Breast Cancer Awareness Month: What Small Businesses Can Learn from HR Best Practices

Cynthia Jenkins
Oct 20
3 min read

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month — and while many companies show support through pink ribbons or fundraisers, the real impact happens behind the scenes in HR.

For small businesses, this month is an ideal time to step back and ask: Are we creating a culture that truly supports employees’ health and well-being — not just in October, but all year long?

As HR consultants who work with small and growing businesses every day, we see firsthand how thoughtful policies and proactive planning can make all the difference.

Here are a few ways your business can take meaningful steps this month — and how a fractional HR partner like Elevated HR can help you make it happen.

1. Make Health Benefits Work for Employees

Many small employers offer health insurance but don’t always have time to explain what’s included or how to access preventive care. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is the perfect reminder to spotlight what’s already available.

Encourage employees to take advantage of covered preventive screenings, such as annual mammograms or wellness visits — and make it easy for them to find in-network providers. HR consultants can help you design and communicate benefit summaries that employees will actually read (and understand), making your investment in benefits go further.

Tip: Consider hosting a short “Know Your Benefits” lunch-and-learn this month. We can help you create employee-friendly materials and coordinate with your broker or provider to ensure accurate messaging.

2. Review Leave and Accommodation Policies

If an employee or their loved one receives a serious diagnosis, they’ll need time, flexibility, and understanding. Unfortunately, many small businesses struggle to navigate FMLA eligibility, ADA accommodations, or state leave laws correctly.

That’s where HR guidance is essential. We help clients:

Develop compliant leave policies that fit their size and state requirements.
Create a simple, step-by-step accommodation request process.
Train managers on how to respond with empathy and compliance.

A well-structured policy doesn’t just protect the business — it reassures employees that they’ll be supported during one of the hardest times of their lives.

3. Build a Wellness Program That Fits Your Size

Wellness doesn’t have to mean expensive gym stipends or on-site fitness classes. For small teams, wellness starts with culture — and that can be as simple as encouraging preventive screenings, flexible schedules for appointments, or stress management resources.

Our firm helps businesses build scalable wellness programs — from quarterly wellness challenges to EAP partnerships and mental health resources — that fit within realistic budgets.

Even a few small initiatives can improve morale, reduce absenteeism, and strengthen your reputation as a caring employer.

4. Train Managers for Compassion and Compliance

When an employee opens up about a medical concern, the manager’s response matters. A compassionate, legally sound response sets the tone for the entire workplace.

We often provide short, customized trainings that teach managers how to:

Respond appropriately and confidentially.
Navigate conversations without overstepping medical privacy.
Loop HR in quickly to document and guide next steps.

These aren’t “nice-to-haves” — they’re business essentials that prevent costly missteps and ensure your team feels safe bringing their whole selves to work.

5. Use October as a Launchpad

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is more than a moment — it’s a call to action for small businesses to make wellness and empathy part of their ongoing culture.

Even if you don’t have an HR department, you don’t have to go it alone. Partnering with a fractional HR firm like Elevated HR Consulting gives you access to the same compliance tools, policy expertise, and employee support strategies that large organizations use — scaled to your size and budget.

We can help you:

Review your current benefits and leave policies.
Build a wellness strategy that fits your workforce.
Train managers for compassionate leadership.
Create a culture that values both productivity and people.

Final Thought

This October, show your commitment to more than awareness — show your commitment to action. Your people are your business, and taking care of them is more than the right thing to do — it’s a smart investment in retention, morale, and trust.

If you’d like to explore how your business can strengthen its HR foundation around wellness and support, Elevated HR Consulting is here to help.

Let’s make care part of your company culture — this month and every month.