ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sarah Donnelly - Lawyer
Westpac's Sarah Donnelly wants to encourage more open conversations about why and how an individual might continue to work while undergoing treatment for serious illnesses.

Why you should listen

Sarah Donnelly was diagnosed with breast cancer at 30 years of age -- a story all too familiar among young women in her family. She chose to continue full-time employment throughout treatment and is living proof that work can play a crucial role in a person's mental and physical recovery from a serious illness. While her employer backed her decision, Donnelly has learned that the way organizations approach this issue varies greatly. This has sparked a personal mission to encourage more open conversations about why and how an individual might continue to work while undergoing treatment.  

A lawyer by trade, Donnelly is currently the Head of Group Secretariat at Westpac. She is an ally for GLOBAL, Westpac Group's Employee Action Group for LGBTIQ employees, a member of Women of Westpac, an advocate of Breast Cancer Network Australia and volunteers with Vinnie’s Van. She is an avid traveler and, when at home in Sydney's Blue Mountains, can usually be found out on a trail.

More profile about the speaker
Sarah Donnelly | Speaker | TED.com
TED@Westpac

Sarah Donnelly: How work kept me going during my cancer treatment

Sarah Donnelly: Como o trabalho me fez seguir em frente durante meu tratamento contra o câncer

Filmed:
981,552 views

Quando a advogada Sarah Donnelly foi diagnosticada com câncer de mama, ela se voltou para seus amigos e familiares em busca de apoio, mas também encontrou significado, foco e estabilidade em seu trabalho. Em uma palestra pessoal sobre por que e como ela permaneceu no trabalho, ela compartilha sua percepção de como os locais de trabalho podem acomodar pessoas passando por doenças graves, porque os benefícios são nos dois sentidos.
- Lawyer
Westpac's Sarah Donnelly wants to encourage more open conversations about why and how an individual might continue to work while undergoing treatment for serious illnesses. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
It was June 2014.
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Era junho de 2014.
00:16
I was 30 years old,
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Eu tinha 30 anos de idade,
00:19
and I received a call
from my doctor's office
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me ligaram do consultório da minha médica
00:21
to say my test results were in.
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para dizer que meus resultados
estavam prontos.
00:24
So I walked up to see her
in my lunch break, and my doctor said
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Fui vê-la no horário de almoço,
e minha médica disse
00:28
she was very sorry to tell me
that I had breast cancer.
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que sentia muito em me dizer
que eu tinha câncer de mama.
00:34
I didn't want to believe her
and at first, I didn't.
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Eu não queria acreditar nela e,
a princípio, não acreditei.
00:38
You see, I'm a lawyer
and I needed some evidence.
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Sou advogada e precisava de provas.
00:42
So I'm very embarrassed to tell you all
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Tenho muita vergonha
de contar a todos vocês
00:45
that I stood up and I walked around
to where she was sitting
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que eu me levantei e andei
até onde ela estava sentada
00:49
so that I could look
over her shoulder and verify
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para que eu pudesse olhar
por cima do seu ombro e verificar
00:52
what was written
on the page in front of her.
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o que estava escrito
na página na frente dela.
00:54
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
00:55
Malignant carcinoma.
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Carcinoma maligno.
00:57
But still not wanting
to believe it, I said,
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Ainda não querendo acreditar, eu disse:
01:01
"Now, malignant carcinoma,
you're sure that means cancer?"
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"Carcinoma maligno, você tem certeza
que isso significa câncer?"
01:06
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
01:08
She told me she was sure.
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Ela me disse que tinha certeza.
De volta ao trabalho, entreguei as coisas
urgentes que precisavam ser feitas
01:11
Back at work, I handed over
the urgent things that needed to be done
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01:14
while I was having more tests
to see if my cancer had spread.
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enquanto fazia mais testes para ver
se meu câncer havia se espalhado.
01:18
But at that moment,
work wasn't my priority.
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Mas naquele momento,
o trabalho não era prioridade.
01:23
I was thinking about how I was going
to tell my family and friends
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Estava pensando em como ia contar
para minha família e amigos
01:26
that I had cancer.
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que eu tinha câncer.
01:28
How I was going to answer their questions
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Como ia responder as perguntas deles
sobre a gravidade e se eu ia ficar bem,
01:30
about how bad it was
and whether I was going to be OK,
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quando eu mesma não sabia.
01:33
when I didn't know that myself.
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01:36
