- Educational
Returning to Work
Intended Audience
All members living with cancer.
Program Description
Members often have a variety of concerns when considering returning to work after living with a cancer diagnosis. This six-week educational and support program is designed to address work following cancer, providing support and strategies to move forward. Under the guidance of accomplished and attentive facilitators, this program offers personalized preparation for returning to work, tips on managing health and personal information at work, and assistance in developing a primary self-care plan to support sustained health and wellness.
*Also offered*
- Legal and Employment Matters: Legal and HR specialists clarify your legal rights as an employee.
- Money Matters: A solution-based program that assists members in navigating income replacement programs, insurance issues, drug coverage and many other topics. By appointment only.
- Resumes and Interviews: Learn to craft an effective resume for today’s workplace and practice your interview skills with HR professionals.
“Excellent model for ‘coping with change’ with transitions and strategies for self-care.”
“Great program – really enjoyed it. Found most sessions very thought provoking.”
“Excellent information and I loved the facilitators.”
What to Expect at a Session
Members participate in six, two-hour sessions. Topics covered include: the impact of cancer in work and life; decisions and considerations for returning to work; communication and negotiation with employers; and, physical and emotional challenges. In addition to listening and sharing, participants engage in brainstorming sessions, hear from others who have returned to work, and develop personal self-care plans. If returning to work sounds like work, Wellspring;s program lights the way with compassion and humour.
Benefits and Impact
Financial strain and job loss are common problems experienced by people living with cancer (CPAC, 2019; Iragorri et al., 2021; Longo et al., 2021). Many cancer survivors seek to return to work, and an Albertan study from 2022 found that doing so is among the top three practical concerns for many cancer patients (Link et al., 2022). However, returning to work is not always straightforward, and recent studies suggest that interventions supporting this process are needed for some cancer survivors (Fitch & Nicoll, 2019).
Literature investigating such interventions in cancer survivors have found that they may improve anxiety around returning to work, work self-efficacy, and the likelihood of returning to work (Bains et al., 2011; Grunfeld et al., 2019; Schumacher et al., 2017).
Wellspring Alberta’s Returning to Work program is generously supported in part by CIBC.