Published Aug 2, 2021

Woman Fired From Tanning Salon Job Due to Previous Skin Cancer Battle Wins Big Payout: What To Know About Protecting Your Skin Year-Round

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Cancer Survivor's Justice

Sofi Lorimer, a 36-year-old woman from England who previously worked as an assistant at a tanning salon, was fired from her job due to a previous battle with melanoma. She took her employer to court and won.
Lorimer used to frequent tanning beds often, which contributed to her melanoma diagnosis. Tanning beds can be particularly damaging to the skin, as you are exposed to ultraviolet rays at a much closer distance.
Melanoma is the deadliest and most aggressive form of skin cancer; the cancer is caused by dangerous, extensive amounts of sun damage to the skin, and can develop from an existing mole or appear as a pink growth on the skin.

Sofi Lorimer, a 36-year-old woman from England, recently received a huge settlement after being fired from her job at a tanning bed salon due to a previous battle with skin cancer. Lorimer won her lawsuit and has taught all of us an important lesson in knowing how to advocate for ourselves and also keeping our skin safe.

While working as an assistant at a tanning bed salon, Lorimer was asked to get inside one of the beds in order to fix it as it wouldn’t turn off. She shared with her boss that she didn’t feel comfortable getting into the bed due to a previous battle with melanoma. Three days later, her boss fired her. According to documents, Lorimer’s boss said “I don’t feel you should work here anymore as you had cancer, and I don’t feel it is appropriate.”

Lorimer was a frequent tanning bed user for seven years until she was diagnosed with melanoma in September 2015. She went through 15 operations to remove the cancer over two years. She was eventually declared in remission in March 2017. However, after the experience of being fired solely due to her battle with the disease, Lorimer took her boss to court as a way to show the injustice she faced.

“It absolutely wasn’t in my job description to have to go into the sunbeds,” Lorimer said. “The fear that melanoma might come back is always there, so I take care of my skin and wouldn’t dream of going on the sun beds. He brought back all the pain and fear of being ill. I didn’t have to tell him my personal circumstances.”

The courts ruled in Lorimer’s favor, where she was awarded a £9,300 (nearly $13,000) on behalf of discrimination and wrongful termination.

“I just wanted him to understand he had been cruel and you just can’t treat people like that,” Lorimer said. “How would he feel if it was his daughter. But he just thought he was untouchable. Who would sack someone for that reason? It was such a shock. I was devastated. It was such a relief when it was over and done with and I didn’t have to think about him anymore. The anxiety he caused me was horrible. I want others to know they can seek legal action for situations like mine.”

Dr. Dendy Engelman breaks down the top 5 ways to protect yourself from skin cancer

What is Melanoma?

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, affecting 100,350 adults annually. The disease starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair, and eyes their color. Only, in melanoma, the cells change in a way that makes them able to spread to other organs. A majority of times, the cancer is caused by dangerous, extensive amounts of sun damage to the skin, and can develop from an existing mole or appear as a pink growth on the skin even appearing in places that were never directly exposed to the sun. The disease can be caused by both outright exposure to the sun, and also tanning bed use.

You're most likely to find melanoma on sun-exposed areas of skin, like your face, neck, arms, and legs. Surprisingly, you might also find them in places that have never been exposed to the sun such as the palms of your hand/soles of your feet, on your eyes or mouth, and even under your nails. To avoid a late-stage diagnosis it’s important to check your skin regularly.

“Melanomas are the deadliest type of skin cancer, because they have a tendency to spread to other parts of the body, either through the lymphatics or the bloodstream,” Dr. Anna Pavlick, a medical oncologist at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet. “Most of the time, 90% of all melanomas are sun exposed…There is a very small subset, less than 10% of patients, who have a genetic or a familial link between pancreas cancer and melanoma.”

Dr. Anna Pavlick explains explains the basics of melanoma

Melanoma & Tanning Beds

While most people believe that melanoma is only caused by being outside and exposed to the sun, that actually isn’t the case. Frequently using the tanning bed also puts you at high risk of melanoma because of your close exposure to UVA/UVB rays (which are ultraviolet rays that are also found in the sun). While outside, you’re separated from these rays by thousands of miles, and are able to protect yourself by donning hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses. However, while in a tanning bed you’re only a few inches away from those very same rays.

“You have to think about the intensity that you’re exposing your skin to when you go to a tanning salon,” Dr. Pavlick told SurvivorNet in a separate interview. “We know that there is an exponential increase in patients who develop melanomas who have been to tanning salons.”

The best way to prevent any damage to your skin is avoid tanning beds entirely, and when outside make sure to protect your skin by wearing sunscreen regularly.

Dr. Anna Pavlick explains how tanning beds increase your risk of melanoma

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