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Information about all aspects of finances affected by a serious health condition. Includes income sources such as work, investments, and private and government disability programs, and expenses such as medical bills, and how to deal with financial problems.
Information about all aspects of health care from choosing a doctor and treatment, staying safe in a hospital, to end of life care. Includes how to obtain, choose and maximize health insurance policies.
Answers to your practical questions such as how to travel safely despite your health condition, how to avoid getting infected by a pet, and what to say or not say to an insurance company.

Summary

Prostate cancer does not have a negative long-term impact on the careers of most men. There may be problems in the work place in the short term, but they do not affect the long term.

There are two issues to consider immediately:

  • Whether to tell your employer and/or co-workers (and if so, what to tell)
  • What accommodations you may need to enable you to do your job because of your health condition and/or treatment.

Before taking any action:

  • Take the time to think through your needs. Give emotions a chance to settle. If you can, take a few days off.
  • Ask your doctor how your cancer and/or treatments will impact your work. If he or she doesn't know, the doctor can likely point you to a person who can such as a staff member, another man in a similar situation or a social worker.
  • Look for an advisor at work - someone who knows the culture well enough to give advice and who will keep your information confidential..
  • Learn about your legal rights. For example, the Americans With Disabilities Act and similar laws provide protection against discrimination. The ADA also requires that you be given a reasonable accommodation to allow you to do your work. 
  • Start keeping track of facts that would be relevant to a discrimination claim. Making notes as things happen becomes strong evidence in the event you want to file a claim in the future.

If you will take time off, think about how to do it in a manner that least disrupts your income and benefits.

  • Call your time away from work whatever will maximize time off with benefits.
  • Learn about protections such as the Family And Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
  • Think about where income will come from during the time off.

When you have a chance, review employer benefits from the perspective of a man with prostate cancer. For example, if your employer offers life insurance, take what you can or increase the amount you already have during an open enrollment period when no medical questions are asked. Likewise, consider disability and/or long term care insurance.

Accept the credit card offers you receive because you work. Credit can come in handy to pay medical and other bills or to provide cash if you need it. Do not use the cards beyond what is necessary to keep them active and fee free.

If you want more information about work: This document contains the basics needed at work after a new diagnosis of prostate cancer. Additional work subjects of interest to men with prostate cancer can be found in our document: Work: At Work.




Be Cautious BeforeDisclosing Your Diagnosis

Your prostate cancer may cause coworkers to feel uncomfortable around you. On the other hand, there are many, many stories of co-workers who pitched in to help, including providing sick days and taking food to men at home when needed.

There is no legal obligation to tell either employers or co-workers. Consider taking some time to focus on your condition first.

Employees

If your work situation isn't a good place to discuss the details of your illness, perhaps your best option is to take time off and be discrete at work about what is wrong.

  • Filing an insurance claim does not automatically trigger disclosure of what is wrong with you. In most situations, the insurer and the company's benefits department are specifically prohibited from such disclosure.
  • Many companies also have a system under which you can send your claim directly to the insurer.

You don't have to make a decision right now about whether or not to disclose your health condition to your employer or co-workers.

If you do decide to disclose your health ocnditionl, think about:

  • First consider who to tell. An employer must keep the information confidential. There is no similar restriction on co-workers.
  • If you will need time off beyond what you are entitled to as vacation time, or you need an accommodation at work to permit you to do your job while undergoing treatment, you will have to disclose your condition at least to your employer, and likely to your co-workers.
  • It may help determine whether to tell if you think about whether your employer is cancer friendly or not. (See "To Learn More.")

If you need to disclose your condition, tell a supervisor in human resources. (Supervisors are more likely to know about and honor the confidentiality requirement than low level clerks). Remind him or her that you expect this information to remain confidential -- at least until you have a chance to decide who you want to tell and when.

Keep in mind that what you tell co-workers is not confidential information. (As a practical matter, it will be difficult not to tell co-workers if part of your work will be shifted to them).

Business Owners

In addition to the question of whether to disclose your health condition to employees, you have the question whether to tell customers/clients. Click here for information about disclosing your condition. 

Self Employed

In addition to the question of whether to disclose your health condition to people who work for or with you, you have the question whether to tell customers/clients. Click here for information about disclosing your condition.  

Impact of Prostate Cancer On The Workplace

In the short term, work is likely to be affected by your treatment and/or condition, at least to accommodate the amount of time you need to take off for doctor appointments and tests. You may need time off if you become fatigued. During treatment, you may or may not be able to work.

When thinking about how your employer will react, look at the Survivorship A to Z document in "To Learn More" about how to determine if your employer is cancer friendly. 

Employers and co-workers can fall into the mode: “Prostate cancer? He’s going to die.” Some people are even afraid of catching cancer. Education and time relieve those concerns. On the other hand, there are many reports of co-workers who step to the plate to offer support.

Whatever the initial impact in the workplace, once the original crisis of the illness is over, any shock to your colleagues your cancer has caused seems to wear off.

Indications are that prostate cancer does not have a negative long-term impact on the careers of most men.




Before Taking Any Action At Work, Find Out How Your Prostate Cancer Or Treatments Are Likely To Impact Your Work.

Whether you can, or should, work straight through treatment or take limited or extended time off, is purely an individual decision to be made after discussion with your doctor. Some people can work through a treatment and recovery period. Others need the time for their bodies and minds to rest.

Explain to your cancer doctor what you do at work, including what you do on a daily basis.

