Our Purpose and Impact

LiveWorkCancer exists to improve the experience of people navigating work and cancer, and to strengthen how workplaces respond.

Our purpose is to ensure people affected by cancer are not left to navigate work alone, and that workplaces are better equipped to respond with care, confidence, and consistency.

Cancer does not only affect health. For many people, it disrupts work, income, confidence, and identity at a time when stability matters most. Nearly 40% of people diagnosed with cancer in Australia are of working age, and many experience changes to employment, hours, or income following diagnosis.

We focus on practical, person centred support that helps individuals make informed decisions about work, and helps employers create safer, more supportive environments.

Our Impact to Date

  • Supported more than 35 women from diverse age groups, industries, and job types across Australia.

  • Delivered personalised one to one coaching, with over 75% of participants engaging in coaching support.

  • Facilitated peer network groups, with more than half of participants also choosing peer support alongside coaching.

  • Reached people across multiple states, with strong participation from Western Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria.

  • Evaluation findings show strong alignment between why people seek support and the outcomes they achieve. Participants most frequently reported improvements in confidence, self advocacy, wellbeing, and workplace communication.

  • Many also reported clearer goals, practical work adjustments, and improved job or income security.

Alignment with the Australian Cancer Plan

LiveWorkCancer aligns closely with the Australian Cancer Plan – Strategic Objective 2: Enhanced Consumer Experience. This objective focuses on ensuring people affected by cancer are partners in responsive, person centred care, with access to support that improves quality of life, participation, and outcomes across the cancer continuum.

By addressing work, income, and participation during and after cancer, LiveWorkCancer contributes to this objective through practical, lived experience informed support that complements clinical care and strengthens consumer experience.

Workplace Capability and Learning

Many workplaces approach this issue with genuine intent and an initial confidence that existing policies and practices are sufficient. However, insights from LiveWorkCancer’s engagement with HR and People and Culture leaders show that as understanding deepens through research, lived experience, and peer discussion, leaders often reassess their own capability.

Across areas such as job protection, flexible work, return to work planning, workplace culture, and caregiver support, participants recognised gaps between intent and consistent practice, and identified opportunities to strengthen clarity, confidence, and coordination in how support is delivered.

These insights inform how we work with employers to strengthen workplace capability and create more consistent, supportive responses when cancer affects someone at work. We refer to this approach as CancerKind®

What we hear from workplaces

Many HR and People and Culture leaders initially feel confident that their workplace can support an employee affected by cancer. With deeper exposure to research, lived experience, and peer discussion, many recognise opportunities to strengthen consistency, confidence, and coordination across policies and everyday practice.

From intent to capability

Good intent is common. Consistent practice is harder.