Individual abstract within a Delegate Designed Symposium Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Navigating Job Security After Cancer: A Legal and Policy Review to Inform Survivorship Care (142744)

Laurelie R Wishart 1 2 3 , Louisa Collins 4 , Megan Varlow 5 , Sue Woodall 6 , Ashleigh R Sharman 7 , Raymond J Chan 8
  1. School of Medicine & Dentistry, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  2. Office of the Chief Allied Health Practitioner, Metro North Hospital & Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  3. School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  4. Viertel Cancer Research Centre, Cancer Council Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  5. Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
  6. LiveWorkCancer, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  7. Leeder Centre for Health Policy, Economics and Data, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  8. Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Objectives/Purpose:
Working-age cancer survivors often experience challenges returning to and remaining in employment, contributing to financial toxicity, distress and health disparities. Despite this, the legal and policy frameworks that shape job security for cancer survivors in Australia remain underexplored. This study aims to systematically analyse how Australian legislation, case law, and policy documents address job security for people with cancer, focusing on return-to-work, job retention, and workplace protections.

Sample and Setting:
The study will examine relevant Commonwealth and state legislation, case law, and policy documents from government and advocacy bodies. Data will be drawn from publicly available databases and white/grey literature.

Procedures:
Using doctrinal legal analysis, we will identify rights, obligations, protections, and enforcement mechanisms under key statutes (Fair Work Act, Disability Discrimination Act, state Equal Opportunity Acts). We will synthesise case law decisions concerning cancer-related employment disputes, focusing on issues such as reasonable adjustment, unfair dismissal, and discrimination. Policy documents will be analysed using structured content analysis to assess alignment with statutory obligations, practical guidance for employers and survivors, and opportunities for improving survivor outcomes.

Results:
Data analysis is ongoing (due for completion September 2026). Preliminary results have identified variation in protections across national/state jurisdictions, with notable gaps in employer obligation clarity and practical guidance for cancer survivors. Key enablers include reasonable adjustment provisions and flexible work entitlements; key barriers include inconsistent enforcement, limited cancer-specific case law, and poor alignment between clinical survivorship care and employment support frameworks.

Conclusion and Clinical Implications:
This study will provide the first comprehensive mapping of Australia’s legal and policy landscape relevant to job security after cancer. The findings will inform recommendations for policymakers, health professionals, and employers to better support cancer survivors in returning to and sustaining employment. Ultimately, this aims to reduce financial toxicity and enhance equitable, person-centred survivorship care.