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Only 17% of employers prioritise cancer support despite rising cases – Everywhen

With World Cancer Day tomorrow, 4th February, Everywhen is advising employers to look at the risks and factors around cancer to make sure support is effective. 

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Only 17% of employers prioritise cancer support despite rising cases – Everywhen
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Only 17% of employers are set to focus their employee health and wellbeing support on serious illnesses such as cancer this year, research from Everywhen found. 

This comes as cancer rates are rising, with 3.5 million people in the UK expected to be living with cancer by 2025, up from 3 million in 2020.

With World Cancer Day tomorrow, 4th February, Everywhen is advising employers to look at the risks and factors around cancer to make sure support is effective. 

Debra Clark, head of wellbeing at Everywhen, said: “We need to focus our efforts on cancer and ensure support for employees is appropriate. 

“Lifestyle support and screening are essential benefits that we’d encourage employers to consider, but they will only make an impact on prevention and early diagnosis if the risks are understood.”

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It is estimated that 40% of cancers could be prevented with lifestyle changes, including stopping smoking, keeping a healthy weight, eating well, protecting against certain infections and cutting back on alcohol. 

These changes can be supported with employee benefits, according to Everywhen.

The research found over a quarter of employers (26%) will focus on screening this year. 

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For companies with overseas employees, 24% said they will focus on cancer and serious illness this year, compared to 11% of employers with only UK staff. 

Screening is also a higher priority for those with overseas staff, at 37% compared to 17% of employers with UK staff only. 

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Sarah Dennis, head of international at Everywhen, said: “Access to cancer treatment overseas can be broader than in the UK. 

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“Some parts of the world offer experimental treatments and drugs that are recognised in the rest of the world but cannot be accessed in the UK. 

“These do, of course, come at a cost and this can be astronomical, especially in areas like Southeast Asia, for example. So having medical cover is vital.”

Serious medical conditions like cancer were found to be the main reason for short-term absences for 8% of employers, and 27% said they were the main reason for long-term absences. 

Clark added: “There are so many areas of health and wellbeing support that focus on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of and recovery from cancer. 

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“Many of these services are even embedded within existing benefits like group risk or private healthcare. 

“Often it is a case of employers needing the right advice to target their efforts in the right direction to ensure their demographic of employees are supported in the right way.”

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