Compassionate recruitment - working with employees with health challenges
By Corey Jarrett and David Morrison
In 2021 Do Good Jobs’ co-owner Corey Jarrett was diagnosed with cancer. He was just six weeks into his new position as Head of Operations at Thankyou Payroll, a position he holds alongside his ownership of Do Good Jobs. In this blog, the last in our series on job seeking and hiring from diverse backgrounds, he and David Morrison, Do Good Jobs’ co-owner and Thankyou Payroll’s Chief Executive Officer, discuss their experience and look at ways organisations can support staff members with health issues and employees and employers can work together to contribute to better well-being.
Corey - Working through a health challenge
In August 2021, I had been in my new role as Head of Operations at Thankyou Payroll for just six weeks when my life took an undesired turn with a stage 1 Head & Neck Cancer diagnosis - a tumour in my tongue. Despite the early diagnosis, the cancer proved to be exceptionally aggressive, necessitating, among other things, three major surgeries, three rounds of radiation, and chemotherapy. Eventually, it progressed to stage 4, spreading to my lungs and then bones.
While the statistics remain daunting, there's a growing spectrum between treatable and untreatable surrounding advanced cancer, thanks to continuous advancements in medical treatments. However, while our health system does well with the resources it has, many of these cutting-edge treatments aren't covered by the public health system, creating a disparity between those who have and those who do not. Moreover, as the primary earner with a young family, simply shouldering the financial burden of daily life when the ability to work is compromised can be an overwhelming challenge.
Fortunately, the supportive policies of Thankyou Payroll enabled me to work to the extent I could through my periods of treatment, with the certainty of income, delivering value to the business that valued me. Through employer-funded health insurance, the generosity of my Board, and wider fundraising by the CEO, friends and family, I was also able to access an unfunded immunotherapy treatment.
Thankyou Payroll had a number of people-focused benefits when I started, and this focus on people (and planet) was a significant factor in my choosing to seek a role with them. Since then, we’ve added to and improved on this offering, including provisions such as a $400 annual wellness allowance, comprehensive private healthcare coverage (including pre-existing conditions), a generous allocation of 20 days for sick or mental health leave (with provisions for additional days as required), and a flexible work policy.
I believe that businesses should not only generate returns for stakeholders but also hold a responsibility towards the well-being of people and the planet, as their returns ultimately come from the leveraging of these things. The inclusion of these as core to a business is sometimes known as a triple bottom line, and while not every business has the capacity to offer the policies that Thankyou Payroll does, there are ways and means, financial and non-financial, to recruit or support existing staff with a health issue or disability.
Although the road ahead remains uncertain, the horizon is decidedly brighter than it would have been without the support of Thankyou Payroll. My story underscores the value for businesses in championing individuals whose circumstances may not align with conventional norms.
David - Supporting one employee and all employees with compassionate policies
Our focus at Thankyou Payroll since mid-2021 has been one of placing our employees at the centre of our strategy to improve, mature and grow our payroll service. Key to this focus has been to invest in well-being and to lead with kindness and generosity.
When Corey was first diagnosed, our initial focus was to ensure he was supported in ways that were meaningful and impactful for him and his family. At that stage, our leave and sick leave policies were not sufficient in my mind to support Corey. This was an extraordinary situation that required an extraordinary response. With unanimous board support, we offered unlimited sick leave and flexibility for Corey to focus his attention on recovery without the stress of worrying about his employment.
When his condition worsened and immunotherapy was the required option, we partnered with friends, family and previous CEOs to crowdfund over $70,000. During his treatment, Thankyou Payroll introduced subsided cover from Southern Cross Health insurance for all staff and with the crowdfund, immunotherapy was able to be fully funded.
More widely, we looked at ways we could support Corey, and any other team member in this situation. We made efforts to ensure key responsibilities were covered by others or backfilled temporarily. We allowed Corey to stay engaged in whatever capacity he could manage, and that was beneficial for him and for us. He managed to deliver some significant business value even while on restricted duties and I suspect being able to work when he could, allowed some distraction from some pretty dark mental territory. Supporting Corey through this process has always been about doing the “human” thing and is completely in line with our values.
While we have improved our policies to support the health and well-being of staff, they were not directly in response to Corey’s condition, but based on a desire to do better for our whole team.
As a business, I think it’s key to think beyond aspects such as productivity. Think long-term about how keeping an employee engaged in whatever capacity possible is far more beneficial than trying to find ways to move people on. Your actions as an employer are observed and judged by your team. It’s simple, but treat others as you would like to be treated.
Do Good Jobs’ top tips for job hunting, recruiting and retaining staff with health or disability challenges
For jobseekers and employees
When you are looking at roles, research what the organisation offers in terms of sickness and well-being policies. That may not mean expecting to see gold standard policies in place (though that would be nice). But if the organisation has shown through their policy that they are willing to go beyond the legislative minimum, that shows an employer who thinks about and cares about these things - and that if you need support, it will be given.
Look for flexible working options like work from home or flexible start/finish times.
If you are already living with your health condition or disability when you are applying for roles, it’s best to be upfront. While you are not obliged to tell a potential employer about health issues, if it is likely to have an impact on your ability to do the job, then being honest is the best policy. Articulate any assistance you might need during the recruitment process, and what challenges it might bring. Be proactive in offering suggestions about how you can work through those challenges.
Don’t let your health condition dominate the conversation. While you may need to address any issues, remember that you are applying for a role because you can bring skills and knowledge to that organisation. Don’t let those get overshadowed.
If you are diagnosed with a health condition or disability while you are employed, be open with your employer. You know yourself best, so work with them to develop a plan that works for both you and the organisation and enables you to stay connected.
For organisations
Legislative employment requirements set a bar for MINIMUM treatment of staff. As employers, you can choose to do more - your current staff and potential new staff will respond positively.
Develop policies that have equity and equality at their core but allow flexibility/discretion for extraordinary circumstances.
Be curious about how best to support an employee - they will know most about their situation and will often be able to best advise you. Don’t make assumptions about what they need or want.
Be open to an employee continuing to work flexibly as much as they are able during illness or treatments. This helps them to stay connected to the organisation and can make it easier for you to cover their workload.
Lead any conversations with empathy, kindness and generosity.