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 also posted this in Legal too.

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'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis and also about the appalling way you have been treated.
In your shoes I would contact ACAS or an employment solicitor.

This is a shitty question and I’m sorry - but I have to ask…do you have the energy, health and desire to spend the next year (or 2) fighting this?

Aside from that, my advice is to get your appeal in as soon as possible and get onto ACAS for an ET claim. I presume you’re not a union member?

I’d anticipate them settling but it may take a while.

I'm so sorry OP- the whole thing sounds awful and I'm sorry to hear of your diagnosis.

I too was going to ask if you are in a union or have contacted ACAS as yet?

First, I’m so sorry that you are experiencing this OP.

Now, dig out the sickness policy. It should reference the stages that your employer should have adhered to. This sounds like a Stage 1 formal meeting, and up to the break point has all the factors I would expect, presuming you were formally invited and given the choice to be accompanied.

Depending on the policy, an Employer doesn’t get to jump the next steps, particularly with a protected characteristic involved, unless they want to wake up to a Tribunal.

My advice would be to fight the decision with the support of an Employment Solicitor. The effect of a stiff legal letter alone, copied to the charity CEO and your MP should result in an outcome that results in a settlement protecting your pension.

Have you contacted MacMillan for advice? They give advice on employment rights for cancer sufferers so definitely worth trying them

If you are not in a UNION please join right now OP!

Make notes of EVERYTHING ... time, dates, comments, notes etc.
Keep every email.
Make a note of every phone call, text etc.

I am appalled for you OP.

I am so sorry you are going through this ... please take this further and do not let them get away with it.

I would also consider contacting R4 and The Guardian with this too.

If I can find anymore useful links for you I will post them too ...

HTH

Thank you for all the replies and kind advice.
No I'm not in a union and will be contacting ACAS shortly because the official dismissal letter has arrived today and I've obtained the minutes for both meetings - it's all in the legal topic.
Basically, I'm dismissed from last Thursday, will get 4 weeks pay in lieu and my holiday pay - lucky I fought for that then!
I've been told to immediately return my keys and equipment. I'm going to ask a relative to do it because I refuse to do the walk of shame into the shop or see my manager ever again unless it's at an ET hearing.
The minutes from the two meetings are complete opposites - the first upbeat and positive about getting me back into work but the second is the exact opposite. It's very skewed towards not being able to work and only mentions the cancer symptoms but not my ADHD and autism. The area manager went through my job description and I confirmed that I could do 80% of my duties but none of this is noted on the minutes. It's also got a lot of facts wrong or misrepresents things I said. A casual remark about being exhausted after a 2hr supermarket shop the day before (done at 4pm plus 30mins of putting it all away after) has been used as an example of why I can't work a full day. I wasn't asking for anything hugely different on adjustments other than was it possible to have fixed days rather than different shift days every week but this isn't mentioned either. So basically I was never going to leave that meeting with my job.
I haven't asked for everything from year dot on my SAR and have only asked for everything relevant from the beginning of 2025 but I've asked for my full personnel file because it occurred to me that in 5 years I have only had one face to face annual review with my manager. I know that she fills them out herself and files them without us seeing anything. She also does our training courses for us and signs it off - I've not done the annual fire safety course in the last three years but I know that HR think that I've done them. I know that that is what she does because she's told me many times. She never does back to work interviews after sickness either but I'll bet that they've been done and signed off.

DP doesn't want me going back and he doesn't want me to fight it but that's because he's worried that the stress will affect my health. He would prefer me safe at home and doing my hobbies/relaxing. I'm going to contact ACAS because I deserve more and see where it leads.
Thanks for all your advice - you're all so lovely xx