Sickness Issues and SSP

8. Long-term Sickness

8.1 Do not abandon an employee who is on long-term sick leave. Arrange progress reports and home visits.

• Make the employee aware of his or her position. Just knowing there is a job to come back to can help people's recovery.

8.2 After a long time away, an employee may feel fear about returning.

• Suggest a staged return to work, on a part-time basis, building up to full time.

8.3 Explore the possibility of alternative duties.

• Could the employee come back and do lighter work?

8.4 If a return looks unlikely after a long illness, consider offering early retirement, perhaps with enhanced pension arrangements.

8.5 If dismissals resulting from long-term sickness involve people with disabilities, they must be for 'a substantial and material reason'.

• It may not always be obvious what is a disability and what is not. Long-term health problems, including asthma and ME, can be regarded as disabilities.
• You are under a positive duty to make reasonable adjustments to the job, or the way it is done, to stop a person with disabilities being at a substantial disadvantage.