CGF ARTICLES, OPINIONS & EDITORIALS
Living out good corporate social values (2011-08-16)
February 19,
2015 3497 3497 
“When asking companies what they actually do on a practical level when one of their employees or their employee’s loved ones get diagnosed with a dread disease like cancer, I was surprised to find that most often they can’t answer and have no idea of how many survivors they have amongst their employees”, says Karin Metz, Volunteer Chairperson of CANSA Corporate Relay For Life and Executive Director BNI.
Most are quick to point out that they have the necessary Corporate Social Investment programme in place, backed by strong HR and corporate governance policies. Yet, many corporates may not have stopped to think or assess whether their programmes really make a difference on ground level. That is until they or one of their loved ones hear the unfortunate words, “you’ve got cancer”.
Admittedly, many companies have a much stronger focus on supporting employees diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Aids in their wellness programmes than on cancer, even though more people are diagnosed daily with cancer than with HIV Aids. According to the National Cancer Institute of America, certain cancer types are also more likely to occur in people who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
One in three people today are affected in one way or another by cancer. Simply put, if you haven’t had cancer yourself you probably are close to someone who has. You may even have lost someone you love. Cancer has no respect for age, race, religion or sex.
Supporting employees and their loved ones
According to CANSA for each person diagnosed, cancer is a unique experience. No two people will travel the same journey during and after cancer treatment. How people cope when diagnosed, during or after treatment (or even when in remission), is different for each individual. One common thread in all people with cancer is the need for a good support system, and this will include the support of the employee’s employer.
"Cancer is not a death sentence, but rather it is a life sentence - it pushes one to live!" (Marcia Smith)
