal repercussions prevents HR contacting staff on sick leave, warns Sir Charlie Mayfield – but are their concerns justified?