Outcome Stage 3 (Frequent)

This letter should be used to confirm the outcome of a formal meeting under a company’s frequent/short-term sickness absence management procedure. The meeting is triggered when the employee reaches the level of short-term/frequent absence identified in the employer’s absence management procedure.

The letter includes three possible outcomes to the meeting, namely that:

1. No further action is taken for the time being but the employer reserves the right to reinstate the absence management procedure at a later date.

2. Reasonable adjustments have been made to the employee’s role in order to enable them to return to work. These adjustments might include changes to the role or working hours. There are optional clauses depending on whether or not the changes are temporary or permanent.

3. A decision is taken to dismiss the employee. Under this option, the employee is given the right to appeal against the decision to dismiss.

Employers should be aware that the employee should not be dismissed if the reasons for the absence are pregnancy-related.

The letter also includes optional clauses concerning agreed reasonable adjustments to the employee’s employment e.g. changes to the employee’s role or working hours.

Although the purpose of this short-term/frequent absence meeting is to encourage and facilitate the employee’s return to work, it is also part of a process that may later be needed to justify a dismissal as fair. Lack of capability, including incapability related to ill health, is a potentially fair reason for dismissal. An employee who is frequently absent due to sickness, and who may not be capable of performing their job, or an employee whose attendance is unsatisfactory, may ultimately be dismissed for this reason.