The anxiety of surviving cancer and keeping up with the gig economy

Susan Delcour had been eagerly counting down the days until her treatment for breast cancer was over. But after that final appointment, she realised she actually missed the routine of regular appointments and familiar faces checking in. Nearly 1.7 million people are living with, or beyond, cancer in Australia — and that number is expected to reach 2.6 million by 2050. So how do we better support people who are adjusting to life after cancer? Better protections have just landed for workers in some sections of the gig economy, giving delivery drivers a set of minimum standards to ensure fairer pay. But the gig economy has expanded beyond food and ridesharing. Employment relations expert Alex Veen explores how workplace protections are keeping up with the changing face of employment. The next generation of budding STEM workers are being encouraged to enter the sciences via pen pal friendships with working scientists.STEMpals founder Jennifer Payne and researcher Zoe Xirocostas share the joy in exchanging letters with aspiring scientists.