Hello Julie,

Given the holiday and the notification getting buried under emails, I did not see this post, so please accept my apology for the delay!

In regard to your question, I am gathering that afternoon appointments are not an option? If that is the case, then I would say approaching them sooner than later would be best so you can work out a plan they feel comfortable with in terms of potentially making up the time or modifying your schedule to account for your time away from the office. It might be seen as disrespectful or negligent to wait until right before to inform them, given having had this conversation with your  employer during the interview process.

If the above is not the case and you are able to schedule afternoon appointments, I would say there may be a bit more leeway in terms of timing but again it would be agood idea to give them some notice in the event there are things you will be needed for on those days. Either way, I think it's important to consider your approach to communications with them since they are a new employer and don't necessarily know you quite yet. You don't have to share all the details, but having open dialogue and open communication with your employer can set a good impression and perhaps eventually allow some more benefit of the doubt in future scenarios. We will be presenting a two-part webinar on communicating effectively at work on Wednesday, August 7th and Wednesday, September 11, which I think would be helpful as you consider how to approach your employer with various requests or scenarios. You can register for those sessions (and others!) here.

If you have any other questions or would like to speak further, please feel free to email cancerandcareers@cew.org to set up a time to speak with a staff member.

Warmly,

Nicole