Fifth of cancer sufferers complain of discrimination in the workplace

♦ Record numbers of cancer sufferers are facing discrimination at work, according to a study by Macmillan Cancer Support.

The number of calls to the charity from sufferers with work-related problems rose by 74per cent, up from fewer than 1,000 in 2015-16 to 1,711 in the year to May. The rise was attributed to an increased number of sufferers in work, at around 890,000.

One in five sufferers said they faced illegal discrimination such as demotion, claimed a Yougov poll of 1,500 victims, while one in 25 had lost their jobs as a result of their diagnosis.

Nearly a tenth (8 per cent) of managers feared someone could use their illness as an excuse not to pull their weight, while 34per cent said they were concerned their employee would not stay long in the job.

One in eight claimed diagnosis could cause awkwardness or resentment among their colleagues.

Jordan Taylor, 24, from Telford, Shropshire, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer, said his boss had blamed his absence for a performance decline by his company: “Shortly after my return, I was told my whole team faced redundancy. A few colleagues insinuated that it was my fault.”

Liz Egan, of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Many bosses have misconceptions about employees with a cancer diagnosis.”