Understanding your work colleagues
Living with a life threatening illness is difficult. It can be a shock to realise that medical treatment cannot cure all illness. Receiving news of a life threatening illness brings many reactions. Shock, followed by fear, sadness, anger, worry, weariness and intense feelings of “Why me?” The person may cry a lot and feel hopeless and depressed. It may be difficult for the person to make sense of what is happening to them. The person will also grieve for the life they may miss, for the experiences they may not be able to enjoy.
Carers also experience similar feelings - anger, worry, anxiety or hopelessness. Carers experience feelings of grief and loss for the person they are caring for. They may also grieve for the loss of their own identity, independence, privacy and time for themselves. The stresses of caring can sometimes seem overwhelming. Caring can be rewarding, but also demanding and exhausting. People living with a life threatening illness and their carers can sometimes feel that others don’t understand their needs.
People living with a life threatening illness and their carers, families and friends often talk of needing to be listened to, of not being judged, to be able to express and share their worries, feelings and experiences, to have social contact and companionship, and to know that they are not alone and that their needs are important.
Feeling that their workplace colleagues understand their experience can substantially improve quality of life and their ability to be productive at work. When a work colleague is caring for someone with a life threatening illness or dealing with the death of a loved one, it is a hard time for everyone. You may find yourself scared of saying or doing the wrong thing and withdrawing contact with the person without meaning to. Click here for more information on understanding your work colleagues.
It is okay to be unsure of how to help. If you work with someone who is a carer, click here (PDF 96Kb) for a page with some information on understanding what your work colleague might be going through and some suggestions on things that might help. If you work with someone who is living with a life threatening illness, click here (PDF 80Kb) for some information that may help you to understand their experience.
If you are working with someone grieving the loss of a loved one, click here (PDF 100Kb) for some information on things that might be helpful.
When Sally got sick, it really frightened me. I didn’t know what to say, so I thought it was best to leave her alone. I wanted to help but didn’t know how. When I finally got the courage to ask Sally what she needed, she thanked me and agreed to ask me for help if she needed it. She said it was important that she was treated as “normal”.
If you are a manager or employer, there are many ways in which you can support staff who are living with a life threatening illness and their carers. It may be worthwhile reviewing your existing policies and procedures to see how your organisation can best meet the needs of its employees. Click here (PDF 80Kb) to learn more.
This website was developed by PCA with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. PCA is the peak national body representing the interests of people living with a life threatening illness. PCA aims to increase access to services for people living with a life threatening illness and their families and carers. To provide feedback on this website, click here.