Hi James,

Thanks for reaching out and congratulations on being a year all clear and returning to work this winter! I have sent your question to a legal expert and career coach to weigh in, so they should be in touch soon. In the meantime, I would also recommend that you check out the National Cancer Legal Services Network (http://www.nclsn.org/), you can find a local free legal service program to contact to see if they have additional thoughts/advice.

Please let us know if you have any other questions and we'll be in touch soon.

Best,

Sarah, Associate Manager of Programs, Cancer and Careers

Hi James, I am so sorry that you have had such a difficult time. Your question is largely a legal one and I know that one of our legal experts will be weighing in shortly.

Because the reality is that you know that you will be unable to maintain 25 hours a week,  I thought that I would give you some ideas about how to generate some freelance technical writing work. Thankfully, there is quite a bit of opportunity to work from home in your profession.

You didn't mention specifically what type of technical writing you do however whatever the industry is that you work in, definitely join LinkedIn groups in your industry and reach out to the discussion groups to ask who may be hiring freelance technical writers. Also on LinkedIn, find some line executives who work for some major companies in your industry and ask to connect with them. If they accept, then thank them and inquire about any possible work.

Perhaps it is obvious for me to say that your LinkedIn profile represents you well. Your headline and summary and keywords are the most significant elements of your profile.

I have a friend who changed careers in the last few years to become a freelance editor and she was pleasantly surprised about how many other editors would refer business to her that they were unable to handle themselves. She worked hard at forging relationships with these editors and they grew to trust and respect her.

 I hope this is helpful and I wish you the very best! Please write back again if you have any other questions.

Take care, Julie

Dear James,

Let me echo Sarah’s congratulations for a year “all
clear,” and for returning to work!  I wasn't totally sure from your note, do you currently have health insurance through
your employer?   If so, and you aren’t
able to work full-time, you may be eligible to elect COBRA coverage.  COBRA is the federal law that allows
individuals to keep their exact same group coverage when they would normally
lose it after experiencing a qualifying event (e.g., leaving a job or reducing
their hours so they are no longer eligible for benefits).  To be eligible, the employee must work for an
employer with 20 or more employees or a state or federal government.  The downside to electing COBRA is that it can
be very expensive, because you could be responsible for paying up to 102% of
the premium.  For more information about
COBRA, visit http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-consumer-cobra.html.

The other option may be for you to purchase an individual
plan through your state’s Health Insurance Marketplace.  Open enrollment for these Marketplaces began
on November 15 and will go through February 15, 2015.  You may also be eligible for financial
assistance to purchase a plan depending on your household size and income
level.  You can start shopping at http://healthcare.gov.  For more information about health care reform
in general, visit http://triagecancer.org/resources.  For information about picking a plan with
appropriate prescription drug coverage, visit http://triagecancer.org/blog/prescription-drug-coverage-do-you-understand-yours/.

Additionally, if you are taking a specific prescription drug and
you are having trouble paying for it, you may want to consider contacting the
pharmaceutical company that manufactures the drug to see if they have a patient
assistance program.

I hope that answers your questions.

Best,

Monica
Bryant, Esq.

Cancer
Rights Attorney

COO, Triage
Cancer

Please note that the above information is designed to
provide general information on the topics presented. It is provided with the
understanding that the expert is not engaged in rendering any legal or
professional services in the information provided above. The information
provided should not be used as a substitute for professional services.