Still Here: Stepping into 2026
As organisations step into 2026, resilience has become a familiar word in boardrooms, wellbeing strategies, and leadership conversations. Yet for many, resilience isn’t theoretical; it’s deeply personal.
I bring this reflection not just as a leader and founder of P3 Business Care, but as someone who has faced three cancer diagnoses while navigating work, responsibility, uncertainty, and recovery.
And I am still here.
Resilience in the Workplace Is Human, Not Heroic
In professional environments, resilience is often framed as pushing through, staying strong, or keeping productivity high. But lived experience tells a different story.
Real workplace resilience looks like:
Having permission to say “I’m not okay today”
Leaders who value people over performance metrics
Colleagues who notice changes and lean in, not away
Organisations that understand life doesn’t pause outside office hours
During treatment and recovery, resilience wasn’t about being exceptional at work, it was about being supported at work.
What Serious Illness Reveals About Work Culture
Cancer strips life back to what truly matters, and that includes how we experience work.
It exposes key truths:
People are not resources - they are human beings with limits
Psychological safety matters - fear silences, compassion strengthens
Presence matters more than policies - care must be lived, not just written
Workplaces that respond well to crisis don’t just retain staff, they transform lives.
Still Here Means Still Contributing
Being “still here” is not simply about survival. It’s about purpose.
Many people return to work after illness changed - physically, emotionally, and mentally. When organisations create space for that change, something powerful happens:
Loyalty deepens
Trust grows
Meaningful engagement replaces burnout
Resilience becomes collective, not individual.
How P3 Business Care Supports Workplace Resilience
At P3 Business Care, resilience is understood as relational. We support organisations by caring for the whole person, not just the role they perform.
Our workplace care model provides:
Confidential listening support for employees and leaders
Early intervention before issues escalate into crisis or absence
Support through illness, bereavement, stress, and transition
A consistent, compassionate presence embedded in the life of the organisation
We create a safe space where people can speak freely, often before they feel able to speak anywhere else.
A Message for Leaders Entering 2026
If there is one lesson three cancer diagnoses have taught me, it is this:
People don’t need you to fix everything, they need to know they matter.
Resilient organisations are built by leaders who understand that wellbeing is not a side initiative, but a core value.
As 2026 begins, the question is not:
“How resilient are our people?” but rather, “How safe, supported, and valued do our people feel?”
Useful Workplace Wellbeing Resources
If you are developing or strengthening your wellbeing strategy, these resources may help:
ACAS – Health, Wellbeing and Employment Support
👉 https://www.acas.org.uk/health-work-and-wellbeingMind – Workplace Mental Health Support
👉 https://www.mind.org.uk/workplaceCIPD – Wellbeing at Work Resources
👉 https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/well-being-factsheetMacmillan – Cancer and Work Support
👉 https://www.macmillan.org.uk/work-and-cancerNHS – Supporting Employees with Long-Term Conditions
👉 https://www.nhs.uk/workplace-health
Stepping into 2026 Together
Resilience is not about pretending life is easy. It’s about creating workplaces where people are seen, heard, and supported, especially when life is hard.
I am still here because of excellent care, strong relationships, and meaningful support. Workplaces can be part of that story too.
And when they are, resilience stops being a strategy and becomes a culture.
A Call to Action for Company Leaders
As you step into 2026, resilience will not be built by policies alone; it will be shaped by the support structures you put around your people.
If my journey through three cancer diagnoses has taught me anything, it’s this:
timely, human, confidential support changes outcomes, for individuals and for organisations.
That is where P3 Business Care comes alongside leaders and teams.
P3 Business Care partners with organisations to:
Provide personal, proactive, independent workplace support
Support employees through illness, stress, bereavement, transition, life and work challenges
Reduce absenteeism by offering early, relational intervention
Strengthen culture through visible care, presence, and listening
This is not counselling, and it’s not HR, it is human support embedded in the workplace, available before people reach breaking point.
If you are a company leader, HR professional, or board member, the invitation is simple:
Don’t wait for a crisis to reveal the gaps in your wellbeing strategy.
Choose to lead with care, compassion, and foresight.
👉 Connect with P3 Business Care to explore how workplace chaplaincy can support your people, strengthen resilience, and help your organisation step into 2026 healthier and more sustainable.
Because resilient businesses are built when leaders decide that people truly matter.
