Discrimination allegations in people with a history of cancer persisted even after the Americans with Disabilities Act was amended in 2009, according to a recent study. Moreover, some types of alleged discrimination increased.

Investigators used Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) information to compare allegations and merit of discrimination before and after the Amendments Act was implemented. Among the results:

• Charges related to terms of employment were 34% more likely to be filed after the act was implemented; they were 35% more likely to have merit.
• Alleged charges related to workplace relations were 48% more likely to be filed after the act was implemented; the merits of such complaints were no different pre- or post-implementation.
• Other discrimination allegations—such as hiring, reasonable accommodation, and termination—and their merit remained unchanged.

The authors noted that the oncology care team is uniquely positioned to help with recommendations on workplace accommodations.