Italian employers' perspectives on supporting employees who return to work after cancer

Perspectives of Italian Employers Regarding the Return to Work Process of Employees Who Received a Cancer Diagnosis: a Qualitative Study

This project will talk with Italian employers to see how they manage and support employees returning to work after a cancer diagnosis.

Quick facts

• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 30 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Azienda USL Reggio Emilia - IRCCS (other gov)
• Locations: 1 site (Reggio Emilia, RE)
• Trial ID: NCT06994182 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

Researchers will conduct individual semi-structured interviews with employers who managed the return-to-work process for at least one employee with cancer in the past five years. Interviews last about 60 minutes and can be done in person or remotely; they will be audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts will be analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis with open coding, iterative review after each interview, and multiple researchers to ensure coding reliability. Emerging themes will also be discussed with collaborators at Amsterdam UMC to enhance interpretive rigor.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal participants are Italian employers, line managers, or HR representatives who were directly involved in managing the sickness absence and return-to-work process of at least one employee diagnosed with cancer within the past five years.

Not a fit: Cancer survivors who were never employed, who were self-employed, whose employers differ substantially from the sampled companies (for example, outside Italy), or those seeking clinical treatments rather than workplace solutions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could inform practical recommendations for employers and policymakers to improve workplace support and smoother return-to-work pathways for employees with cancer.

How similar studies have performed: Similar qualitative studies in other countries have generated useful insights into employer roles and barriers in return-to-work after cancer, but Italy-specific evidence is currently limited.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. employers\* of a company
2. being directly involved in managing the RTW process of at least one employee with cancer diagnosis in the last 5 years.

   * An employer can be the specific person who represents the company where the employee was working at the time of cancer diagnosis or a person who supported the employee during the sickness absence and the RTW process (e.g., line manager, human resource manager).

Exclusion Criteria:

* none

Where this trial is running

Reggio Emilia, RE

• Azienda USL IRCCS di Reggio Emilia — Reggio Emilia, RE, Italy (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Sara Paltrinieri, PhD, OT — Azienda USL - IRCCS di Reggio Emilia
• Study coordinator: Sara Paltrinieri, PhD, OT

Conditions: Cancer Survivors, Return to work, Employers, Qualitative Research