We have an employee who was absent from work due to a shoulder injury. They have been certified by their GP as being fit to return to work to do lighter duties.  However, we do not currently have any lighter duties that they can return to and have asked them to provide us with sick lines to cover their absence until they are fit to return to normal duties.  They are reluctant to do this, how do we handle it?

The first issue arising here is whether the employer is obliged to provide the employee with “lighter duties”. The second issue is whether the employer can insist on sick certs to cover the absence until they are fit to return