Fired without notice - I have terminal cancer - what to do?

[Mothrasstillmoshing]

Sorry this is going to be a long post I will try to explain as best as I can but I need some advice please.
I have terminal S4 cancer but I'm managing fairly well and until December I was working my usual job with some adjustments and I'd had no complaints about my work etc.
I was first diagnosed in 2022, had surgery & chemo etc and was off sick for 6 months. I returned to normal duties after a phased return and was given the all clear in early 2023. All was fine until early 2024 when I was diagnosed with the exact same cancer, in the exact same place but more advanced than before. I will add that I received awful treatment in 2022/23 from oncology and was left with CPTSD/depression etc and it was obvious that nothing's different this time (both hospitals involved are awful, very dismissive and rude) which led me to deciding not to have any treatment this time and let nature take it's course. Two years down the line I am gradually getting towards the end but I'm still living normally with medication/pain relief/support etc.

I work 14 hours per week (NMW rate) for a very large medical type charity in their retail arm since late 2021 - so I'm a retail assistant in a shop which is a popular busy one. The adjustments that I have had (since about late 2024) are things like no consecutive shift days, extra breaks (rarely needed), no lifting of heavy donations/items, no operation of equipment like vacuums or steamers etc so not much really compared to the rest of my duties. I will also say now that I am diagnosed with ADHD and autism which I declared to my employer from the beginning and it's never been an issue. Neither has there ever been any issues with my work raised and any small issues have been sorted between myself and my manager. I've always enjoyed my job.

I was signed off sick in December 2025 because I tired, felt ill and my manager had been treating me differently and poorly so I was excessively stressed/depressed. I had an occupational health assessment last month which said I was fully capable to return to duties with the addition of no lone working, set work days and to follow the same adjustments as before but mentioned tiredness/exhaustion/tumour pain.
I had an interview last Thursday with my area manager (my manager's boss) and he went through the OH report, asked if I'd consider redeployment/WFH transferring to other duties/job (yes I would), discussed my physical health and medication (low dose slow release morphine). He gave the impression that it was doable and we had a refreshment break. When he returned to the meeting he said that he was terminating my employment immediately from that minute. He said HR will email the decision later that day and that I could appeal. That was it.

I am still waiting for this documentation to come through from HR and I've been told to wait for how ever long it takes. The company's own sickness guidance states that you must appeal within 7 days of being told of the dismissal.
I have put in a SAR to the companies data officer today because I have a very bad feeling over the whole thing - not only have I lost my income/job but I've lost my death in service insurance.

So what can I do? What are my options now seeing as my employer is already being obstructive?

I know that I have a Protected Characteristic under disability law. I have already suffered discrimination from my employer because they have refused to carry over my unused holiday entitlement in 2024 & 2025 and I had to lodge a complaint at the end of last year and in February they agreed to 'award' me my correct entitlement but I had to fight for it. My store manager is very poor and has a history (which is ongoing) of denying staff their correct breaks, being difficult when wanting holiday, restricting access to our own work records online etc. It was a disagreement over my holiday entitlement, plus she told me some outrageous lies, that caused me to go off sick in December.

Sorry this so long but I'm hoping that someone can give advice as to how to proceed.
Thanks for any advice xx

I've just made this exact same call out about oddgain on another thread! Wtaf is wrong with people like this. So nasty.

Yeah agree with this @Shessweetbutapsycho we all misjudge a situation and our words sometimes. Most people just slink away but you didn't which shows you in a good light.

Barbados?

I am so very sorry to hear about everything. You didn't say a lot about your hospital treatment but if it resulted in PTSD do you think it was possible they were negligent? If so you might want to speak to a lawyer about that. You could request a copy of your records and briefly outline to a lawyer the issues and they could advise you. However I appreciate you may well not want to revisit this or may have already explored it. I hope you find more help out there because it sounds like your workplace have treated you horribly. At least you will be away from that awful manager. It sounds like you have done incredibly to cope as well as you have with so much being thrown at you.

If it helps, there is a campaign to stop employers dismissing staff who are terminally ill. It’s called Dying to Work:
https://www.dyingtowork.co.uk/

Im really sorry you are going through this @Mothrasstillmoshing and im sorry that i have nothing constructive to add but i have to say this..............your employers are absolute fuckers.

Sorry to hear this, it’s shocking. I hope you can get some support with this x

I’m really sorry you’re dealing with this on top of everything else. What you’ve described isn’t just “a bit unfair”, it raises very serious concerns about how your employer has handled things.

A few key points that might help you understand where you stand:

1. Cancer is automatically a disability under the Equality Act 2010. You don’t need to prove anything, the law treats you as disabled from the day of diagnosis. That means your employer has legal duties to support you, consider adjustments, and follow a fair process.

2. The way they dismissed you doesn’t sound like a fair or lawful process. A capability or sickness‑related dismissal normally requires:

• clear written concerns
• medical evidence
• consultation
• exploring adjustments
• exploring redeployment
• a chance to respond
• written outcome
• notice pay

From what you have written, you were given none of that. Being told “you’re terminated from this minute” after a break in the meeting, is not a fair process.

3. They appear to have ignored Occupational Health. OH said you were fit to return with adjustments. Employers can’t just disregard that because it’s inconvenient.

4. You should appeal immediately, even if they haven’t sent the paperwork. Just email: “I am appealing the decision to dismiss me, I will provide full details once I have had your decision in writing as per our meeting on XXXX. Please confirm receipt.” That protects your position.

5. Contact ACAS for Early Conciliation. It’s free and required before a tribunal claim. They’ll talk you through the next steps.