Find out what you need to know. Ask:

  • Will I be able to work throughout my treatment?
  • If I have to stay home to recover from surgery or other treatment, how long will I be away from my job?
  • If I do return to work:
    • Will any of my abilities to perform my job be impaired as a result of treatment?
    • Do I need to have a different work schedule?
    • How will I know if I am overdoing it at my job?
  • What can help minimize the effect on work?

If you are going to have radiation, keep in mind that many men fit it into their regular schedule before going to work, during lunch or after work. Fatigue is the biggest side effect. For some men, the disruption to their work lives was so minimal that no one at work even knew they went through radiation treatment.

Find An Advisor If You Can

Look for an advisor at work who understands your situation, can help you make decisions, and who will keep your discussions confidential. (The document in "To Learn More" tells you what to look for in an advisor).

  • In addition to discussing the general question of who to tell, also discuss how much to tell and requesting time off.
  • Look for other men in your workplace who have had prostate cancer. Ask them about their experiences in the workplace. Remind them that you haven't told anyone yet and want to keep this confidential.

Speak with a social worker at the cancer center where you will receive your treatment. He or she may have some practical tips - including experiences they know about that happened to other men who work for your particular employer.

To Learn More

More Information

An Advisor At Work

Set Treatment Schedules To Accommodate Work

Schedule appointments for treatments so the least amount of work is lost. For example:

  • Schedule appointments in the morning before work begins, in the evening after work, or during lunch breaks.
  • Schedule chemotherapy for Friday afternoon so you have the weekend to recuperate.
  • If you need surgery, try to schedule it for a slow period at work. If you can, use sick leave or vacation time so you will continue to be paid and will also receive full benefits. (It is preferable to schedule surgery for early in the week and not just before a holiday in case there are complications. Hospitals tend to not be fully staffed during weekends or on holidays).

Review Your Work Schedule

  • Make a list of everything you do, and when you do it. Note when deadlines occur. Think about what part of your job can be handled by other people - and whose those people are.
    • Review the list to determine what you will be able to do during treatment.
    • Consider medical appointments and your likely capabilities during treatment.
    • Think about accommodations you may need to permit you to take your treatment and to do your work.
    • Also think about what work you need to temporarily pass on to others.
  • If you have been thinking of training someone to take over some or all of your duties and responsibilities, now is a good time to start in case you need someone to take over parts of your job temporarily.
  • If you will need to take a period of time off, see: Taking Days Or Weeks Off.

Plan Before You Take Days Or Weeks Off

If you are going to take time off, start planning. It will help you and your co workers. For instance:

  • Look at benefits from your workplace and think about how to maximize your time off while minimizing disruption in your pay. (See How To Maximize Your Benefits If You Need Time Off For Health Reasons)
  • If your employer has forms to complete in order to take time off, get the forms and see what you need to do to complete them. If the form needs input from your doctor, send it on to the doctor. Ask the doctor to return the form to you rather than the employer (so you can check it over). Give the doctor a deadline by when you need the completed form.
  • Talk with your boss about:
    • Working different hours, part time, or perhaps from home. (See “To Learn More” about working from home)
    • Sharing work with other people.
    • Passing work on to other people.
  • Make detailed lists of the work that will need to be done or followed up on while you are not working. Include deadlines and contact information for the people involved.
  • Check to see if your employer or state required program provides short term disability income.
  • Decide how to maximize time off with benefits.
  • Learn about protections such as the Family And Medical Leave Act (FMLA). (See “To Learn More.”)
  • Think about where income will come from. Check for disability income from your employer, disability insurance, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or state disability income.  (See “To Learn More.”)

How To Request An Accommodation At Work

If you will need changes at work to permit you to do your job while undergoing treatment, before asking for changes:

  • Make note of everything you do on a daily basis, including deadlines. It can be as simple as keeping a written log of what you do each day.
  • Make a list of current projects and foreseeable next steps.
  • Think about what could be postponed or given to other people.
  • Note important dates when things have to be done.

Negotiate for what you need to permit you to work while going to medical appointments and receiving treatment.

  • All accommodations involve a negotiation with your employer. Learn how to negotiate for what you need.
  • Think about accommodations that would work, including alternatives. In addition to thinking about what would work for you, balance your employer's needs.
  • Examples of reasonable requests to permit you to work while undergoing breast cancer treatment:
    • Leaving work early on Fridays for chemotherapy treatments.
    • Work from home all or part of the week. (See "To Learn More.")
    • Sharing work with someone else.
    • Extending deadlines.

Keep notes of what happens during every discussion with your employer about your condition and needs. Include name of person, date, what was discussed. Include your impressions and examples of facts which led to your impression




Review And Maximize Employer Benefits

  • Increase the amount of your life insurance death benefit if you can. If you cannot do it now, you may be able to during a period known as an "open enrollment" period. Open enrollment is when there are no medical questions asked.
  • Buy the coverage if you become eligible for disability insurance and/or long term care insurance.
  • If you have a tax advantaged savings account such as a Health Savings Account or other tax advantage health account, take full advantage of it. (See "To Learn More.")
  • During open enrollment periods, look at health insurance alternatives from the point of view of a man with prostate cancer. Click here to learn how.




If Your Work Requires A Lot Of Physical Effort

Check with your doctor to find out whether there will be periods during which you will not be able to do the physical effort you do now, or even at all.

It is likely that you will not be able to do a lot of physical labor immediately after surgery, or possibly during recovery. Radiation or systemic therapies such as chemotherapy may leave you fatigued.

If you have one, review your situation with your advisor, and ask for help creating a plan that will work best for the company and for you. If you are a member of a union, talk to the shop steward or another union official.




To Learn More