How To Break The News To Your Boss About Your Lymphoma

When you find out you have lymphoma it can be a difficult time for everyone involved. You know you will have to tell your boss about it, but when is it a good time to do so? Should you tell them right away or should you wait until you do not have a choice and have to tell him or her because you will have to miss some work?

Timing is everything when it comes to telling your boss about your disease. If your lymphoma is still in the very early stages and you aren’t presenting with very many symptoms, then you may not have to tell your boss right now; however, if your lymphoma is in later stages or you are presenting with some severe symptoms, you may want to tell him or her right away so they are not left wondering what is wrong.

You may worry that talking about your lymphoma in a work setting that you will not get a favorable response. It can be very hard to predict how people will react, but in most cases, people will surprise you and react in a very positive manner. It can generate compassion in most people.

If your symptoms from your lymphoma are not evident, then you may not have to tell your boss at all. At least not until you start presenting with more serious symptoms. You do not want to bring any unnecessary attention to any medical condition that you may have and this includes lymphoma. There may be times when you do not want to disclose your disease at work; however, if your symptoms become evident to your boss or coworkers, then you may want to tell them in order to prevent any misinterpretations and to talk about it in a way that is not distressing to anyone.

If it comes down to the point that you want or have to tell your boss about your lymphoma, then you will most likely want to do this in a private setting, such as their office. You may want to begin by bringing up what they may have noticed about your performance lately, whether it has been sluggish, you have not had any energy, or you have been feeling sick because of treatments. Then you may want to tell them why you have been feeling this way. If they are not sure about your disease, you can give them any information that they may want to know. Answer any questions that they may have about your illness and your treatments. You should let them know that you can still work as long as your doctor permits it and that it will not drastically effect your performance at work.

You may have a very kind and compassionate employer that may want to know how they can help you through your treatments and what support they can provide you. If you need time off to recover from chemotherapy or radiation treatments or some other reason related to your illness, then let them know then and how long you will need. Be honest and up front about your disease with your employer and they will truly appreciate it.