I was wondering if my partner and I
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Queria saber se meu parceiro e eu
teríamos a oportunidade
de começar uma família.
01:38
would ever have an opportunity
to start a family.
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01:41
And I was figuring out
how I was going to tell my mother,
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E estava pensando em como
eu ia contar para minha mãe,
01:44
who had herself had breast cancer
when she was pregnant with me.
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que teve câncer de mama
quando estava grávida de mim.
01:49
She would know how I was feeling
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Ela saberia como eu estava me sentindo
01:51
and have an idea of what lay ahead for me.
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e teria noção do que eu enfrentaria.
01:53
But I also didn't want her
to have to relive her cancer experience.
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Mas eu também não queria que ela tivesse
que reviver toda experiência com o câncer.
01:59
What I didn't appreciate at the time
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O que eu não entendia na época
02:01
was that work was about to play
a huge role in my treatment and recovery.
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era que o trabalho ia desempenhar um papel
enorme no meu tratamento e recuperação.
02:07
That it would be my coworkers and my job
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Que seriam meus colegas
de trabalho e meu emprego
02:10
that would make me feel valuable and human
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que me fariam sentir valiosa e humana
em momentos que eu teria
me sentido como uma estatística.
02:12
at times when I would have
otherwise felt like a statistic.
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02:16
That it would be my job
that would give me routine and stability
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Que seria o meu trabalho
que me daria rotina e estabilidade
02:20
when I was dealing with so many
difficult personal decisions
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quando eu estava lidando
com tantas decisões pessoais difíceis
02:23
and so much uncertainty.
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e tanta incerteza.
02:25
Like, what sort of breast
reconstruction I was going to have.
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Como que tipo de reconstrução
de mama eu faria.
02:30
And at a time like that,
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E num momento como esse,
02:32
you would think that I would turn
to my family and friends for support.
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é normal achar que me voltaria
para a família e amigos pra me apoiar.
E sim, claro que fiz isso.
02:35
And yes, of course I did that.
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02:39
But it would ultimately be my colleagues
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Mas no final das contas foram meus colegas
02:41
who would play a huge role
in my day-to-day life.
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que desempenharam um papel
enorme no meu dia a dia.
02:46
And they would be
the ones to make me laugh.
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Eram eles que me faziam rir.
02:49
You see, we were a pretty close team,
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Nós éramos uma equipe muito próxima,
02:52
and we shared a couple
of really good in-jokes,
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e compartilhávamos
algumas boas piadas internas,
02:55
like this time they overheard
someone ask me
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como uma vez que eles ouviram
alguém me perguntar
02:59
how I got my hair so shiny and perfect --
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como mantinha meu cabelo
tão brilhante e perfeito,
03:04
without knowing that it was,
of course, a wig,
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sem saber que era, é claro, uma peruca.
03:07
and you know, it was a very good wig
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Era uma peruca muito boa
03:09
and it did make getting ready
in the mornings very easy.
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e facilitava muito para eu
me arrumar de manhã.
03:12
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
03:13
But in little moments like this,
I appreciated what their support meant,
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Mas em pequenos momentos como este,
eu valorizava o apoio deles,
03:18
and I wondered what I would
have done without that network.
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e me perguntava o que faria sem isso.
03:22
I've spoken with so many people,
women in particular,
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Eu falei com tantas pessoas,
mulheres especialmente,
03:26
who haven't had the chance
to have that network
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que não tinham tido a chance
de ter essa rede de apoio
03:29
because they haven't been given
the opportunity to work through treatment.
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porque elas não tiveram a oportunidade
de trabalhar durante o tratamento.
03:35
And there are several reasons for this.
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E existem várias razões para isso,
03:37
But I think it mostly comes down
to overly paternalistic employers.
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mas acho que se deve principalmente
a empregadores paternalistas demais.
03:42
These employers want you to go away
and focus on yourself.
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Esses empregadores querem que você
