before and after treatment
Breast cancer. Just two words can bring a wave of fear and uncertainty into anyone’s life. And it doesn’t just affect one person, it affects everybody around them—from their friends and family to their colleagues.
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want to shine a light on how a caring work culture can make all the difference in a battle with cancer. A diagnosis like this can turn your whole life upside-down, but with the right supports at work, you can find your feet and focus on the fight ahead.
It’s a topic that’s especially close to Oracle’s own Kim Levin, principal organization and talent development consultant in our San Francisco Bay Area offices.
Darkest time
“I was diagnosed with triple negative—the ‘bad’ cancer, as if there is a good one! —intraductal carcinoma on May 19, 2020. Right after the world shut down due to COVID,” she shares. “I was a single mom living in the Bay Area, and within a week and a half I’d moved myself and two traumatized children down to southern California to live with my parents and begin chemotherapy.”
Kim tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation, which is closely associated with developing breast cancer. After a punishing six months of chemotherapy, she underwent a double mastectomy, followed by a full hysterectomy two weeks later to prevent ovarian cancer.
“It was the darkest time in my life,” she reveals, “but I am resilient.”
Unexpected upside
Kim found that cancer during COVID had an unexpected upside: everything was on Zoom. This allowed her to continue working—even with a compromised immune system.
with her Oracle team
“I craved normalcy,” she explains, “and my manager, Cat Moriarty, arranged for me to work a flexible schedule, yet still contribute. Instead of client facing work, I worked on less visible projects.”
Looking back, she manages to find humor in her situation. “This allowed me the space to nap, cry, and throw up when needed while still contributing to our team. She (Cat) helped save my sanity.”
“My VP, Debbie Page, another beacon of light, often put time on my calendar, just to talk and check in. And Anje Dodson, our SVP of HR, directed me to take care of myself and not waste any energy worrying about my job, as it would be there for me after I beat cancer.”
Asking for help
“These three individuals, along with countless others, gave me something no one else could; peace of mind that I would have my professional life to return to. They understood that our careers at Oracle are meant to be long ones, and it’s OK to ask for help during a health crisis.”
Kim was a dedicated worker before her illness and now, almost three years out of treatment, she’s delivering more strongly than ever.
“My gratitude runs deep,” she shares. And it’s easy to see why.
sent by her Oracle team
Having run the gauntlet of holding down a job while fighting cancer, Kim understands only too well the pressures—and how mangers and colleagues can alleviate them.
Paralyzing
“Can you imagine hearing the words, ‘you have cancer?’ I’m here to tell you that the terror is paralyzing. Not only do you fear for your life, the future of your family and children, you have your job to worry about.”
“Patients and survivors alike have shared with me that the distress of the possibility of losing their employment is a top stressor. We need our medical benefits to pay for life-saving treatments, not to mention our salaries to keep current on housing, food, and some of us even need to hire caretakers to get through the debilitating parts of treatment.”
So, what can leadership do to bridge the gap and get the full resources of their organization working for their people?
How leaders can help
“Managers can reassure people that they will not be abandoned during the fight of their lives,” Kim says. “There is no greater gift than taking that burden off our anxious hearts. Another is to work with HR to implement work-schedule accommodations and worktime flexibility. Oracle Benefits worked diligently to put together a comprehensive benefits document managers can share with impacted team members.”
She found that this Oracle resource covered a diverse range of subjects from taking a leave of absence to relocation options needed for treatment, plus access to legal resources around wills and health directives—all in one learning path with support materials.
Giving back
Now, she’s drawing from her experience to give back to those facing similar challenges. Kim is one of five others working feverishly to launch a brand-new affinity group—Oracle Assistance and Support in Surviving – Breast Cancer (OASIS-BC).
as her dad for Halloween
It helps that she’s so in tune with Oracle culture. Starting with us in 2005 during the PeopleSoft acquisition, she went on to pursue a career in dance before returning eight years ago. She’s continued to blend her creative streak with her career—and this new initiative.
“My position allows me to lean into my creative side and inspire our employees to create careers they are excited to grow into!” she explains. Now, she’s bringing that same energy to OASIS-BC.
Supporting all
The group’s aim is to provide support to Oracle employees who have been affected by a breast cancer diagnosis in any way. Members may have loved ones or colleagues with a diagnosis, others are in various stages of survivorship.
“You will find us all rallying around those currently in treatment,” Kim adds.
Joyce Westerdahl, executive vice president of HR at Oracle, has already noted the positive impact of groups like this and how they go together with other company-wide initiatives.
She adds: “Oracle also provides paid caregiver leave, logistical support, for employees with caregiving responsibilities, and the option to obtain an expert medical second opinion from world-leading experts.”
Empowering
One of the first pieces of work the new group has carried out is publishing an internal learning path with resources gathered and vetted by its members.
“I’m especially passionate about empowering managers with appropriate information so they can ease the stress and worries about balancing work and health,” Kim explains. “We are building strong connections with groups like Oracle Women’s Leadership (OWL) and Diversity and Inclusion and are watching our global caring community grow.”
“Survivors are some of the most compassionate, devoted, and giving individuals I have ever met. Surviving cancer was horrendous, however the friendships, and being in service to others now has transformed every part of my life in glorious ways.”
The power of partnerships
One of hundreds of affinity groups at Oracle, OASIS-BC was able to tap into a wider culture of togetherness to forge new partnerships.
“We cross post events with the crochet group that volunteers and makes knitted knockers for breast cancer patients. We are holding a special meditation practice with Oracle’s mindfulness affinity group targeting how to calm fears when going in for a cancer scan. Diversity and Inclusion is amplifying our messages of awareness and education across their newsletters and Slack channels…”
“The willingness to partner and the outpouring of support we are receiving, including from our senior leaders, is beyond inspirational. The pride I have working for Oracle has never been greater.”
Tech Day of Pink
Oracle understands that no one organization can solve the cancer puzzle alone. We are committed to collaborating with organizations across the public and private sector—from participating as a founding member of CancerX to supporting the Estée Lauder Companies’ Tech Day of Pink.
“For the day, Oracle asked employees to post pictures of themselves wearing pink and share what the pink ribbon means to them with the hashtags #TechInPink2023 and #TimeToEndBreastCancer,” says Kim.
“OASIS is also moderating a webcast with CancerX that day so all our employees can learn about the important initiatives Oracle is involved with striving to end cancer. I’m most excited about that one!”
Pride
None of this would have been possible without an Oracle connection and Kim’s own perspective on her career here has grown along with OASIS-BC.
“I found my work home at Oracle,” she says. “I have the pleasure of working with talented like-minded people. I find security in working for a large company with an internal first philosophy around career development. We have a vast virtual library of resources available to us in just about any area of interest I may have, and I tap into it often.
“When I received my cancer diagnosis, my exceptional network rallied around me, lifted me up, and gave me hope. And now that I am past that part of my journey, my line of business, spearheaded by my dedicated manager, allows and encourages my work on this passion project. I couldn’t be prouder to work for Oracle.”
Do you want to be part of a culture that supports you in the tough times and empowers you to bring your passions to life? Explore our open roles and help create the future with us today.
