Mumbai: Publicis Groupe has announced the latest advancement in its Working With Cancer (WWC) initiative, reinforcing its mission to help build open, supportive and recovery-forward workplace cultures for employees living with cancer. The announcement follows new research from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Mayo Clinic, highlighting the positive link between supportive employment and improved health outcomes for cancer patients.
Launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos three years ago, Working With Cancer has evolved into a global movement encompassing more than 5,000 companies and protecting over 40 million workers worldwide. What began as a collective employer commitment is now strengthened by emerging clinical evidence demonstrating how workplace policies can directly influence quality of life and recovery.
A newly conducted research review led by Dr. Victoria Blinder, oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Dr. Gina Mazza, Associate Professor of Biostatistics at Mayo Clinic, highlights strong evidence linking sustained employment or return to work after a cancer diagnosis with improved health-related quality of life. The findings further emphasize that flexible, understanding, and accommodating workplace conditions can significantly shape recovery outcomes during treatment and beyond.
Key insights from the studies reviewed include:
- Employed cancer survivors reported approximately 28% better overall quality of life five years post-diagnosis compared to those not employed.
- Physical functioning levels remained nearly 29% higher among employed survivors at the five-year mark.
- Employed participants were approximately 3.7 times less likely to experience moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms and 2.4 times less likely to report moderate-to-severe anxiety than unemployed participants.
From Evidence to Action: Launch of an AI-Powered Coach
Grounded in these findings, Working With Cancer has developed a new AI-powered coach aimed at helping employers translate research insights into personalized and practical workplace support for employees with cancer. Available to all companies that sign the Working With Cancer pledge, the AI coach enables organizations to adapt health benefits, policies, and workplace accommodations to individual employee needs.
Built on large language models, the system allows companies to securely upload their internal policies so employees receive guidance aligned with their actual workplace context. The platform draws on curated resources from Working With Cancer’s expert partners, offering accurate and transparent responses while avoiding the risks associated with open-internet health searches. The system includes strict privacy safeguards, does not retain data beyond each session, and operates within clearly defined boundaries that prevent medical diagnosis.
Global Campaign to Mobilise Employers
Alongside the technology launch, Working With Cancer is rolling out a global campaign calling on more employers to sign the pledge and actively support employees affected by cancer. The campaign includes a film created by Publicis Conseil and supported by up to $100 million in pro bono media contributed by partners including Disney, Google/YouTube, Zeta Global, TikTok, NBCUniversal, Paramount, iHeartMedia, Westwood One, Clear Channel Outdoor, Captivate, Screenvision, and NCM.
Directed by Kailee McGee, a stage IV cancer survivor and award-winning filmmaker, the film features cancer survivors from diverse professional backgrounds—including CEOs, celebrities, and employees—sharing how continuing to work provided dignity, normalcy, and a sense of control during treatment. Participants include survivors from organizations such as Walmart, L’Oréal, Pfizer, Barclays, Accenture, and Carrefour.
The campaign is further supported by a Times Square out-of-home takeover on February 4, World Cancer Day, featuring photographs by renowned portrait photographer and stage IV cancer survivor Sandro Miller.
Through research-backed action, AI-enabled support, and a renewed call to leadership, Publicis and Working With Cancer continue to position employers as active contributors to recovery, inclusion, and long-term well-being for employees living with cancer.
