Questions and Answers

I have an employee who is on sick leave. I want to contact them when their doctor’s note expires to see when they intend to return to work. Is it OK for an employer to contact an employee while they are on sick leave?

I think that one of my employees is taking sick leave but, in fact, I do not believe that he is ill at all. What can I do?

It appears that an employee has had an unauthorised day off. He phoned in sick but then posted images of himself at a public event on social media. How should I deal with him?

As an employer, what are my obligations to find suitable alternative employment in a redundancy situation?

I am proposing to make some 10 people in the organisation redundant. What are my consultation obligations?

I run a small to medium-sized business and I am faced with a need to downsize — probably making five or six employees redundant. How can I ensure that the process is fair and that I am not subsequently hauled up before an employment tribunal?

My organisation needs to cut back on its staff. I see that one of the employees “at risk” from redundancy is away on maternity leave. Can I make her redundant? And, if so, how can I avoid any unpleasant and expensive legal consequences?

Can employees call in sick for poor mental health?

There has been considerable case law in recent years on what additional elements should be included in the calculation of holiday pay. Can you confirm the present position, please?

How should I calculate the paid holiday entitlement for a casual worker?