The Silent C | 1 in 4 workers don't tell HR they've got cancer, new report shows

More than a quarter of UK employees battling cancer say they feel unable to talk about their illness at work, leading to many taking prolonged absences and even considering resignation.

New research, which was commissioned by Reframe found that 28% of adults who have had cancer avoid talking about their illness with colleagues.

Men especially find it a tough conversation, as almost half (49%) said they don’t feel comfortable talking openly about cancer with their peers. And 60% of employees aged over 55 agree.

But they are not alone in struggling to talk about cancer in the workplace, as 16% of employees say they’ve experienced their colleagues ‘actively avoiding’ the topic with them.