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Karen_C1's avatar
Karen_C1
Member
8 years ago

New Fact Sheets - New Workplace Supports for People Affected by Breast Cancer

What a wonderful resource.  I am so delighted to see these issues being dealt with as they are part and parcel of this journey.   Unfortunately every bit as debilitating and stressful to one's health as the disease itself.   I can't tell you how much comfort this would have given me if available when I was working.  Even though I did use many of these initiatives outlined in your fact sheets, I had to find out about them myself and sometimes the timing and my approach was wrong.  

Despite this wonderful information, discrimination is a hard nut to crack, my employee surreptitiously struck me off the books without my knowledge after 22 years of service.  If they had been honest with me, I could still be working.

This knowledge should be provided to every business in Australia.     
I commend BCNA for a job well done.

I urge everyone to read these facts sheets.

Have a good day.
Karen C

3 Replies

  • Afraser's avatar
    Afraser
    Member
    8 years ago
    @kmcin28, I am not in a formal advocate position just trying to help, as she has no-one taking her part at work for a variety of reasons, none to do with her capacity. She's a smart and articulate person, but as you say there's a limit to how much energy you can direct to this sap sucking stuff. Which also works against her! 
  • kmcin28's avatar
    kmcin28
    Member
    8 years ago
    @Afraser They were fortunate to have someone to advocate for them. I returned to work early this year, but from the time I started back I had no support from management, he wouldn't sign my Graduated Return to Work forms, so then my adjusted roster was out of date and I had to keep going back to the Doctor for her to fill out new ones, in the meantime I wasn't getting paid by either the department or income protection, the dr and ip case manager were both supportive but as frustrated as me with his behavior, I fought it for a while, then decided I no longer had the energy for it and retired. It's good they have these resources, unfortunately I didn't know about these fact sheets at the time. Sorry about the long rant but i'm still disappointed that after more than 20 years I felt like I was pushed out.
  • Afraser's avatar
    Afraser
    Member
    8 years ago
    I was contacted through my lymphoedema therapist to see if I could advise someone who is having a very difficult time in the workplace. She is fit to work, wants to work and her manager doesn't want her to. I found the fact sheet for employees very helpful in providing information (and very precise language) about what is not acceptable and some sensible suggestions about what to do. I was lucky and although I didn't need much at work while having treatment, I could have certainly asked for and got a great deal of flexibility, so I find it quite shocking when people who need very little in the way of  minor accommodations to manage their treatment requirements, get pushed around or pushed out. Many thanks BCNA.