vá embora e se concentre em si mesmo,
03:47
And come back when you're better.
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e volte quando estiver melhor.
03:50
And they use those kinds of phrases.
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Eles usam esse tipo de frases.
03:53
And while these responses
are well-meaning,
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E embora essas reações
sejam bem-intencionadas,
03:56
knowing the benefits it brought me,
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sabendo dos benefícios que me trouxe,
03:58
it makes me incredibly frustrated
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fico incrivelmente frustrada
04:01
when people are told
that they couldn’t or shouldn't work,
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quando dizem às pessoas
que não podem ou não devem trabalhar,
04:05
when it's something that they want to do
and physically can do.
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se é algo que elas querem,
e, fisicamente, podem fazer.
04:09
So I started to look into
what an employer is required to do
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Então, eu comecei a pesquisar
o que um empregador é obrigado a fazer
04:12
when someone presents
with a cancer diagnosis.
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quando alguém se apresenta
com um diagnóstico de câncer.
04:16
I discovered that under Australian law,
cancer is considered a disability.
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Eu descobri que sob a lei australiana,
o câncer é considerado uma deficiência.
04:21
So if you are unable to perform
your usual work duties,
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Então, se você é incapaz de executar
as tarefas normais de trabalho,
04:25
your employer is obligated
by the Disability Discrimination Act
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o empregador é obrigado, pela lei
de discriminação por deficiência,
04:29
to make reasonable adjustments
to your working arrangements,
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a fazer ajustes razoáveis
no regime de trabalho,
04:32
so that you can continue to work.
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para que você possa continuar trabalhando.
04:36
What would reasonable
adjustments look like for me?
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Como seriam os ajustes razoáveis para mim?
04:40
I knew the obvious impacts
my diagnosis was going to have on work.
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Eu sabia os impactos óbvios
que meu diagnóstico teria no trabalho.
04:45
Medical appointments would be scheduled
during business hours,
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Consultas médicas seriam agendadas
durante o horário comercial,
04:48
and I knew that I would need time off
to recover from surgical procedures.
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e eu sabia que precisaria de folga para
me recuperar de procedimentos cirúrgicos.
04:53
Again, being a typical lawyer,
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Mais uma vez, sendo uma advogada típica,
04:55
I had done my due diligence
on what to expect from treatment.
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fiz minha devida diligência
sobre o que esperar do tratamento.
05:00
Admittedly, a lot of that
was through Doctor Google,
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Confesso que muito foi
através do "Doutor Google",
talvez não tenha sido minha melhor
jogada e não recomendo.
05:02
perhaps not my best move
and I wouldn't recommend that.
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05:05
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
05:07
But while I was ready
for all the physical side effects,
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Mas apesar de estar pronta
para os efeitos colaterais físicos,
05:10
what really scared me
was this thing called chemo brain.
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o que me assustava era uma coisa
chamada "nevoeiro quimioterápico".
05:15
Chemo brain presents itself
through memory loss,
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O nevoeiro quimioterápico se apresenta
através da perda de memória,
05:18
an inability to concentrate
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uma incapacidade de se concentrar
05:20
and an inability to solve problems.
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e de resolver problemas.
05:23
And if this happened to me,
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E se acontecesse comigo,
05:25
I wondered how I was going to do
my job as a lawyer.
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eu me perguntava como iria fazer
meu trabalho como advogada.
05:28
Would I be forced to leave work?
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Eu seria forçada a sair do trabalho?
05:30
And how could I possibly
have a discussion with my manager
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E como poderia discutir com meu gerente
05:35
about reasonable adjustments
to my working arrangements
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os ajustes razoáveis
no meu regime de trabalho
05:38
when I didn't know
how I was going to be impacted?
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quando eu não sabia como seria impactada?
05:41
I was fortunate to have
a supportive manager
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Tive a sorte de ter um gerente solidário
05:45
who was happy to see
how things went as we went along,
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que se satisfez em ver como as coisas
seriam conforme passássemos por elas,
05:48
rather than requiring
a concrete plan up front.
