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Disclosing the ‘Big C’: What Does Cancer Survivorship Signal to Employers?

Author

Listed:
  • Philippe Sterkens
  • Adelina Sharipova
  • Stijn Baert

Abstract

To study hiring discrimination against cancer survivors, we conduct a vignette experiment in which American and British recruiters evaluate fictitious job candidates. Candidates differed by periods of non-employment in their career, including non-employment due to suffering from cancer. We study the effect of cancer experiences on the recruiters’ hiring decisions, as well as its effect on underlying candidate perceptions, related to various potential forms of stigma identified in the literature. We find that employment opportunities are lower for candidates with a history of cancer, compared to candidates without such a gap. This penalty is particularly explained by perceptions that these candidates will have higher sick leave probabilities and create additional costs. However, relative to candidates with a comparable gap due to depression or personal reasons, former cancer patients are less stigmatised, with relatively favourable assessments of their emotional abilities, social abilities, motivation and positive impact on workplace culture.

Suggested Citation

  • Philippe Sterkens & Adelina Sharipova & Stijn Baert, 2022. "Disclosing the ‘Big C’: What Does Cancer Survivorship Signal to Employers?," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 22/1048, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    • Handle: RePEc:rug:rugwps:22/1048
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Van Borm, Hannah & Burn, Ian & Baert, Stijn, 2021. "What Does a Job Candidate's Age Signal to Employers?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    2. Sterkens, Philippe & Baert, Stijn & Rooman, Claudia & Derous, Eva, 2021. "As if it weren’t hard enough already: Breaking down hiring discrimination following burnout," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    3. Acharya, Avidit & Blackwell, Matthew & Sen, Maya, 2018. "Analyzing Causal Mechanisms in Survey Experiments," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 26(4), pages 357-378, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Hiring discrimination; cancer; depression; signalling;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J70 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - General
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing

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