Brain cancer patient quits 6-figure job after company refuses paid leave for chemo

Cancer patient resigns from work after being denied paid leave. (Representative Image)

Balancing work and serious illness is a challenge for many employees. For some, company policies that seem generous on paper do not always provide the support needed during critical times. Recently, a social media professional quit his six-figure advertising job after his requests for paid time off during brain cancer treatment were denied.

Tyler Wells, who lives in Tennessee, USA, shared his experience on X (formerly Twitter). He said being denied leave during chemotherapy for brain cancer left him with no choice but to quit his high-paying job and start working as a freelancer.

“I’m leaving my six-figure ad agency job in social media to go full-time freelance. Why? In 2024, I was diagnosed with brain cancer… We have unlimited PTO where I work,” Wells wrote. Unlimited PTO, or paid time off, is a policy where employees do not have a fixed number of holiday or sick days each year. Instead, they can take leave as needed, provided their work is completed and approved by a manager.

In Wells’ case, the company’s policy did not provide the support he expected. He explained, “I was told I couldn’t use that PTO each month while I was on chemo because that ‘would be considered abuse of the PTO policy’. (This would have been 2-3 days a month over the course of a year.) Instead, I would need to take unpaid FMLA.”

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows eligible employees in the US up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for serious medical or family reasons. While it guarantees job security, it does not provide pay.

“Imagine telling a chemo patient they couldn’t use their ‘Unlimited’ PTO when they were feeling sick from chemo. It happened. People who are sick are worried about so much already,” Wells added.

Wells also said his request for temporary workplace adjustments was rejected. He added, “Additionally, my accommodation request I submitted with my doctors for a temporary lighter workload was denied by HR. They said they were not obligated to help.”

Faced with denied leave, unpaid FMLA as the only option, and a refusal to reduce his workload, Wells decided to resign and focus on freelance work, which would allow him to manage his schedule during treatment.

I’m leaving my six-figure ad agency job in social media to go full-time freelance. Why? In 2024 I was diagnosed with brain cancer…

We have unlimited PTO where I work. I was told I couldn’t use that PTO each month while I was on chemo because that “would be considered abuse of… — tyler wells (@tylerdw) January 27, 2026

He also called for broader workplace reforms, saying, “We need reform in our workplaces and in our country for. How we treat people with illness in the workplace. Laws that guarantee full pay for workers going through chemotherapy or other cancer treatment. Our over-prioritization of work and productivity above all.”

Wells’ post received many responses from social media users who shared their experiences of working while undergoing cancer treatment. One user said, “As a fellow cancer patient, I support this! I've had to work through the last 2 years while undergoing treatment because I wouldn't be able to afford it without my insurance. I'm also a single mom of a child with autism. It's a completely unmanageable load.”

Another wrote, “That isn’t cool. I have been fortunate enough to have an understanding employer during my cancer treatment. I am sorry you experienced this.”