Serious illness, grief and bereavement do not stop at the workplace door. Here, Hassan Hameed, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Teesside Hospice, explains how the hospice can help northern businesses support their people through difficult times.
“Almost all organisations will, at some point, have a member of staff affected by cancer, serious illness or bereavement, either personally or through someone close to them.
“These experiences can affect every part of life, including how someone feels and copes at work. Managers want to do the right thing but may be unsure what to say, what to ask or how best to help.
“We often say it’s not a compassion gap, it’s a confidence gap. People care, but these conversations don’t always come naturally, particularly when they’re worried about saying the wrong thing.
“At Teesside Hospice, we have difficult and emotional conversations every day. We support people through uncertainty, loss and some of the hardest circumstances they will face. We want to share that experience with businesses, helping managers feel prepared and employees feel understood.
“One example is our new Working Through Cancer Together programme. Cancer affects every organisation. In a workforce of just 40 people, statistically one member of staff will be living with cancer.
“Work really matters. Macmillan’s 2018 research found that 87% of working-age people with cancer felt staying in or returning to work was important. Yet one in five of those who returned said they had experienced discrimination at work.
“Those figures show how much a manager’s response can matter. Through small-group learning, the programme gives managers practical advice and the confidence to have sensitive conversations, understand the impact on the individual and wider team, and appreciate their legal and practical responsibilities.
“Delivered in person over three hours for groups of up to ten, the session combines discussion, real-world scenarios and practical learning.
“But the support we can offer businesses goes beyond cancer. Bereavement can affect anyone at any time, and grief can have a profound and lasting impact on an employee and those around them.
“Employers often want to help but may be unsure what that support should look like, particularly once compassionate leave has ended. Grief does not follow a timetable, and understanding that can make a real difference.
“This isn’t about turning managers into counsellors. It’s about helping them listen, respond with compassion, recognise when someone needs specialist help and know where to signpost them.
“Following Teesside Hospice’s recent merger with Butterwick Hospice, our reach extends further than ever before. We’re here for patients, families and organisations from Bishop Auckland, through Stockton-onTees and Middlesbrough to Redcar and Cleveland, as well as parts of North Yorkshire. This gives us the opportunity to share our skills with more employers and their people.
“We want to build lasting, sustainable partnerships with local businesses. That starts with listening, understanding their workforce and exploring where our experience could help.
“Supporting people properly through serious illness or bereavement makes human sense, but it also makes business sense. When people feel understood and able to ask for what they need, they can work better, remain in work for longer and continue bringing valuable skills and experience to the organisation.
“That means better wellbeing, stronger teams and improved retention. Most importantly, people remember how they were treated when life was at its hardest.
“Our ambition is to bring the best of what hospices do to local businesses, helping them and their people be at their best, even when everything feels very hard.”
To discuss Working Through Cancer Together, bereavement support or a wider partnership, contact hassanhameed@teessidehospice.co.uk