Ronnika, a young woman, had been diagnosed with throat cancer. The cancer was found early, but she was told she would still need chemotherapy. She wanted to continue working at her current job, a full time position as a cashier at a local grocery store, mainly because she got health insurance through her employer.
Ronnika had been told by her employer that she would most likely be able to continue working, but may have to cut down to part time when she undergoes chemotherapy. Ronnika wondered: “can they really make me cut my hours when I have cancer? Do I have any legal rights?”
Using the Pathways to Empowerment resource guide, Ronnika found a website that explained, in depth, the legal rights of people with a health condition. Because Ronnika could work full time with reasonable accommodations and some limited time off for treatment under the Family and Medical Leave Act, she was able to negotiate with her employer to keep her job at the full time level, and therefore retain her salary and insurance benefits.