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em vez de exigir um plano prévio concreto.
05:53
I was lucky that while
he may not have even known
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Eu tive sorte que,
embora ele sequer conhecesse
05:56
about this concept
of reasonable adjustments,
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o conceito de ajustes razoáveis,
05:59
to him, it was just common sense.
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para ele, era apenas bom senso.
06:03
But I've learned that it's not
common sense to everyone.
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Mas aprendi que não é
bom senso para todos.
06:08
Everyone going through treatment
will learn how it impacts them
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Todos que passam pelo tratamento
aprendem como ele os afeta
06:11
and what their limitations are.
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e quais são as limitações.
06:14
And they'll learn to adjust for that.
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E eles aprendem a se ajustar.
06:16
So for me, there were the tips and tricks
that I learned about the treatment itself,
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Pra mim, havia as dicas e truques
que eu aprendi sobre o tratamento em si,
06:21
like, before you go to chemo,
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como, antes da quimioterapia,
06:23
you need to make sure
you're really well hydrated
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precisava ter certeza
de que estava bem hidratada
06:25
and that you're warm, because it helps
the nurses to find your veins.
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e aquecida, porque ajuda
as enfermeiras a encontrar as veias.
06:29
And make sure that you don't eat
any of your favorite food,
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E me certificar de não comer
uma comida favorita,
06:32
either before or after chemo,
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antes ou depois da quimioterapia,
06:34
because you're going to be
throwing that up
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porque ia vomitar
06:36
and you won't ever
want to look at it again.
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e nunca mais ia querer ver aquilo de novo.
06:38
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
Aprendi da maneira mais difícil.
06:40
I learned that one the hard way.
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06:42
And then there were the tricks
for managing my workflow.
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E depois havia os truques
para gerenciar o fluxo de trabalho.
06:45
I scheduled chemo for first thing
on a Monday morning.
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Marcava quimioterapia
na primeira hora de segunda-feira.
06:49
I knew that from the time
I left the cancer care unit,
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Sabia que assim que saía
da unidade de tratamento do câncer,
06:52
I had about four hours
before this fog screen would come down
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tinha cerca de quatro horas
antes da névoa dissipar
06:56
and I would start to be sick.
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e eu começava a passar mal.
06:58
So I would use that time to clean my inbox
and make any urgent calls.
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Eu usava esse tempo para ler
e-mails e fazer ligações urgentes.
07:04
The worst of the sickness would be gone
within about 48 hours.
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O pior do mal-estar desaparecia
dentro de 48 horas.
07:08
And then I would log back
into work from home.
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E então eu voltava a trabalhar de casa.
07:12
This treatment continued
and I knew what to expect.
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O tratamento continuou
e eu sabia o que esperar.
07:15
I was able to set reasonable expectations
with my business partners
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Conseguia estabelecer expectativas
razoáveis com parceiros de trabalho,
07:18
about what I could do
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do que eu conseguia fazer
e os prazos que poderia atender.
07:20
and the time frames that I could do it in.
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07:23
But I still remember
the hesitation in their voices
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Mas ainda me lembro
da hesitação nas vozes deles
07:27
when it came to asking for things.
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quando se tratava de pedir coisas.
07:29
And asking me to do things
by a certain time.
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E me pedir para fazer
algo dentro de um prazo.
07:32
And trust me, these were people
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Acreditem em mim, estas eram pessoas
07:34
that were not afraid
of setting a good deadline.
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que não tinham medo
de estabelecer um bom prazo.
07:36
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
07:38
I got the impression they didn't want
to put any extra pressure on me
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Tinha a impressão de que não queriam
colocar nenhuma pressão extra em mim,
07:42
while I was going through treatment.
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enquanto eu passava pelo tratamento.
07:44
And while I appreciated the sentiment,
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E apesar de apreciar o sentimento,
07:46
I actually needed the deadlines.
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eu realmente precisava dos prazos.
07:49
To me, that was something
within my control
