Looking for advice, I am currently on a phased return to work after coming out the other side of TNBC, working 3 days a week, I am now being asked to return to work full time, it takes me all my time to do these 3 days, I have asked to stay the 3 days but my employer has said no, I suffer from terrible fatigue still have episodes of sickness and my mental health is bad as I am getting so worked up about all this, can I be forced to go back or worse still can I loose my job.
3 Likes
Have you had an occupational health appointment ?
Have you applied to work flexibly or decrease your hours?
Do you have a disabikly well being plan in place ?
Have you referred yoyrself to the access to work scheme? …for support
Have you applied for any readonable adjustments?
Just some starter conversations for you to be having with work.
I was full time…i went back on a 2 month phased return fully paid ( on advice of occy health) …i built up from 2 half days a week back up to 4 days …then after that i was expected to either return to full time hours or given the option to go down to 3 or 4 days…i chose to stay full time but condensed my hours to a 9 day fornight which gave me a day off ebery other week…access to health assessed me and provided my employer with a report …my employer then purchased the equipment for me .
My reasonable adjustments are i can work from home if i want to…i dont have to carry the heavy equipment that my colleagues do and i can request AL at short notice …i can take time off paid for all appiintments even gp ones…i later dropped to 2 days a week as i was able to take my pension after 55 …but i coped ok on full time for the 2 years i did it…but had i not been in a position to take a pension…i wpuld have requested to drop to 3 or 4 days…good luck
4 Likes
Hi @Lezlee34
Welcome to the forum, I’m so sorry to hear what you’re going through with your employer whilst dealing with fatigue and sickness after treatment.
For the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 anyone who has or has had breast cancer is classed as disabled. This protects employees in England, Scotland and Wales from being discriminated against because of their disability.
You can find out more about your rights at work on the Macmillan website: Understanding cancer and employment rights | Macmillan Cancer Support.
We also recently did a podcast with a great organisation called Working with Cancer who offer resources and support on this subject. You may be interested in listening to the podcast here: Breast Cancer Now / Barbara on Working With Cancer (audioboom.com).
I hope you are able to find a solution that works best for you.
We’re thinking of you,
Lucy
5 Likes
Thank you for your comments, I contacted ACAS today and they have been very helpful of what I need to do only thing is I am no good at confrontation so I will need to go over everything at the weekend write things down then ask for a meeting with my manager, more stress but hopefully things will be sorted, wish me luck 
5 Likes
Rooting for you @Lezlee34 . I think people don’t really understand how long it can take to recover from cancer treatments. I’m wondering if you went back a bit too soon - I didn’t have chemo but did have fatigue after radiotherapy which caused me to feel sick . However I understand that you don’t want to lose your job . Have you looked at doing the Moving Forwards course which many of us including me found helpful or asked for some counseling which I had to help me deal with bereavement and adjust to partial sight loss a few years ago.
I’m wishing you luck for next week 
xx
1 Like
Hey…i understand your stress…i am back on a phased return after 9 months off…i had 2 operations, 6 months of chemo. 4 weeks of Radiotherapy. Now on monthly goserelin lnhections and Tramoxafin.
I have numb hands and tingling in feet and barely sleep at night due to sweats and so tired.
My phased return is also for 6 weeks. 2 days for 2 weeks then 3 days for 2 weeks then 4 days for 2 weeks. Then FT after that.
I am a bit in limbo at the moment. As missed the opportunity for promotion in my current role while off, now my role at my level doesnt really exist, so they are trying to fit me sonewhere because i dont know if they feel they’d be in trouble if no job existed for me…butbi dontbhave a perm desk anymore, so fitting me in where they can.
Right now i feel like they was hoping i didnt come back…and currently wondering if i should have…
I hope you get it sorted, but health and well being comes first. Dont let them push you into anything…i wish you well…
2 Likes
@Lezlee34 if you loved your job before then please do fight to keep it. I know confrontation is hard but the law is defintely on your side. This should be on your terms not theirs (I used to work in HR/employment law). Perhaps put it all in writing so it’s clear what you want to to as a phased return - and quote the disability law - as that normally makes employers worry they’ll be taken to the cleaners at a tribunal (and they would lose as cancer is protected under the disability act).
This may feel like another fight on top of the loooonnng fight you’ve already been through but if you want to get your life back and enjoy your job in the future, going back needs to be right for you.
Good luck and strength to you xx
1 Like
Oh my in this day and age to have any employer treat you like this is astonishing
As others have said and no doubt ACAS told you, you have so many rights in terms of flexible or phased working alongside now falling under disability and having reasonable adaptions to your day to day role and work tasks
If you have a union seek their support, you should ask if you can have someone with you at future meetings and ask for any notes or records they are keeping including emails to be shared with you
It shouldn’t be a battle but please stay calm, state what you expect and ask them to be reasonable given your fatigue and ongoing health challenges particularly if no one has asked for occupational health to be in the conversation…
Good luck
1 Like
Hi @Lezlee34
Welcome to the forum and so sorry you are feeling pressurised to return to full time work.
I agree with everyone else about being protected under law as disabled under the Equality act 2010 and that your employer should try to make reasonable adjustments. They key word is try, they don’t have to, but shame on them if they don’t. Well done for contacting ACAS. Confrontation is the last thing you need, do you have a union or another colleague that can come to the meetings with you as support but also another ear to listen and taken in what is being said.
There is also this https://workingwithcancer.co.uk/ which can help employees and employers. May be worth sharing with your employer?
Take care 
Thank you to everyone for your replys and support. They have agreed to an Occupational therapy assessment so thats a start, was i nervous, absolutely i never do confrontation, but have decided i am a 57 year old woman who has worked all her life, abided by the rules never questioned anything, so now I am, definitely not going down without trying, will keep you all posted, take care of yourselves 
3 Likes