Oncological oblivion: easier access to active labour market policies for cancer survivors

It is the crucial piece that was missing in the construction of the puzzle of rights protections required by the law on oncological oblivion that puts Italy at the forefront of civil protections: the one that, a few days after the provision with which the Institute for the Supervision of Insurance-Ivass put in black and white the parity between people who have not encountered cancer in their lives and those who can be considered cured, provides for equal opportunities in the insertion and permanence at work, in the use of related services and in the retraining of career and salary paths.

With this objective in mind, after extensive discussions with patients' associations, which obtained the extension of the audience to include those still undergoing adjuvant treatment or follow-up, the decree of the Minister of Labour and Social Policies, in agreement with the Minister of Health, no. 4/2026, implementing the law no. 193/2023 on cancer oblivion, was adopted. A measure that 'is part of a broader government action to support people with cancer and their families. In particular,' they recall from the Ministry of Labour, 'protections for workers facing cancer have been strengthened, donations to the Third Sector have been simplified, and the Budget Law for 2026 has increased the Fund for assistance to children with cancer by EUR 2 million for each of the years 2026, 2027 and 2028.

'With this decree we are taking a step that touches on people's concrete lives,' explains Labour Minister Marina Calderone. Making the protections provided by the law on oncological oblivion fully operational means clearly stating that recovery must coincide with a new beginning, free of fears, prejudices and unjustified barriers. The measure guarantees real tools to accompany the return to work, support professional growth and enhance the skills of each person. It is a commitment that the government takes on with conviction: to build a system that leaves no one behind and that is able to look at the personal history of each citizen with respect and responsibility. We will continue to work, in constant dialogue, so that those who have passed such a difficult test can count on genuine support and the possibility of planning their future'.

The decree, explain the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, - focuses on the dignity of the person and the right to live without prejudice, social and economic barriers. It does so by focusing in particular on skills, which are present or can be activated through active labour policies.
In practice, it assimilates all persons recovered from oncological pathologies to the subjects in a condition of fragility included among the beneficiaries of the Gol Programme (Guaranteed Employability of Workers), of the New Skills Fund, of the Inclusion Allowance (Adi) and of the Support for Training and Work (Sfl) in case the economic requirement is integrated, and among those for whom the 'reasonable accommodations' defined by Laws No. 18/2009 and No. 104/1992, implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, can be activated.

"We are thus guaranteeing thousands of citizens cured of cancer the just and effective recognition of their rights. I am thinking, in particular, of those who faced the disease as children: more than 50,000 people cured of paediatric cancer will be able to benefit from the law and look to the future with greater serenity,' stressed Deputy Minister in charge of Social Policies Maria Teresa Bellucci. 'We will continue along this path, in the name of a concrete and lasting commitment in favour of people with oncological diseases and those who have already won their battle.