Flexible Work as a Key OHS Support for Employees in Cancer Treatment
Flexible schedules can reduce exposure risks and stress for workers in treatment—strengthening safety, health and overall well-being.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Nov 26, 2025
In occupational health and safety, flexibility is emerging as a critical tool for protecting workers undergoing cancer treatment. A recent Asbestos.com survey reveals that remote and hybrid options have a direct impact on treatment success, safety outcomes, and workforce retention.
Cancer treatment often brings fatigue, suppressed immunity, and side effects that make commuting or full in-person work unsafe. Yet only 45% of the patients surveyed were offered flexibility during treatment. Among those who were, 76% reported improved quality of life, and 70% said return-to-office policies put them at a disadvantage.
From an OHS standpoint, flexible work reduces psychosocial stress, lowers exposure risks for immunocompromised workers, and supports better scheduling for medical care. Workers reported that flexibility was a “lifeline,” and 82% believed that remote work should qualify as a formal workplace accommodation.
Industries like tech, marketing, and healthcare lead in offering flexible options, but OHS professionals in hands-on sectors can provide alternatives such as temporary modified duties, phased returns, or adjusted schedules.
Creating safe workplaces means addressing more than physical hazards. For many workers facing serious illness, flexible work is a safety measure—one that protects health, supports recovery, and strengthens safety culture.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the Content Editor for OH&S.