Sarah Donnelly: How work kept me going during my cancer treatment
莎拉·唐纳利: 工作是如何让我在癌症治疗的道路上继续前进的
Westpac's Sarah Donnelly wants to encourage more open conversations about why and how an individual might continue to work while undergoing treatment for serious illnesses. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
from my doctor's office
来自医生办公室的电话,
in my lunch break, and my doctor said
医生说,
我患上了乳腺癌。
that I had breast cancer.
and at first, I didn't.
起初,我真的不相信她。
我只相信证据。
and I needed some evidence.
在她坐的地方周围走来走去,
to where she was sitting
over her shoulder and verify
on the page in front of her.
to believe it, I said,
you're sure that means cancer?"
the urgent things that needed to be done
需要我去完成的工作,
检测癌症是否扩散。
to see if my cancer had spread.
work wasn't my priority.
工作已经不重要了。
to tell my family and friends
and whether I was going to be OK,
to start a family.
how I was going to tell my mother,
如何把这件事情告诉我妈妈,
患上了乳腺癌。
when she was pregnant with me.
to have to relive her cancer experience.
和恢复身体中的主要角色。
a huge role in my treatment and recovery.
自己只会统计数字。
otherwise felt like a statistic.
that would give me routine and stability
面对很多不确定,
difficult personal decisions
乳房再造的方法。
reconstruction I was going to have.
我应向我的家庭和朋友寻求帮助。
to my family and friends for support.
扮演了很重要的角色。
in my day-to-day life.
the ones to make me laugh.
我们自己才懂的笑话,
of really good in-jokes,
someone ask me
这么闪亮,完美无瑕——
of course, a wig,
变得很简单。
in the mornings very easy.
以及他们给我的支持带来的意义,
I appreciated what their support meant,
我不知道还能做些什么。
have done without that network.
women in particular,
尤其是女性们,
to have that network
the opportunity to work through treatment.
她们有家长式的雇主。
to overly paternalistic employers.
and focus on yourself.
are well-meaning,
且身体条件上也允许他们工作,
或不应继续工作时,
that they couldn’t or shouldn't work,
and physically can do.
what an employer is required to do
当员工告诉雇主自己患癌时,
with a cancer diagnosis.
cancer is considered a disability.
癌症被视为残疾。
your usual work duties,
你平时的工作职责时,
《残疾歧视法》,
by the Disability Discrimination Act
to your working arrangements,
adjustments look like for me?
什么才是适当的工作调整?
my diagnosis was going to have on work.
给我的工作带来的显著影响。
during business hours,
经常安排在上班时段,
我需要时间来恢复身体。
to recover from surgical procedures.
做了尽职调查。
on what to expect from treatment.
was through Doctor Google,
都是通过“谷歌医生”完成的。
我并不推荐这么做。
and I wouldn't recommend that.
for all the physical side effects,
应对副作用的准备,
was this thing called chemo brain.
through memory loss,
my job as a lawyer.
have a discussion with my manager
to my working arrangements
how I was going to be impacted?
a supportive manager
而做出决定,
how things went as we went along,
a concrete plan up front.
he may not have even known
of reasonable adjustments,
这种合理的调整只是一个常识。
common sense to everyone.
都拥有这种常识。
will learn how it impacts them
都会了解治疗的影响
关于治疗的小贴士和恢复技巧,
that I learned about the treatment itself,
you're really well hydrated
以便护士能找到你的静脉。
the nurses to find your veins.
any of your favorite food,
throwing that up
want to look at it again.
for managing my workflow.
管理我工作的小技巧。
on a Monday morning.
周一早上做的一件事。
I left the cancer care unit,
before this fog screen would come down
and make any urgent calls.
处理邮件,打一些紧急的电话,
within about 48 hours.
会在 48 小时内消退。
into work from home.
and I knew what to expect.
我也知道接下来要面对什么。
with my business partners
the hesitation in their voices
by a certain time.
of setting a good deadline.
to put any extra pressure on me
他们并不想给我施加
within my control
有许多事情我无法控制,
that could stay in my control
things that couldn't.
在我们这个时代,雇主应该如何
should be applying this concept
in our current age,
by the age of 85.
longer and longer into older age,
我们患严重疾病的概率
while we're in the workforce
to work anywhere, any time,
变得更加自由,
不再视治疗时间的安排而定,
are no longer contingent upon
to physically make it
或给你一把更舒适的椅子,
or a comfier chair to sit in,
the flexibility policies and strategies
with family responsibilities.
are even having a conversation
人们能够与经理
展开对话,
might look like for them
不要回来工作。”
until you're better."
with their employees.
from working through treatment,
得到的益处,
to guide these conversations,
Camilla Gunn,
colleague of mine, Camilla Gunn,
for those diagnosed,
以及同事提供了一个谈话框架,
and their coworkers
和工作方面的帮助。
and the work support available.
to other organizations
some pretty awkward conversations.
of the toolkit is increasing.
越来越多的人在使用这种方法。
a manager's first response
how it's going to impact their work?
依照你的主观意愿,
are able, and want to,
边工作边治疗,
an arrangement for you
people with serious illness
pushing them away.
because I want you to know the benefits
是因为我从治疗期间
going through treatment
were true some of the time,
to push myself at work
because my employer gave me the choice.
我的雇主给了我这个选项。
obvious choice to give someone,
offered or encouraged.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sarah Donnelly - LawyerWestpac's Sarah Donnelly wants to encourage more open conversations about why and how an individual might continue to work while undergoing treatment for serious illnesses.
Why you should listen
Sarah Donnelly was diagnosed with breast cancer at 30 years of age -- a story all too familiar among young women in her family. She chose to continue full-time employment throughout treatment and is living proof that work can play a crucial role in a person's mental and physical recovery from a serious illness. While her employer backed her decision, Donnelly has learned that the way organizations approach this issue varies greatly. This has sparked a personal mission to encourage more open conversations about why and how an individual might continue to work while undergoing treatment.
A lawyer by trade, Donnelly is currently the Head of Group Secretariat at Westpac. She is an ally for GLOBAL, Westpac Group's Employee Action Group for LGBTIQ employees, a member of Women of Westpac, an advocate of Breast Cancer Network Australia and volunteers with Vinnie’s Van. She is an avid traveler and, when at home in Sydney's Blue Mountains, can usually be found out on a trail.
Sarah Donnelly | Speaker | TED.com