Announcement You’ve been diagnosed with cancer. How do announce your illness? “I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to be looked at as the one with cancer, as someone to be pitied. I was going to be given more responsibility and didn’t want the illness to get in the way.” “It was obvious. I told my N+4, he’s someone I’ve worked with and I know he’s very understanding. Then I told my manager, then my colleagues. I wanted to be the one to tell them, rather than have someone else do it.” These two contrasting accounts show that there are a number of ways to go about announcing the disease. Illness is a private matter. You are not obligated to talk about it. However, by choosing to talk about it, you give those around you at work the opportunity to show their support and to better understand your behaviour. Your anxiety and concerns can cause changes in demeanour that may be a source of misunderstanding. You can contact your manager, your HR manager, the occupational health service or those in charge of disability situations. They’re all there to help. You don’t have to go into the details of your illness, but you can say, for example: “I’ve just been told I have cancer. Treatment starts in eight days. I don’t know exactly how long I’ll be away. For this procedure, it’ll be twelve days.” 6