VINCI Construction signs the Cancer@Work charter and pledges to support greater inclusion around chronic illness.
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Chronic diseases and cancer at work: What are the best practices to support employees over time?
While a diagnosis of a serious illness causes major upheavals in an individual’s personal life, what about their professional life? How one manages the extended absence of an employee be best managed? What about returning to work, when the treatment is over? In short, how can one improve the lives of workers diagnosed with cancer or suffering from a long-term illness? For several years, VINCI Construction has been committed to supporting its employees. This responsible and caring approach aims at improving employee well-being and at making their return to work as easy as possible. For everyone.
Being diagnosed with a cancer is a challenge over 18 million people worldwide have to face each year. The long-term effects of such a disease or its treatment affect more than half of patients, which can have consequences on their employment. Once the diagnosis is made, the patient embarks on a grueling journey toward treatment and recovery.
Then come the administrative constraints: how do one declare this chronic disease to one’s employer? And to the administration? Do one have the right to take some time off from work to undergo medical treatment for a serious or a long-term illness? Will it be possible to return to the same position when one comes back?
Maintaining employment during illness: a key issue
While these work-related considerations may seem secondary or trivial when a cancer is diagnosed, the relationship between work and diseases actually raises questions. Many patients feel powerless and express anxiety about returning to work when diagnosed with a long-term illness or a serious disease.
According to the French National Cancer Institute, “Workplace support measures are a key issue in positively changing the relationship with illness”. Maintaining a professional activity during medical treatment, if desired and of course if possible can help improve the quality of life of the patients.
“Long-term illness […] can lead to significant physical, emotional and financial changes that make managing the illness and continuing with one’s professional life difficult. It is important for employers to understand the unique challenges their employees face during the treatment of a long-term illness, and to provide appropriate support to help them manage these challenges”, explains Anne-Sophie Tuszynski, founder of Cancer@Work, a recognized public interest NGO dedicated to supporting illness at work. VINCI Construction signed the Cancer@Work charter in 2023.
The aim of this initiative is to develop knowledges and representations of cancer and chronic illness within the company, foster the creation of favorable environment for people affected by illness and develop non-discriminatory managerial practices in terms of health in the workplace.
Supporting the return to work according to the employees’s needs
In line with the NGO’s recommendations, VINCI Construction has implemented several actions to fulfill this commitment, both in France and internationally. A guide made to help employees, colleagues and managers to cope with the disease was published in 2023.
In recognition of its awareness-raising initiatives, VINCI Construction’s Shared Services Entity was awarded the CANCER@WORK level 2 label on December 10th, 2024. This label acknowledges the implementation of a clear and ambitious roadmap within the entity, as well as the identification and the realization of areas for improvement measures for better management of cancer in the workplace.
HR teams have specifically introduced a coaching service for employees returning to work after a long-term absence due to a chronic illness or cancer. This three-month support program is beneficial not only for the affected employee, but also for their manager, as the first days back at work are crucial. Adapting the position and workload according to potential after-effects is a key factor in ensuring the well-being of an employee returning after a long absence.
Charitable and awareness-raising actions
In Mexico, the civil engineering company Cimesa was involved in the World Breast Cancer Awareness Day last October and set up early screenings among all its female employees.
In France, the civil engineering delegation of Île-de-France and North of France of VINCI Construction also participated in breast cancer prevention activities in October 2024 by organizing awareness workshops and teaching self-examination techniques.
In June 2024, VINCI Construction joined, for the second year, the inter-company solidarity and sports challenge called “All Together for CANCER@WORK”. 1,600 employees from the company, not only in France but also worldwide, and especially in Africa, walked, ran, or cycled for a month, covering a total of 541,537 km.
This initiative supports the NGO’s actions to maintain employment for people with illnesses while highlighting the importance of regular physical activities for employees.
In the UK, a team of employees from Ringway Jacobs also participated in a charity five-a-side soccer tournament in June 2024 to raise funds for cancer research.
Cancer and work : “Never Give Up”
Fifteen years ago, VINCI set up the Trajeo’h association to take better account of disability and illness in-house. Its aim is to help VINCI employees with disabilities to remain in employment. Trajeo’h advises specifically employees with disabilities to apply for recognition as a disabled worker. In order to help employees to keep their position, the association also offers job studies, recommendations for adaptation, and, if it it’s impossible to continue in the same position, skills and career orientation assessments.
For instance, Trajeo’h can help an employee who is unable to remain in the same position because of after-effects or a disability, to move within the VINCI Group.
This is the case of Youssouf Konaté, once a mason’s helper at ETF, a group specializing in railway maintenance. Youssouf Konaté was diagnosed with spinal cord cancer in 2021. Declared unfit for his job, he has embarked on a training program, with the support of Trajeo’h and his human resources manager to develop his career path.
Youssouf Konaté is now a document assistant at Axians, a VINCI Energies subsidiary. “From my experience, I would say ‘Never give up’” demonstrating that stopping work after a serious illness is not inevitable.
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