Breast Cancer Awareness Month: How Employers Can Make a Difference

Quick look: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a global initiative to raise awareness, fund research, and support those affected. Employers can play a key role in this mission by offering meaningful benefits, flexible policies, and a supportive culture for employees impacted by breast cancer. We’ll also explore how partnering with a professional employer organization (PEO) makes it easier for businesses to implement these initiatives effectively.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to show support for the cause and review how organizations can best assist employees, survivors, and caregivers.

As an employer, your benefits, culture, and policies can make a significant difference. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can enhance this support by partnering with a professional employer organization (PEO), which helps provide comprehensive benefits and flexible policies that make it easier to care for affected staff throughout the year.

In this piece, we’ll explore the history of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, important facts about the condition, and how SMBs can leverage a PEO to provide meaningful, year-round support.

About Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month occurs each October and is an international movement to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer and fundraise for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure.

It was founded in 1985 by the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical branch of Imperial Chemical Industries (now a part of AstraZeneca, which produces several anti-breast cancer medications). The pink ribbon commonly associated with the campaign was first introduced in 1992 by Estée Lauder Cosmetics.

Breast cancer fast facts

Before discussing how employers can promote breast cancer education and support affected employees, it helps to understand the condition itself.

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.:

• In 2025, about 317,000 women and 3,000 men in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.
• 1 in 8 U.S. women will face a breast cancer diagnosis during their lifetime.
• Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among American women, after skin cancer.
• There are over 4 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.
• Over 42,000 women are projected to pass away from breast cancer this year. However, death rates have declined 44% since 1989, thanks to better screening, earlier detection, and treatment advancements.

Breast cancer’s impact on healthcare costs

Cancer affects not only the lives of employees, but also the overall well-being of an organization. The American Cancer Society found that 80% of employers identify cancer as a major contributor to healthcare expenses. Further, breast cancer has the highest treatment cost of any cancer.

Providing a comprehensive benefits package and a wellness-focused culture can ease some of this strain. Early detection can reduce care costs by 20-30%, and encouraging healthy habits may reduce the risk of developing the disease.

Benefits that truly support

A thoughtfully designed benefits package can make a measurable difference, helping employees before, during, and after a breast-cancer diagnosis.

Prevention and early detection

Offering employees access to affordable health insurance plans that cover preventive treatment, such as mammograms and genetic counseling, can give them peace of mind and encourage early detection, something that can help address potential health concerns before they become more serious.

Breast cancer screening has a powerful positive effect. The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) reports that it can:

• Save lives: Screening every other year lowers breast cancer mortality by 26% in women ages 50-74.
• Decrease late-stage diagnoses: Screening reduces the number of women diagnosed with metastasized breast cancer by 29%.
• Detect cancer sooner: Nearly 99% of those diagnosed with breast cancer at the earliest stage live for five or more years.
• Reduce healthcare spending: Treating early-stage cancer is less expensive than treating advanced stages.

Diagnosis and treatment

When an employee is navigating a cancer diagnosis, having access to health plans that help reduce out-of-pocket expenses and connect them with trusted oncology specialists can make an enormous difference.

Beyond core medical coverage, consider offering these powerful supplemental benefits:

• A cancer support program featuring dedicated case managers and advocates to guide staff through treatment.
• An employee assistance program (EAP) offering free access to counseling, support groups, and community resources for those undergoing treatment or supporting a loved one.
• Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) or health savings accounts (HSAs) to offset medical, travel, childcare, or lodging expenses during treatment.

Recovery and long-term survival

Healing doesn’t end with treatment. Support a gradual return to work through flexible schedules, hybrid or remote options, or phased hours, when possible. Crafting leave policies that exceed legal requirements also demonstrates to employees that they have the time and job security needed to recover. Sponsoring employee resource groups can further help survivors stay connected and feel a sense of belonging.

Building a culture of care

By providing compassionate benefits and policies, employers can reassure employees that they are not alone and that their workplace is a true partner in every stage of the journey. Research from the American Psychological Association found that workers who feel psychologically safe are more satisfied with their jobs and have stronger relationships with their coworkers.

Here are some ways SMB employers can develop a supportive culture:

• Normalize flexibility: If possible, offer flexible hours, remote work, or compressed weeks during treatment or caregiving. Patients often have many doctor appointments and need to rest, and even after treatment ends, appointments may continue every few months.
• Encourage empathy: Train managers to respond with understanding and compassion so employees feel comfortable sharing health-related needs, if they choose.
• Provide transparent, generous leave: Make it simple to access and use medical or caregiving leave.
• Communicate regularly: Share regular reminders about screenings and helpful resources.
• Recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month at work: In October, invite staff to wear pink, distribute themed giveaways (i.e., pink bracelets, stickers, buttons, etc.), and share ways to support or volunteer with organizations like the American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, National Breast Cancer Foundation, or Susan G. Komen.

ExtensisHR: We’re there for you, so you can be there for your employees

Small businesses often face challenges in providing affordable, wide-ranging benefits, which can make it difficult to fully support employees affected by cancer. However, a partnership with a professional employer organization (PEO) can give SMBs access to the kind of comprehensive care and resources their teams deserve at a more manageable cost.

For example, ExtensisHR uses its scale to offer Fortune 500-level benefits packages at competitive rates. These benefits include robust health plans, access to an EAP, and a voluntary cancer support program featuring:

• Real-time support from oncology nurses
• Preventive and post-diagnosis DNA testing
• A portal to house medical records, clinical trial information, expenses, and financial aid opportunities
• Hereditary risk screening tests
• Cancer information line
• Cancer support specialists
• An expert pathology review
• An on-site nurse advocate

Additionally, ExtensisHR’s dedicated HR Business Partners work closely with SMB leaders to develop policies on leave, flexible work schedules, fundraising, observance of holidays, and more.

By designing benefits and workplace culture with health challenges in mind, employers can transition from awareness to action, making a lasting difference in their employees’ lives.

ExtensisHR can help your organization strengthen its breast cancer support initiatives this October and throughout the year. Explore our PEO solution, or contact us today to learn more.