Hello Sara,

 First off, congratulations on your new job! It can be nerve wracking returning to work after an absence but the honest truth is you don’t know how you’ll feel until you start doing the work. With that said, I’d recommend thinking through in advance what types of accommodations you may require, so that if the time comes where you do think you may need to request them, you wont have to start that process from scratch. When it comes to disclosure, it’s a totally personal decision, some people feel strongly about sharing, and some do not. However, with that said, I often encourage people to really consider what they know to be true at the time. If the only reason that you would share this information with your employer is because you’re worried about potential challenges, I would suggest waiting to see what they actually end up being. The reason for this is, you can never take back the information you’ve shared, once it’s out there, it’s out there. I encourage people not to operate on the 'what if’s', but rather what the realities are and what you know. Unfortunately, we are often unable to know what those will be until the time comes. Since you do have some time before you start, maybe start practicing now. Obviously you can’t recreate seeing patients, but perhaps set a day where you do a bunch of housework around your home, or run errands that keep you on your feet for a significant amount of time – note when you start to get tired, when you feel you need a break, etc. Try this a few times and see if after a few days you notice the patterns. Simple preparation like this can lend a lot of insight for when you actually start.

As for your appointments, that is something you can remain vague about. Early on, you can alert them that you have a number of standing appointments that you must keep, and you can ask what sort of flexibility there may be for taking time out of the day for those and/or making up the hours. As you mentioned, the fact that they are in the same building is great in terms of timing and convenience. However, that’s another area where you will want to consider the possibility that someone you work with may see you in a waiting room, or leaving your doctor’s office. This can be a factor you think about when deciding on what and how much you may want to disclose.

 CAC offers a few resources on disclosure that you may find helpful:

• Our blog post on Disclosure in the Workplace: When is it Appropriate?
  


• The recording of our webinar on Disclosure, Privacy & Online Brand
  


• The Sharing the News section of our website discusses the many considerations around disclosure including whom/when/how/what to tell

 I hope the above helps! If you are still looking for more information or have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly at cancerandcareers@cew.org and we can set up a time to chat.

 Sending you good luck with the new position!

Warmly,
Nicole Jarvis, LMSW

Assistant Director of Programs

Cancer and Careers