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I am frequently asked to advice on long term absence cases. There are a few common problems that arise with these cases that could be avoided with some prior planning.

Understandably so, many employers are reluctant to 'take action' when someone is off sick. This often leads to the situation where nothing is done for a long period of time (I have seen cases of 6 months, 12 months and even 3 years).  By this time everyone has become frustrated by the situation as, by now, no-one really seems to know what the current situation is and when the employee may return to work.

So step one is to have a clear rule about when to start to make enquiries. Unless you are clear about when someone will return, my advice would be to start making enquiries after 4 weeks absence.  In the vast majority of long term absence cases you will need medical advice or need to involve occupational health (or both). Making enquiries early allows you to stay in control of the situation and allows time for any medical enquiries to be made. There is also a long process to go through if someone is unable to return to work.

It is also a fact that if you keep in contact with individuals on long-term absence, they are more likely to return to work. The longer you go without contact the more difficult it becomes for someone to return.