A man has been plunged into £4,500 of debt after his employer mistakenly continued paying him following his cancer diagnosis. Jack Parker, 32, from Plymouth, was diagnosed with Gastric B Cell Non Hodgkin Lymphoma in December after suffering excruciating pain for two months.
Payroll mistake compounds cancer struggle
The former account manager worked through his pain initially, and his company allowed him to work from home when driving became too difficult. He said: "My manager seemed understanding and told me to take a week to work from home while I wait for further tests and news. This turned into me working from home throughout December while undergoing more scans and continued pain from my stomach ulcer."
Jack worked from home until around December 17. He was only six months into the job and said the company's sick pay policy was never explained to him. "To be honest, money was the last thing on my mind," he added.
Throughout January, February and March, Jack continued to receive his full salary, but in April it was replaced by statutory sick pay without warning. When he called his boss, he was told there had been a mistake: HR did not know he was off sick. His employer demanded repayment of £4,500, reduced from an initial £6,000, on a payment plan.
Emotional and financial toll
Jack said: "It was not a discussion about affordability, more him just telling me what I owe." After returning to work part-time on three days a week, he was placed back on probation. The combined pressure of work, finances, and recovery became overwhelming, and he eventually quit his job.
Now unemployed with two young children and undergoing intensive chemotherapy, Jack finds it extremely difficult to repay the debt. He said: "I don't think people realise the amount of physical and emotional stress that comes with chemotherapy and how hard it is to return to work in the first place after a life-changing illness. This, coupled with financial stress, can really be quite crippling."
Jack hopes to raise awareness for others facing similar situations. "I am not looking for compensation, I just wanted the debt cleared and the freedom to talk about my own experience with cancer," he said.
