Impact of flexible work arrangements on job resignation after cancer diagnosis among Japanese young adult cancer survivors

PurposeMany workers had flexible work arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify the association between flextime and remote working and job resignation among Japanese young adult cancer survivors after diagnosis.MethodsThis cross-sectional observational study was conducted using an online survey with 401 Japanese young adult cancer survivors diagnosed with adult-onset cancer and aged 20-39 years at the time of the survey in January 2022. A multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to analyze the impact of flextime and remote working on job resignation.ResultsIn the sample, 264 participants (65.8%) were female, and 185 (46.1%) had been diagnosed with cancer between 1 and 5 years ago. After adjusting for potential confounders, the multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that young adult cancer survivors using remote working only (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.21-0.96, p = 0.04) and both flextime and remote working (HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.21-0.64, p < 0.01) experienced a lower risk of job resignation after cancer diagnosis compared to those who did not use flextime and remote working.ConclusionsYoung adult cancer survivors who used remote working only or remote working combined with flextime could reduce their risk of job resignation after a cancer diagnosis.Implications for Cancer SurvivorsThis study showed that having the option of remote working can be important for young adult cancer survivors' continuing employment. Furthermore, social welfare systems need to promote a workplace culture and climate that allows remote working.