Generali UK launches new Cancer Support Service

All employees of our Group Life Assurance policyholders – whether insured or not – will have access to the Cancer Support Service. It will be particularly valuable to the employees of those UK-based multinationals – of all shapes and sizes – who don’t already have access to Group Income Protection and the specialist cancer support pathways that come with it.

Provided in partnership with vocational rehabilitation expert Working To Wellbeing, the service offers access to specialist cancer support, within 6 months of an individual’s cancer treatment ending; regardless of whether they’re already working, or are looking to return to work.

Features include:

• An in-depth biopsychosocial assessment
• Specialist support from a work/health coach, registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), experienced in cancer, work and health
• Coaching sessions tailored to meet the specific needs of the individual, focused on health management with return to work in mind
• A return to work plan and assistance with implementation, where appropriate
• Employer liaison, where applicable

The launch of this service comes against the backdrop of over half of cancer patients saying their medical teams or Occupational Health professionals did not discuss their return to work. And only 22% of HR departments told employees about their right to ask for reasonable adjustments and a phased return to work.¹

Working To Wellbeing’s own research among line managers in the UK and working people who have, or have had, cancer, found that only just over one in three (36%) employees who have/had cancer have been satisfied that they received reasonable adjustments to their job to manage their health.²

Dr Julie Denning, Managing Director & Chartered Health Psychologist at Working To Wellbeing, also Chair of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association, comments: “After working in partnership with Generali UK for many years, providing early intervention and rehabilitation support to the employees of their Group Income Protection clients, it’s fantastic to be able to extend an element of such support to those covered by their Group Life proposition too.

“Our Cancer Support Service is tailored to individual need and, crucially, focuses on the whole person – the physical, cognitive, psychological and emotional components of cancer. We’re proud to say that on average 3 in 4 people we work with successfully sustain, or return to, work. The 1 in 4 that don’t are typically experiencing very challenging symptoms that would make a return to work inappropriate for them.”

Tracey Ward, Head of Business Development and Marketing at Generali UK Employee Benefits, adds: “We’re excited to further evolve our partnership with Working To Wellbeing by extending this valuable service to many more employees via our Group Life proposition. We believe that people should receive specialist support to assist functional recovery and return to work wherever appropriate.

“For many people, returning to work when they feel ready is a big step in their recovery, helping them get back into a routine, feel a sense of normality and feel more financially secure. Naturally though, employers and line managers feel out of their depth having such conversations with employees. Our support can prove invaluable to all concerned.”

_{Sources:
1 Working with cancer, Cancer patients returning to work face a mental health crisis, Feb 2022,
https://workingwithcancer.co.uk/2022/02/04/cancer-patients-returning-to-work-face-a-mental-health-crisis/#:~:text=Sadly%2C%20fewer%20than%20two%2Dthirds,and%20financial%20woes%20of%20many
2 Working To Wellbeing, Only one in three employees with cancer satisfied with workplace adjustments, Nov 2023
https://www.working2wellbeing.com/employees-with-cancer-research/}