Too many employees fear speaking up about their diagnosis, and it's costing companies more than they realize
When employees are diagnosed with a serious illness, their first concern shouldn’t be whether it’s safe to tell their manager. Yet Orlando Ashworth, chief people officer at The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), says that's a fear many workers grapple with.
In fact, 50% of cancer patients are afraid to tell their employer about their diagnosis, despite 92% feeling that support at work positively impacts their health, according to Working with Cancer.
“So many employees who have serious illnesses hesitate to disclose their condition,” Ashworth says.
And dealing with that hesitation starts not with policies but with people.
“It really goes back to an organization’s values,” he says. “One of our values is compassion; when folks are going through serious illness, we need to be there to support them.”
Ashworth emphasizes that leadership must model this support openly. For managers, that means listening and adapting.
“It’s important to take time to let employees know you're there to support them, what benefits are available and that job security is taken care of,” he explains. “Take time to understand what the person needs, what they want, and try your best to meet those preferences.”
“Employees watch how leadership respond,” he says. “They’re watching for how leaders model key behaviors.”
But leadership behaviors can only go so far without aligned HR policies.
“You have to go back to a policy that has zero-tolerance for any type of discrimination for someone who’s suffering a serious illness,” he says. “Make it clear what time off and job protection policies look like; the last thing you want a person who suffered from a serious illness worrying about is, ‘do I have a job?’”
Ashworth acknowledges the practical reality that business operations don’t stop when someone takes medical leave, but he argues it doesn’t have to be an either-or decision.
“Cross training employees is a good development opportunity to make sure that folks are prepared to cover down for others,” he says. “You can go out and get temporary employees if you need someone to step in while you have an employee going through a difficult time.”
Still, he draws a line when it comes to job security.
“No employee should be worried about whether or not they’re going to lose their job because they get a serious illness,” he says. “It’s about making sure that they feel comfortable and are set up for success.”
Internally, Employee Resource Groups also create safe, peer-based communities. Ashworth meets regularly with ERG leaders, which gives him access to real-time, ground-level insight. And it doesn’t stop with employees who are sick themselves.
“Just providing a psychologically safe space where they can share, ask questions and support each other is important,” he says. “We also have an employee resource group that supports employees who are caretakers; it’s an entirely different set of needs and they need support too.”
There’s a strong case for how this support translates to organizational health. Retention, according to Ashworth, is deeply tied to how safe and supported employees feel—especially during their most vulnerable moments.
“If I want to positively impact employee retention, employee engagement and belonging in the workplace, then I have to make sure that folks are psychologically safe,” he says.
The fear of disclosing a serious illness signals a deeper cultural flaw, one that can quietly drive talent away. Ashworth points out that when nearly half of employees are afraid to come forward, it’s not just a personal problem—it’s a systemic issue that affects morale and performance. Creating a workplace that embraces openness, supports recovery and offers real protection is not just a compassionate move—it’s a strategic one.
Ultimately, Ashworth emphasizes the need for empathy above all else. He stresses that responding appropriately means more than offering sympathy—it’s about listening, adapting and delivering support in the way the individual needs. It’s mindset that drives meaningful action. Ashworth makes clear that without empathy at the core, no policy or program will truly reach the people it’s meant to serve.
“Empathy is just so important in these cases,” he says. “Being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and ask, 'what would I need?'”