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Para mim, era algo dentro do meu controle
07:51
and something
that could stay in my control
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e algo que eu podia manter sob controle,
quando havia tantas coisas que não podia.
07:54
when there were so many
things that couldn't.
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07:57
And as I was working from home,
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E enquanto eu trabalhava em casa,
08:00
I was thinking about how employers
should be applying this concept
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pensava em como os empregadores
deveriam aplicar este conceito
08:03
of reasonable adjustments
in our current age,
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de ajustes razoáveis em nossa época atual,
08:06
where one in two Australian men and women
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em que um em cada dois homens
e mulheres australianos
08:10
will be diagnosed with cancer
by the age of 85.
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será diagnosticado com câncer
até os 85 anos de idade.
08:13
So, as we continue to work
longer and longer into older age,
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Como continuamos a trabalhar
mais e mais até a idade avançada,
08:18
the chances of having a serious illness
while we're in the workforce
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as chances de ter uma doença grave
estando ainda no mercado de trabalho
08:22
are increasing.
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estão aumentando.
08:24
And with technology enabling us
to work anywhere, any time,
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Com a tecnologia que nos permite trabalhar
em qualquer lugar, a qualquer hora,
08:29
reasonable adjustments
are no longer contingent upon
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ajustes razoáveis não dependem mais
08:33
whether or not you can continue
to physically make it
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de poder ou não estar presencialmente
08:36
into the physical office.
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no escritório físico.
08:39
Reasonable adjustments are also not about
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Ajustes razoáveis também não são
08:41
just offering a longer break
or a comfier chair to sit in,
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apenas oferecer uma pausa mais longa
ou uma cadeira confortável para sentar,
08:45
although those things might be good, too.
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embora essas coisas sejam boas também.
08:48
At the very least,
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No mínimo,
08:50
we need to be applying
the flexibility policies and strategies
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precisamos aplicar as políticas
e estratégias de flexibilidade
08:53
we've developed for other scenarios,
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que desenvolvemos pra outros cenários,
08:55
like for people
with family responsibilities.
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como pessoas com responsabilidades
familiares, por exemplo.
08:59
But how can we ensure that people
are even having a conversation
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Mas como podemos garantir
que as pessoas sequer falarão
09:04
about what reasonable adjustments
might look like for them
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sobre quais ajustes razoáveis
se aplicariam a elas
09:07
if a manager's first response is to say,
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se a primeira reação de um gerente for:
09:10
"Oh no, don't come back to work
until you're better."
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"Não volte a trabalhar
até que esteja melhor."?
09:15
And a light went on for me.
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E uma luz acendeu pra mim.
09:17
It must be compulsory for managers
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Deve ser obrigatório para os gerentes
ter essas conversas com os funcionários.
09:19
to have to have these conversations
with their employees.
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09:23
And lessons from people like me,
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E, lições de pessoas como eu,
09:26
that have really benefited
from working through treatment,
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que se beneficiaram do trabalho
durante o tratamento,
09:29
need to be more widely shared.
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precisam ser amplamente compartilhadas.
09:31
And I thought about what could be done
to guide these conversations,
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Eu pensava no que poderia ser feito
para guiar essas conversas,
09:35
and then an amazing
colleague of mine, Camilla Gunn,
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e então uma incrível
colega minha, Camilla Gunn,
criou o kit de ferramentas:
"Trabalhando com Câncer".
09:39
developed a "Working with Cancer" toolkit.
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09:42
The toolkit provides a framework
for those diagnosed,
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O kit de ferramentas fornece
uma estrutura para os diagnosticados,
09:46
their managers, their carers
and their coworkers
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e para os gerentes, cuidadores
e colegas de trabalho deles,
09:49
to have conversations about cancer
and the work support available.
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terem conversas sobre o câncer
e o apoio ao trabalho disponível.
09:54
Camilla and I have now been
to other organizations
