Earlier today while New York State lawmakers held a hearing on workforce development-related budget items, cancer survivors and patient advocates with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) gathered outside the hearing room to showcase their support for Senate Bill 172 and Assembly Bill 84 to improve access to paid family and medical leave for New York workers.
Under New York’s current paid leave programs, residents do not receive job protection and so can be fired for taking time off to undergo lifesaving treatment. Attendees of ACS CAN’s press conference earlier today heard from two New Yorkers who were subject to termination amid their cancer treatment. Greater Albany native Stacey Betler was one of the survivors who shared her story.
At just 27-years-old, pregnant with her second child and the sole provider for her family, Betler was diagnosed with breast cancer--to her great shock. A whirlwind diagnosis and pre-term delivery was not the end of her shock; upon starting treatment, Betler learned that she’d be fired from her role.
“With the job went my health insurance, too. In the thick of my treatment, I was uninsured, receiving no paycheck, rejected from disability and trying to parent a newborn and toddler. I was pouring everything I had into fighting for my life, struggling each day to wake up and drive the 50 minutes to the hospital for my treatment when the reality crystalized that my car—the vehicle that delivered me to my lifesaving care—might be taken away along with my house,” said Betler.
Angela Padmore shared a similar story of being fired from her job after a breast cancer diagnosis. At 61-years-old, she described the experience as traumatic, her termination exacerbating the stress and anxieties around her diagnosis.
“I can remember the fear and anxiety that took control of me during that period in my life. After being diagnosed and then fired, I had no idea what my next steps would be, but I knew that, on top of fighting for my life, I would have to fight to keep my family afloat, too,” said Padmore. “There is a silver lining to my story: thankfully, my kids were grown when I was diagnosed, and I didn’t have to take care of them in the same way that younger parents battling disease must care for their kids. With people being diagnosed with cancer at younger ages, the burden on families is growing. We need our state lawmakers to act and support the everyday worker and parent in New York.”
Thousands of New Yorkers battling cancer and other chronic diseases are at risk of losing their jobs while undergoing treatment and are forced to get by on a less than livable wage.
Presently, New Yorkers battling a serious health issue can receive a maximum of just $170 per week from the state under New York State’s Temporary Disability Insurance Program—a number unchanged since 1989. This differs from New Jersey where workers can receive up to $1,054 per week.
Moriah Engelberg, Organizer with A Better Balance, said, "No worker should ever be forced to choose between their paycheck and caring for their health. We hear from countless New Yorkers through our free legal helpline who are faced with this impossible decision because the state's paid medical leave program is so far behind. In 2025, workers and families can't afford to live on a benefit amount that has remained frozen for almost forty years.”
Advocates are hopeful that lawmakers utilize the 2025-26 budget to institute reforms to the state’s existing paid family and medical leave programs, ensuring the workers receive a livable wage, job protection, health insurance continuation and the opportunity to take time-off intermittently.
“The lawmakers who convened today’s hearing on workforce development have the power to effect the necessary change in New York’s paid leave programs through the 2025-2026 New York State Budget. It is our hope that, in making their budget priorities, they consider the decision that Stacy, Angela and many of the more than 132,000 New Yorkers who will hear the words ‘you have cancer’ in 2025 will have to make,” said Michael Davoli, senior government relations director for ACS CAN.
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About ACS CAN
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) advocates for evidence-based public policies to reduce the cancer burden for everyone. We engage our volunteers across the country to make their voices heard by policymakers at every level of government. We believe everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. Since 2001, as the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and advanced proven tobacco control measures. We stand with our volunteers, working to make cancer a top priority for policymakers in cities, states and our nation’s capital. Join the fight by visiting www.fightcancer.org.