Handle the situation where an employee goes off sick at the outset of a disciplinary investigation or during the disciplinary process

Key points

• If an employee goes off sick at the outset of a disciplinary investigation or during the disciplinary process, the employer should complete as much of the process as it can in the employee's absence, for example conducting investigatory interviews with witnesses and collecting relevant documentation.
• If the absence is likely to be short term, the employer can postpone completion of the process until the employee's return.
• Different considerations apply if the employee's absence is likely to be lengthy. The employer must ensure that it takes the appropriate steps to allow the employee the chance to participate in the process.

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