“
I want to break down the barriers around cancer
!
»
, assures Pierre Bessé, CEO of the insurance consulting company that bears his name.
Next month, the sixty managers of this company of 510 people and the members of the management committee will follow a half-day of training with experts from Gustave-Roussy, the leading cancer center in Europe.
All affected by this scourge
They will travel to Bessé's Nantes headquarters to speak in particular on returning to work after cancer and on how a manager and employees can support a sick colleague.
Pierre Bessé is convinced of this: “
Psychological support is key in the healing process and the company has a real role to play
.
»
According to data from the National Cancer Institute (Inca), 40% of patients have a professional activity when cancer is diagnosed.
Committed to the fight against disease, Pierre Bessé has invested in research at the Institut Curie for eight years.
If he has not personally suffered from this illness, this is the case for some of his colleagues or their loved ones.
“
Very often, colleagues do not dare to ask questions.
They associate this illness with death and do not want to know.
This type of attitude creates distancing and, ultimately, exclusion
,” laments the manager.
Faced with the distress of a member of their team, managers can also find themselves helpless.
This is why
“knowing how to master elements of language to promote retention or return to employment is valuable
”, underlines Dr Estelle Guerdoux, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist at the Montpellier regional cancer institute.
A compatible workload
The announcement of the date of sick leave by the employee is an important moment.
“
We systematically ask the person if they agree to keep in contact with the company.
She has the choice to accept or not
,” specifies Laurence Breton-Kueny, HR director of the Afnor group and vice-president of the National Association of HR Directors (ANDRH).
It happens that employees, for fear of losing their job, say nothing and send their sick leave directly to the company.
However, “
the announcement of the illness also allows the work collective to be prepared
,” notes Laurence Breton-Kueny.
She was one of the first signatories of the Inca cancer and employment charter.
The text includes eleven commitments to improve support for employees affected by cancer.
In the same way, it is always more comfortable for the employee and the company to prepare for their return, during a return interview.
Informed in advance, the team will be able to organize itself and plan a workload compatible with its state of health.
“
The welcome we give to the person is also the image of the company and the values that we carry
,” observes the vice-president of ANDRH.