Ask an expert
- Disciplinary issue with
an employee
an employee
Q: We have an ongoing disciplinary issue with an employee who was issued a letter requesting attendance at a formal disciplinary hearing. This person already has a final written warning on file, and, upon receipt of this letter, he went to his doctor and was signed off sick with stress and depression. We decided initially to put the hearing on hold. However, he has just sent in another sick note and has now been off for six weeks. How should we proceed? Can we move things along, because the absence is not going to affect the fact that we will still have to go through the process when he eventually returns?
A: To begin with, you should remind the employee
that this matter will not go away, no matter how
long he remains absent, and say that you are
concerned about the adverse affect this issue could
be having on him, in that it may be causing him
additional stress.