The IEBA (International Employee Benefits Association) conference 2023 was held from 13-15 June and provided a number of insightful sessions focusing on a range of topics relevant in the world of employee benefits right now, including DE&I (diversity, equity and inclusion), health and wellness, technology and more.
In our session we discussed delays to cancer care and screening during the pandemic and the impact this is having now. We asked, “What can employers do to support their people with cancer?”
Elisabetta Zanellato, Account Executive, Western Europe at MAXIS GBN and Sophie Martin-Chantepie, Vice President, Human Resources Operations at Publicis shared their thoughts on providing a more supportive and recovery-forward culture at work for people with cancer.
The session generated a great discussion in the room and so for those that couldn’t attend, you can download the slide deck by clicking the button below or keep scrolling to read our key takeaways.
Download the slides
Key takeways
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant delays in screenings, diagnosis, and timely access to cancer treatment. Screenings dropped by as much as 90%, with an estimated 100 million cancer screenings not carried out in Europe due to the pandemic.1
50% of us will get cancer in our lifetime and every one of us will have to confront cancer in our lives and in our workplaces2.
By 2040 cancer cases are expected to rise by 55%.2
In some markets employees can’t access all of the benefits their employer is willing to provide, due to legal and cultural norms or differences in standard practice.
92% of patients believe the support they get at work positively impacts their health.2
Employers can abolish the stigma and insecurity that exist for people with cancer in the workplace by providing a more open, supportive and recovery-forward culture at work.
Sophie Martin-Chantepie shared how Publicis supports its people. Publicis has:
secured the job, salary level and benefits for its people so they can stay prioritise their health, treatment and recovery
delivered personalised return to work plans and individual career support for workers returning after cancer
given access to an internal community of volunteers (peers) who are properly trained to provide support
supported all employees in a primary caregiver role for a cancer patient in their immediate family
given flexibility and time arrangements needed to maintain their energy at work and as patient/caregiver
As well as three days at the conference, our team had two nice evenings with Mattieu Rouot, CEO at MAXIS, giving a speech at the IEBA welcome drinks and hosting a dinner at the Orphyse Chaussette restaurant.
And the team also enjoyed the gala dinner at Château Saint-Anne with delicious food and great company! It was fantastic to see so many of our clients, brokers and network members again.
[1] Anon, MAXIS GBN https://maxis-gbn.com/knowledge-centre/whitepapers/the-global-private-healthcare-landscape-%E2%80%93-a-story-told-by-maxis-claims-data/ (Sourced Feb 2022)
[2] British Journal of Cancer https://gco.iarc.fr/today/online-analysis-table (Sourced 2020)