16 October 2007  Get cancer, lose your job.  George Bush's
America. Via Washington Post.  A firefighter and an EMS
dispatcher in Manassas, VA were terminated after being diagnosed
with colorectal and breast cancer, respectively, and going out
on disability. Each was in discussions with supervisors
regarding alternative job duties which they would be able to
carry out when a notice of termination came in the mail. With
their jobs went their health and life insurance benefits.
Appalling doesn't begin to describe this sort of behavior on the
part of the employers, but apparently "legal" does. The legal
details are beyond me, but it really doesn't matter. As an
employer, I have had employees get sick, and cost our small
business a lot of money. Even if we could get away with it
legally, it would have been absolutely reprehensible to cut our
valued co-workers and friends off in such a time of need.  For
their sake, I hope these EMS workers belong to unions with
retirement plans that do include health insurance; t