How to Break the News
"A serious illness can strike anyone, even your boss, at any time," says Fisher. "So simply describe the situation." Just say what's wrong and discuss your diagnosis and treatment only in terms of how they might affect your work. Then focus on how your absence can be handled in the least disruptive way possible.
Manage the news. Four years ago, on the same morning she told her boss she had breast cancer, 51-year-old Ann Jackson also sent out an e-mail to eight of her closest colleagues. "I need you to help me manage this information," the publishing executive for Time Inc. (which owns Real Simple) told them. She knew that people in the company would gossip about her condition if they didn't have the facts. Trusted colleagues, she says, "helped me characterize the cancer as exactly what it was: in the early stages and easily treatable."
Support any short-term adjustments the company needs to make to accommodate your absence. Try not to feel threatened if your employer hires a temporary replacement to keep things running smoothly.
What Not to Say
"Skip the gory, clinical details," says Fisher. "We often don't know how to respond to personal medical information," adds Lisa Angel, a partner in a family-law practice in Raleigh, North Carolina. "It can be confusing and doesn't really help us address the time-off issue."
Don't complain if your company requires documentation from your doctor. "Most companies do," says de Pietro, "so don't take it personally."
Don't ask for too much. Especially if you will be out for a long time, try to avoid testing the sympathy of your boss and colleagues who may be doing extra work to cover your absence.
