BT has launched a massive campaign to help its employees protect themselves from cancer after it emerged one employee at the firm is diagnosed with the disease every working day.
The communications giant hopes to help its 108,000 current employees and 176,000 BT pensioners to reduce the risk of developing cancer by making small changes to their lifestyles.
BT’s Work Fit: Cancer and You campaign is supported by the company’s unions and the charity Cancerbackup, and will run for six weeks and involve online articles and roadshows across the world, as well as interactive displays at the launch event.
Part of the campaign will also focus on giving line managers advice about how to support a colleague who has cancer.
It follows the company’s previous employee campaigns on exercise, giving up smoking and mental health.
BT said about 2,000 of its employees have had cancer but have been able to come back to work. However, another five are diagnosed with a form of cancer every week.
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Dr Paul Litchfield, BT’s chief medical officer, said: “Cancer is one of the biggest health issues facing us in the world today and over the next two decades.
“Lifestyle factors have a significant role to play in the prevention and early detection of cancer so we need to help our people take responsibility for their health at home and at work.”
