Greater support needed for critical-illness survivors who want to return to workforce: panellists
Roundtable discussion is part of an initiative to address the growing needs of working families affected by serious diseases and severe disabilities
[SINGAPORE] More support is needed for survivors of critical illnesses – such as cancer, stroke and heart attacks – who want to return to the workforce, said panellists at a roundtable on Monday (Jun 16) hosted by KPMG and Leap201, a Singapore-registered charity founded by its board chairman Michael Lien.
The public and private sectors can work with social service agencies to help create return-to-work pathways for survivors, suggested the panellists. These can involve flexible work arrangements and tailored adjustments, which may require jobs to be redesigned.
The panellists comprised professionals from various ministries, the healthcare industry, social service agencies, unions, as well as KPMG and Leap201.
Based on preliminary research, cancer rates are on the rise among those aged 30 to 49 years.
Jason Ho, managing director of Leap201, said: “The research indicated a trend that survival rates (are actually going) up, particularly among the younger population.”
With higher survivorship rates, there is a greater need to help this underserved group that currently does not receive much support to reintegrate back into the workforce after recovering, the panellists said. Survivors have difficulties in obtaining a new job, as many of them are already at a disadvantage during the job-screening process – particularly in comparison to a healthy adult.
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Professor Eileen Poon, senior consultant at National Cancer Centre Singapore, noted: “When a person gets diagnosed with cancer, the support they get at the initial stage is very strong. But when things become more normal, that support dwindles down.”
Critical-illness survivors also currently do not have anyone to advocate for them, compared with other vulnerable groups such as former offenders, who are championed by Yellow Ribbon Singapore.
At the roundtable, the panellists suggested that corporates step up to make survivors’ return to work more seamless by being more accommodating to their needs and through simplifying tasks – similar to what is done for persons with disabilities. Companies can engage in more inclusive hiring, which would require greater collaboration with social service agencies.
For example, companies can provide more medical leave to survivors in comparison to healthy employees, as they may need to go for more follow-up appointments with their doctor. The rehabilitation process also requires more flexibility in working arrangements.
The panellists added that more corporate social responsibility efforts can be targeted towards survivors. One suggestion was befriending activities, in which volunteers can accompany them on daily activities such as grocery shopping.
Care4Working Families
Leap201 is currently in its first phase of Care4Working Families, a multi-year initiative that was launched in January to address the growing needs of working families affected by critical illnesses and severe disabilities.
Ho said that Leap201 is a “catalyst” in this process. “We did research, tried to highlight the issues, and brought people together (for discussion). Additional research will show us the data and evidence that we can use to advocate for policy change, or give us enough data points to pilot an initiative.”
Phase one comprises research that began in January, culminating in the release of a position paper in July, in collaboration with KPMG, that explores the rising impact of critical illnesses on the younger generation. The roundtable was conducted to gather insights from key professionals.
The findings from phase one will help inform decision-making in phase two, which will start in September. Phase two will dive deeper into key gaps faced by working families affected by critical illnesses such as cancer.
The charity hopes to start piloting initiatives by the end of the year based on its research and achieve “pragmatic, practical” outcomes for beneficiaries, Ho added. These outcomes will enhance the stability and well-being of these families, especially from lower-income backgrounds.
Cherine Fok, partner, environment, social and governance consulting and head of Our Impact Plan at KPMG, noted: “The philanthropic segment has a much greater role to play now more than ever. Philanthropic organisations have access to areas in society where the government may not be able to reach, and can provide catalytic capital, or even underwrite certain laws or bring awareness to the table to champion some of these causes.”
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