I started working for a firm last year, and was dismissed with no notice recently because I took a day off to look after my children. Is there anything I can do about this?
I suggest you apply for an employment tribunal hearing. You are certainly entitled to a week’s pay in lieu of notice, and probably to some holiday pay. You may also have a claim for compensation for unfair dismissal. Generally speaking you can only make a claim for unfair dismissal if you have worked for your employer for more than two years. However you have a statutory right to take reasonable time off to care for dependants, and dismissal for asserting a statutory right is automatically unfair, even for those who have held their job for less than two years.