Ontario cancer patients forced to choose between treatment and jobs

An Ottawa doctor says he's speaking out after watch‐ ing patients being forced to choose between treatment and employment.

Sandeep Sehdev, an on‐ cologist at The Ottawa Hospi‐ tal's Cancer Centre, said he's seen patients defer treat‐ ment so they can work.

In one case, a patient in Toronto with Hodgkin's lym‐ phoma died because he couldn't take time off work for cancer treatment.

I think every Canadian would agree that's a bit un‐ fair. - Dr. Sandeep Sehdev,

Oncologist at The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre

Federal employment in‐ surance (EI) covers up to 26 weeks of leave for medical reasons. But in Ontario, jobs are only protected under the current Employment Stan‐ dards Act for three days of sick leave. After that, it's up to the employer.

For patients with cancer, this can impede their recov‐ ery.

"I had a patient recently who had to work operating a backhoe in the winter, all through her four and a half months of chemo, for this ex‐ act reason," Sehdev said.

Limited options

Olivia Desjardins, intake coordinator and social worker with The Ottawa Hospital's cancer program, said she's al‐ so seen patients face this dif‐ ficult choice.

Patients who are forced to stop working and rely on EI or disability benefits often struggle financially, jardins said.

"The reality is that their in‐ comes end up lower but their

Des‐ expenses remain the same, with the additional expenses that come with cancer," she said.

Most unionized employ‐ ees have some disability cov‐ erage, but those who don't or who are precariously em‐ ployed often face difficult choices.

While Sehdev said it's still rare for patients to choose working over treatment, for those who do, the decision comes at a cost.

Leave protection

Sehdev said financial support is only part of the puzzle. He said unpaid leave protection is essential to protecting can‐ cer patients.

Quebec patients already have 26 weeks of leave pro‐ tection. Earlier this month, Manitoba introduced legisla‐ tion that would align that province's leave protection with federal policy.

Sehdev said an added challenge is ensuring patien‐ ts can continue to work when possible.

"The return to their em‐ ployment, to be functional parts of society, to pay taxes, to live their lives is increas‐ ingly important, and that's where the challenge is."

If a relative falls ill, em‐ ployees have up to 37 weeks of unpaid leave protection under the Employment Stan‐ dards Act, depending on the circumstances. However, a cancer patient will only have their job protected for three days.

Sehdev hopes Ontario will follow the lead of other provinces and change this policy.

"I think every Canadian would agree that's a bit un‐ fair," he said.

Ontario's Ministry of Labour said in a statement it would begin consultations around protected leave for workers dealing with critical illness, to match the 26-week sickness benefit provided through EI.

The ministry announced the consultations in Novem‐ ber, but did not provide a timeline for when they would begin.