An employee is absent from work and has submitted a medical certificate citing work related stress. This employee is currently engaged in an ongoing disciplinary process. How do we handle this?

It is not uncommon for an employee to go on sickness absence once a disciplinary process has been initiated. Such a scenario presents a difficulty for employers as they are faced with the task of dealing with parallel processes i.e.. dealing with the absence from the workplace and the disciplinary process. It is important that an employer manages the situation carefully and fairly, and in line with its own policies and procedures.

The legal position ⚓︎

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to ensure