Returning to work
When you have recovered sufficiently, you may feel ready to return to work. When you feel ready, you should be supported where possible to do so by your employer. The Equality Act is in place to ensure this happens.
The Equality Act replaces the Disability Discrimination Act and protects people who have or have had a disability. For those people in Ireland the Disability Discrimination Act still applies. So even if your illness or disability has been successfully treated, employees are still protected against discrimination. It restricts the use of medical questions being used during the recruitment process and requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace.
Macmillan Cancer Support can provide further information on Work and Cancer
Returning to school or college
If you feel you need more help than you did before surgery, there are many ways that your school/college can support you. In some cases it may be advisable for you and/or your family to meet with the school/college before you return to discuss the ways in which they can help. You may need to return for fewer hours to start with, have someone to help carry your bag between lessons or be allowed to leave a class early to get to your next class in time. If you are not able to participate in PE classes initially it may be useful for you to use that time to do your exercises or catch up on some of the work you may have missed whilst being in hospital. However return to PE, when advised by your rehabilitation team, is very important for your recovery and will help you regain your maximum function as soon as possible.
If you have any concerns about how you will cope functionally when you go back to school or college please speak to one of your rehabilitation team who will be able to give you the appropriate advice for your individual situation.
