Imagine receiving the news that you have breast cancer — then being asked to hand in your work uniform.
Unthinkable, right? Well that’s exactly what allegedly happened to Pam Brunswick from Victoria.
Pam Brunswick is dedicated nurse and ambulance attendant. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2015 and began a course of surgery and radiotherapy soon thereafter.
Ms Brunswick told her employer, the National Patient Transfer Group (NPT), she was ill and would need time off in November 2014, 3AW reports.
But two months later, she received a letter informing her she no longer had a job and was required to hand in her uniform immediately.
The alleged reason why? She had taken too much time off work for her treatments.
Now a petition is demanding that she be given her old job back– and it’s already attracted over 3,400 signatures (click here).
“I had not been contacted by the company until I was sacked,” Ms Brunswick says in the petition, which has gained more than 3000 signatures since Monday. “All I want is my job back when I have recovered from cancer and ready to return.”
Ms Brunswick, whose LinkedIn profile says she has “forty years of combined Nursing and Ambulance experience,” told 3AW Neil Mitchell earlier this week the decision was “callous” and had left her upset.
“I sent them my details, there was no response from them the whole time I have been treated,” she said.
But NPT refutes Ms Brunswick’s claims.
“NPT did not terminate her contract because she had an illness. That is one hundred per cent incorrect,” NPT spokesperson Jeff Wilson told Mamamia.
“All staff need accreditation and once they haven’t worked for a period of three months, we require that accreditation to be renewed,” he adds.”I am devastated that people would think we would terminate on the grounds of illness.”
Mr Wilson previously claimed the company was never told Ms Brunswick was sick — but an email from her manager in February suggests she had told them she was unwell, according to 3AW reports.
Mr Wilson told Mamamia the company “wished Pam well with her recovery,” but added: “We don’t believe that personal issues should be played out in a public forum.”
Show your support for the petition here: Let me come back to work when I’ve recovered from breast cancer.
Take a look through Mamamia’s gallery of kick ass post-breast reconstruction tattoos:
P.Ink provides tattoo ideas, inspirations and artist info to mastectomy patients.
Read more here:
Rita Wilson has breast cancer and has undergone and double mastectomy.
“I’m dying from breast cancer and I hate your pink ribbons.”
Top Comments
When you have recovered and are well enough to return to work,then you can ask to be re- instated.
What is the point in signing a petition for someone who says they want their job back,when they haven't recovered yet? I'm sure she will have no problem finding work with the experience she has had in this field.
An employer cannot keep a job open for an extended and unknown period of time. She may never make a full recovery or ever be fit enought to return to work.
It's not a nice situation,and I feel for the woman. But you have to look at it from the other side as well.
I have been sacked twice for being sick and needing time off to have operations.
No,it's not fair. But,in the employer's eyes,I was unreliable.
Most employers just want to know if you are coming to work to do your job or not.
They cannot put someone's job on hold for a lengthy and unknown amount of time.From what I have read,they were told Ms Brunswick was not well,needed time off....and a lot of it,so probably got someone to replace her.When Ms Brunswick is well enough to return to work,she could then ask if she can be re-instated. It's common sense really. As Mr Wilson says,personal issues shouldn't be played out in the public forum. I wish Ms Brunswick all the best with her recovery and the stressful time she is having.