What is a job accommodation?
Sometimes in order for a cancer survivor to be able to return to their workplace, parts of their job may need to be changed.
A job accommodation is an adjustment or change to the tasks, work schedule or environment that allows an employee with a disability to safely and productively do their job. Employers may not think of cancer as a disability. However, if cancer’s effects or treatment restrict an employee’s ability to fulfill any aspect of their job, then cancer may be considered a disability under human rights legislation. Visit our section on human rights for more information.
Examples of job accommodations:
- graduated return to work (beginning part time and gradually increasing to full time)
- changing work schedules (e.g., starting later in the morning and finishing later, time off for medical appointments, moving to part time)
- flexible work (e.g., more breaks, employee can vary hours, work at home)
- quiet room to rest
- furniture or equipment (e.g., adapting a keyboard, chair that supports back)
- assistive technology (e.g., personal digital assistant for appointment reminders, hands-free phone)
- modifying the work environment to remove barriers (e.g., moving desk closer to bathroom, replacing steps with ramp)
- changing job tasks (e.g., reorganizing work process, replacing tasks with less physically demanding ones, delegating some duties)
- transferring the employee to another job in the same workplace
