Managing Absence

The Brief

A client, within the media industry, came to us as they had an employee who had been absent on long term sick leave for a number of years due to depression.

The employee had informed the Company that they were under the care of a Consultant and was awaiting physiological assessment. The client was unsure of when the employee would be returning to work and due to the sensitivity of the condition, was unsure how to manage the absence, especially having not been in contact with the employee for some time.

The Solution

We knew that it was important to try and talk to the employee to fully understand their current situation, condition and prognosis.

At this point it was also important to obtain information from a medical practitioner to enable the client to further understand the medical condition, ascertain if and when it may be likely that the employee would be able to return to work and also to understand any reasonable adjustments that could be made to assist and support the employee returning to work.

In the first instance we contacted the employee on the client’s behalf and, having established positive and regular communication with them, we obtained their consent to write to their GP to obtain an up-to-date medical report on their situation. We then arranged to meet the employee to discuss the content of the report on the client’s behalf and facilitated an Occupational Health referral to enable the client to fully assess the situation.

The Outcome

Following receipt of medical reports, various meetings and telephone conversations with the employee, it became evident that the employee would not be able to return to work in their current role for the foreseeable future.

The employee also recognised this and felt as if they could not move on whilst they remained an employee on long term sickness absence. The decision was therefore made to terminate the employment of the employee and we guided the client throughout the exit process, ensuring that it was legally compliant. We agreed the leaving arrangements with the employee and prepared all associated letters and documentation.