In 2025 Cancer and Careers partnered with The Harris Poll to conduct an International Survey to better understand how adults working during cancer treatment navigate disclosure, benefits, workplace support, and overall career impact. The findings highlight both the concerns and interests of workers across France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

• 1 in 2 adults who worked during treatment were afraid to disclose their diagnosis at work (52% Germany, 49% UK, 48% France), similar to US respondents in 2024 (49%).
• Nearly 3 in 4 wished they had a better understanding of the company benefits available to them before they were diagnosed (74% Germany, 67% UK, 80% France), comparable to those in the US in 2024 (66%).
• Similar to US respondents in 2024, the support adults receive(d) at work while undergoing cancer treatment had a positive impact on their recovery  (France 70%, UK 70%, Germany 58%; 68% in the US) and work/life balance (France 67%, UK 65% Germany 54%; 62% in the US). 
• 3 in 4 agree that resources and/support programs to address workplace concerns of those who have been diagnosed with cancer are needed (81% France, 77% Germany, 71% UK).

To read the complete results summary, click here.

For questions about the data, permissions or Cancer and Careers, please reach out to Leticia Bennett-White at lbennett@cew.org.

Methods:

The research was conducted online in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany by The Harris Poll on behalf of Cancer and Careers among 600 adults (200 per country) age 18+ who have been diagnosed with cancer and worked full or part time for a company while undergoing cancer treatment. The survey was conducted between August 15th through August 26th, 2025. Raw data were not weighted and are therefore only representative of the individuals who completed the survey.   

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval.  For this study, the sample data is accurate to within ± 4.0 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.  This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.  

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.