Impact of employers on the return to work experience of breast cancer survivors in Ireland

Background: In Ireland, one in ten women will develop breast cancer (BCA). It is estimated that 85% survive BCA. Return to work (RTW) can be an important goal for many survivors on their recovery journey. Employers are key stakeholders in the RTW experience of cancer survivors. There is little research completed in Ireland evaluating the perspective of employees on the role of the employer in RTW. This study seeks to address this gap in research, with a focus on how BCA survivors experienced the role of their employer in facilitating and/or hindering their RTW experience. Method The study adopted a qualitative methodology. Seven semi-structured one to one interviews were completed with BCA survivors who had experienced RTW in Ireland. Findings Through thematic analysis, four themes were identified. These include: employers don’t participate in the RTW decision; the quality of the employee/employer relationship influenced the RTW experience; employers’ enactment of organisational policies impacts RTW experiences and the employer management of reintegration back into the workplace impacts on RTW experience. Conclusion This study suggests that the employer plays a primary role in the RTW experience of BCA survivors. Findings indicate that employers facilitate the RTW experience to some extent, but they hinder the experience to a much greater extent. Findings of this study do not reflect employer best practice guidelines for supporting employees RTW following sick leave. The findings combined with existing literature suggest that there is a need for vocational supports for BCA survivors and that employers can and should be an integral part of this process.