80% of Cancer Patients Lose Their Jobs 罹癌職場困境 調查:8成年輕癌友失去工作

80 percent of cancer patients lose their jobs after being diagnosed, according to a survey by the Taiwan Young Patient Association.

Three years ago, entertainer Tang Ling was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Despite surgery and chemotherapy, her cancer is now in the fourth stage. She says she has not been able to get acting jobs since her diagnosis.

Tang Ling, Entertainer: “I've attended some events between chemotherapy rounds, but I have not had a single offer for an acting job since I got sick.”

According to a Taiwan Young Patient Association survey of cancer patients between the ages of 25 and 50, 80 percent of cancer patients lose their jobs because the majority of employers don't want to employ cancer patients or survivors. Most of them earn less than NT$500,000 a year. In addition, 45 percent can't find suitable jobs for their physical condition and 80 percent see a decline of NT$5,000-20,000 in their monthly income.

Pan I-ling, Chair, Taiwan Young Patient Association: “Most (cancer patients) lose their full-time jobs and can only find part-time jobs. Many have to become freelancers or find work-at-home jobs.”

Close to 470,000 people between the ages of 20 and 64 were treated for cancer in 2020. Civic groups say many of these people are primary providers for their families and employers should do their part to ease the financial burdens of cancer patients.
 

藝人唐玲3年前罹患胃癌，後來癌細胞轉移，目前是胃癌第4期，生病期間她因為開刀、化療等治療，不僅體力變差，戲劇通告跟收入也跟著減少，即使現在要重返職場工作，也面臨不少挑戰。

唐玲表示：「化療跟化療中間，剛剛好有一些縫縫的時候呢，那有一些活動就是有去出席，那接下來讓大家知道我生病之後，就沒有戲劇的邀約了。」

其實有不少年輕癌友面臨類似狀況，根據台灣年輕癌友協會最新調查發現，25到50歲年輕癌友，以年收入50萬元以下為最大宗，有8成癌友因罹癌失去原本工作，因為有半數以上雇主對罹癌史有疑慮，有4成5癌友因身體狀況，難以找到適合的工作型態，有8成癌友收入因此受影響，每月減少5000到2萬元。

台灣年輕病友協會理事長潘怡伶指出：「遇到最多的都是會從正職變成兼職，這是最多的，就是大部分都也許會回到職場，或只能在家裡上班，做一些接案的工作。」

根據衛福部統計，109年因癌症治療的20到64歲勞動力族群，近47萬人。民間團體強調，這些人正好是家庭重要經濟支柱，癌友治療、養家都要錢，經濟負擔重，因此呼籲企業應營造職場友善環境，降低癌友罹癌後的家庭財務衝擊。