When to return to work after chemo? Essential guidelines and tips.
Chemotherapy is a crucial phase of cancer treatment, but it can also have a huge impact on daily life, including work. Many people with cancer wonder when they can start working again after chemotherapy. This is understandable as work is not only a source of income, but also of social contact with colleagues and satisfaction.
This article is about when to return to work after chemotherapy. It provides guidelines and tips to make this transition easier.
When to return to work after chemotherapy?
Guidelines for return to work
- Build up slowly: it is important to listen carefully to your body and respect your physical and cognitive limits. Start with light tasks and gradually build up as you gain more energy.
- Talk to your employer: discuss how long you expect to be absent. Also consult with the company doctor. This can help plan a smooth return to work and provide the necessary support. The Dutch Federation of Cancer Patient Organisations has created a handy conversation aid to help you with this. You can download it here .
- Flexible work arrangements: Consider flexible work arrangements, such as reduced hours, working from home or adapted tasks, to ease the transition to work and avoid overload.
- Build in adequate rest: Make sure you take enough rest, including during working hours. This can mean taking regular breaks or having a quiet place to relax if needed.
- Find suitable work: Maybe you were job-hunting when you got cancer, your old job no longer fits you or you are looking for a new job but are worried that your gap on your CV or cancer past will make you unattractive to companies? There are several initiatives that can help you find suitable work. Through oPuce's Talent Connector , you can contact employers who offer space for people who have dropped out due to illness. Or Emma at Work who will help you with a gap on your CV.
Return to work and legal aspects
If you have had cancer, you have certain rights and obligations regarding work. It is important to be aware of these rights and obligations and to discuss them with your employer. A company doctor or oncology consultant can also help guide your return to work and advise on any adjustments needed.
Tips from the Healthy Chronos community for more work-cancer balance
3 examples of successful tactics used by our users for greater work-cancer balance.
Launch at 10:00
When you resume work with or after cancer, you often do not work full days. Yet most working days start at 09:00. Data from our app often shows that when people start the day later, their mood at the end of the day is often better. Try starting your working day at 10:00 so you have more rest and energy to boot (and also avoid traffic jams and public transport congestion 😀 )
Work at home more often
Some of our users find that working days at home are less stressful than office days. You don't have to travel to work, you are less disturbed by others and can start the day more peacefully.
Limit meetings
Meetings, especially with many people, can be a taxing activity. In the app, you can easily track how many meetings you have attended. This way, you can find out if there is an optimal number of meetings for you. For instance, there are users who do not schedule more than 4 meetings a day.
Control your energy balance when returning to work after cancer
Returning to work after chemotherapy is an important step in the recovery process. It is important to do this in a responsible and controlled way because working after cancer takes a lot of energy. Keeping track of your energy and work-other activities in a diary gives you insight into your energy distribution.
The free Healthy Chronos app is a smart diary app that gives you more control over your energy balance in less than 1 minute a day when you return to work after cancer. By keeping track of your energy, fatigue and other activities on a daily basis, you can see what activities are costing you energy and what is giving you energy. This makes it easier to adjust your work schedule to your capabilities, avoid overexertion and better manage your energy during your return to work.
Download the Healthy Chronos app for free now!
Want more insight into how your return to work affects your energy or symptoms after cancer, such as fatigue and overstimulation? Then download the Healthy Chronos app for free right now.
