The Assertive Cancer Patient: Knows About Workplace Rights

When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I had no idea that people who were in cancer treatment could, or did, work. I was surprised when my doctors told me that I could continue to work with a few weeks off after surgery and a few days off after each chemotherapy treatment.

You may want to continue to work, or you may have no choice in the matter, as I didn’t, since I am a single parent raising two sons. But there are obstacles—including employers. I was fired while in cancer treatment by the health and fitness Web site for which I first wrote about my cancer in a weekly series called “Jeanne’s Diary.”

I also did not know, until I was fired, that people with cancer are protected by the Americans With Disabilities Act. The act provides protections for both cancer patients and cancer survivors. These protections include "reasonable accommodation," such as working from home, to allow you to continue to work if you want to.