6. You may have claims for unfair dismissal and disability discrimination. You don’t need to decide anything now, but what you’ve described is exactly the kind of situation the Equality Act is designed to protect people from.

7. Your SAR was a very good move. It will give you copies of internal emails, notes, and decisions about you. That can be important later.

8. You don’t have to deal with this alone. Macmillan, Disability Law Service, and some employment solicitors can help, and many will take disability cases on a no‑win‑no‑fee basis.

In cases like this, even when companies have a right to dismiss you in this way (and from what you have said it sounds like they are very much in the wrong on that too) but its also about how they conduct the matter. Failing to conduct a rightful dismissal wrong can leave them open to legal action and from what you have said it sounds like this could be a case of unfair dismissal, disability discrimination and they have acted inappropriately in how they have handled it. Unless there is something you have omitted that vastly changes the scenario.

Please be gentle with yourself. None of this is your fault, and you haven’t done anything wrong. You were entitled to support, not to be marched out of your job with no notice.

I think you might mean Barnardo's? I thought it might be Mind, as I've heard they're shit from several people working in different shops. Possibly the BHF as their staff always seems very despondent.

OP you obviously you shouldn't name them here while your (future) employment tribunal case is ongoing, but as someone in the charity sector I'm curious who it is. Try to avoid signing an NDA - do post on Glassdoor if you can, and report to HMRC (and check online whether your tax has been paid).

It may be too late to do anything about this now, and I can understand that on very low earnings you might have felt you couldn't afford it, but even on 14 hours at National minimum wage you should have been earning over £6,240 per year, and you should have been entitled not only to join the pension scheme but to have the employer contribute 3% of your earnings. Below that level you would still have been entitled to join but not to employer contributions.

You mention death in service insurance. Is this through your employer or is it insurance that you have bought separately for yourself? Do you have the details?

Shouldn't your appeal rights run from the receipt of a written decision - can anyone here with HR experience advise?

Definitely speak to a lawyer. I don't know the terms of the death in service benefit and how likely it would be that you could have got it (likely to depend on what the active service requirements were) but for now given the timeframes I would add a line to the appeal to suggest that not only were you were well enough to work with reasonable adjustments so there was no fair basis for the dismissal but that by not following a fair process, this was in breach of your contract (specifically a breach of the implied duty of trust and confidence) and the breach has potentially denied your family the death in service benefit you had reasonably expected (and suggest this could give rise to a substantial breach of contract claim if it is not rectified via re-instatement)

Mothrasstillmoshing

Having read everything you have written I'm absolutely gob smacked and incredibly angry for you.

I wish you peace and best wishes for your future.

As you have received some excellent advice, I'd urge you to follow up asap, but dear god this is a charity you work for, you need to scream as loud as you can to let the public know how they treat their staff.

They are disgusting, appalling scum that deserve every bad bit of pr coming their way.

I feel very angry on your behalf. Do speak to a lawyer ASAP. Don't talk to the media until you have as sometimes that can count against you so check with them first.

I hope you sleep well tonight and can work through your actions tomorrow. Sending you well wishes as your situation is horrendous. Disgusting actions by your employer

Very sorry to hear you are going through this OP.

I am not a legal expert so I will not be able to tell you anything that you don't already know, but I hope you get a positive outcome and I also wish that employers as a whole would show more understanding towards cancer patients.

My husband’s employer were very supportive until it became apparent they’d have to pay out. They tried to get rid of him, albeit in a slightly more legal way. It’s absolutely horrific and I hope you get a large payout rather than having to return to such an awful place.

Sorry OP, I don’t have any advice for you but just wanted to say it’s heartbreaking to read how badly you’ve been treated by health services and your employer. I wish you all the best for dealing with your financial situation and your health xx

You mention the cashing up taking you past hours - is that not a NMW breach if that’s all you are on as it will take you below - I am sure I have seen previously they can be reported for that.

This this this. But at the end of this email I would add
I am writing to formally appeal the verbal decision given to me by Mr X today on Monday 13 th April 2026. As I have not yet received the formal written notification or reasons for this decision I am submitting this appeal now to comply with the company policy that appeal must be within 7 days. I will provide full grounds for my appeal once the documentation is received. l will also be consulting re your hr’s advice to wait until I receive the information from you before acting, since this seems advice given in bad faith and structured to prevent employees (or at least to prevent me specifically) from appealing given the timeframe allowed for appealing; at best you’re ensuring employees (or me specifically) have only a day or two to review the information provided before appealing instead of the 7 days.

make it concise, and clear you’re done being fucked around with.

This. Good luck OP xx

Op I honestly hope HR looks at it and rips this guy a new one. I'm so sorry what crap.

So it’s sort of like you were starving for months and finally!
You got served a shite sandwich with chickenwire lettuce and some nice redwood crisps.
And as hungry as you are, they snatch that plate right out from under your mouth.
You obviously can see I have no idea what I’m on about.
HOWEVER

You didn’t fight this long, and go through so much, TWICE - to let these bastards get you down.
Chin up. I’m thrilled you’re here. ❤️
You keep fighting for you.- I’m with you.
Every single solitary day is a gigantic win.
I better let the experts give you the work advice.

It sounds utterly awful but very strong likelihood your manager has fouled up.
they may save on a payment but the PR and relutational and morale costs of doing this are huge.
i would strongly suggeat enail to head of HR - you could
matbe find their linked in profile and work out work address, trustee focused on employment/wellbeing issues and CEO.

OP, just go to citizens advice or contact them inline. They will give you expert advice.