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Camilla e eu fomos a outras organizações
para falar do kit de ferramentas
09:56
to talk about the toolkit
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1219
09:57
and how it can help to guide through
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e como podia ajudar a orientar
10:00
what, quite frankly, are otherwise
some pretty awkward conversations.
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3736
o que, francamente, de outra forma seriam
algumas conversas bastante embaraçosas.
10:04
And I'm pleased to say that the uptake
of the toolkit is increasing.
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3919
E tenho o prazer de dizer que a aceitação
do kit de ferramentas está aumentando.
10:10
So what should be
a manager's first response
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2540
Então, qual deve ser
a primeira reação de um gerente
quando alguém diz que está doente
10:12
when somebody says that they're sick
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2414
10:15
and they don't know
how it's going to impact their work?
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e ele não sabe como isso
afetará o trabalho dele?
10:18
It must be this:
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2238
Deve ser essa:
10:20
"To the extent that you
are able, and want to,
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3778
"Na medida em que você for capaz e quiser,
10:24
we would love to work out
an arrangement for you
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2333
gostaríamos de desenvolver
um acordo para você
10:26
to continue to work through treatment."
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2086
continuar trabalhando
durante o tratamento".
10:29
We need to start positively engaging
people with serious illness
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Precisamos envolver positivamente
as pessoas com doenças graves
10:33
to keep them in the workforce,
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2500
para mantê-las na força de trabalho,
10:35
rather than paternalistically
pushing them away.
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3133
em vez de afastá-las paternalisticamente.
10:40
I've told you my story
because I want you to know the benefits
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4045
Eu lhes contei minha história porque
quero que vocês conheçam os benefícios
10:44
that working through treatment brought me.
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2072
que trabalhar durante
o tratamento me trouxe.
10:46
And I also want to change your perceptions
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2027
E eu também quero mudar suas percepções,
10:48
if you think that somebody
going through treatment
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2443
se vocês acham que alguém
que está em tratamento
10:51
is just bored, frail and vomiting a lot.
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639354
3571
está entediado, frágil e vomitando muito.
10:55
And yes, these things
were true some of the time,
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2912
E, sim, essas coisas eram
verdadeiras uma parte do tempo,
10:58
if not a lot of the time,
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2246
ou a maior parte do tempo,
11:00
but I was also determined
to push myself at work
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mas também queria me dedicar ao trabalho
11:03
as much as I had always done.
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1730
tanto quanto eu sempre fiz.
11:05
And I was able to do that
because my employer gave me the choice.
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E eu pude fazer isso porque
meu empregador me deu a escolha.
11:11
Most importantly, I'm telling you
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Mais importante, eu estou dizendo a vocês
11:13
because while it's a seemingly
obvious choice to give someone,
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porque, embora seja uma escolha
aparentemente óbvia pra se dar a alguém,
11:17
it's not one that is always
offered or encouraged.
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não é sempre a oferecida ou incentivada.
11:21
And it must be.
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E deve ser.
11:23
Thank you.
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Obrigada.
11:24
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
Translated by Carolina Aguirre
Reviewed by Maricene Crus

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sarah Donnelly - Lawyer
Westpac's Sarah Donnelly wants to encourage more open conversations about why and how an individual might continue to work while undergoing treatment for serious illnesses.

Why you should listen

Sarah Donnelly was diagnosed with breast cancer at 30 years of age -- a story all too familiar among young women in her family. She chose to continue full-time employment throughout treatment and is living proof that work can play a crucial role in a person's mental and physical recovery from a serious illness. While her employer backed her decision, Donnelly has learned that the way organizations approach this issue varies greatly. This has sparked a personal mission to encourage more open conversations about why and how an individual might continue to work while undergoing treatment.  

A lawyer by trade, Donnelly is currently the Head of Group Secretariat at Westpac. She is an ally for GLOBAL, Westpac Group's Employee Action Group for LGBTIQ employees, a member of Women of Westpac, an advocate of Breast Cancer Network Australia and volunteers with Vinnie’s Van. She is an avid traveler and, when at home in Sydney's Blue Mountains, can usually be found out on a trail.

More profile about the speaker
Sarah Donnelly | Speaker | TED.com