News: Cancer patient fired after diagnosis wins $20K lawsuit

Few things in life are more frightening than a cancer diagnosis. Now imagine being fired from your job after revealing your diagnosis to your employer. That’s what happened to Toronto resident Elsa Torrejon when she requested a leave of absence because of her illness, reports the CBC.

According to the report, Torrejon’s employer, Weston Property Management, terminated her job when she requested a leave of absence to get treated for breast cancer. Her supervisor at Weston said that Torrejon had resigned from her post, reports the Toronto Star. However, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal determined that this was not the case. The tribunal decided that Weston made no effort to learn the Human Rights Code and that they discriminated against Torrejon because of her illness. The single mother of two was awarded $20,000 in general damages and lost wages, and Weston is required to complete Ontario Human Rights Code training.

Have you ever had trouble at work because of an illness?

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