Absence
Long-term sickness absence
Without a clear process, absence costs money indefinitely.
Someone's been off for weeks, or on and off regularly. You want to be supportive. But it's affecting the team and the business. This guide explains what you need to do.
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Written and reviewed by Samantha Newton FCIPD, Chartered Fellow CIPD · 25+ years' employee relations experience · Last reviewed August 2026
You want to be supportive, but you also need the business to function.
Someone's been off for weeks, maybe months. Or they're on and off frequently and you never quite know when they'll be in.
You feel caught between wanting to be supportive and needing the business to function.
You're not sure what your rights are, what's reasonable, or when it's okay to have a more direct conversation.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team is picking up the slack and starting to feel the strain.
Typical situations supported
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What's usually going on
Long-term sickness absence usually falls into a few categories:
A genuine health condition that needs time and appropriate support
A situation where the employee isn't getting better and can't give a clear return date
Frequent short absences that have formed a pattern over time
A situation that may be connected to something at work, stress, conflict, workload
Each needs a different approach, but all need managing. The biggest mistake is doing nothing and hoping it resolves itself. In most cases it doesn't, and the longer you leave it without a clear process, the harder it becomes to manage fairly and legally.
What's at stake
What happens if you don't address it
Sickness absence is one of the areas where employers most commonly create avoidable legal exposure:
- You continue paying salary with no return in sight and no structured process to justify future action
- The team gets frustrated watching a situation that appears to have no resolution
- Without regular, documented contact you lose the process trail that would protect you later
- If the absence is connected to a disability, failing to consider reasonable adjustments creates discrimination risk
- Dismissal without proper process, even after extended absence, regularly results in unfair dismissal findings
The question isn't whether to manage absence. It's how to do it in a way that is supportive, fair and legally defensible.
Without a structured return-to-work plan, absence can drift for months. You pay salary while team resentment grows, and any dismissal later becomes very difficult to defend.
How Magenta HR helps
In a single session, Samantha reviews the situation and gives you a clear plan:
Assessment of the absence and any disability or discrimination considerations
Advice on welfare contact, what to say, how often and how to document it
Guidance on obtaining and using occupational health or GP evidence
A return-to-work framework with realistic milestones and reasonable adjustments where appropriate
Clear view of when and how to have more direct conversations about the future
Written summary of the process and next steps within 48 hours
You deal directly with Samantha Newton FCIPD, not a helpline or a junior consultant. Someone who has managed complex sickness absence situations across a wide range of owner-managed businesses.
The Magenta Method
From problem to sorted, in four clear steps
A clear, four-step approach so you always know where you stand and what happens next.
Understand
We get a clear, honest picture of what's really going on, beneath the surface.
Assess the risk
Your legal exposure and commercial impact, explained in plain English.
Plan the right path
Realistic options and the correct steps, in order, written up within 48 hours.
Resolve & protect
Support through it, then keep you protected so the next issue is caught early.
Real situation · anonymised
Long-term sickness absence
Back at work with a proper plan in place
She'd been off for three months. No one knew what to say.
Situation
A valued employee had been signed off with stress. The owner kept delaying contact, not wanting to make things worse. Meanwhile the team was stretched and morale was dropping.
What changed
A proper welfare contact process was put in place, a clearer medical picture was established, and a phased return plan was built that the employee actually felt supported by.
Outcome
She returned part-time within six weeks, full-time shortly after. The owner stopped dreading every Monday morning.
Managing Director, IT consultancy
Reviewed by Samantha Newton FCIPD, Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, with 25+ years handling situations like this.
Common questions
Can I dismiss someone for long-term sickness?+
Yes, but only after following a fair process. This includes regular welfare contact, obtaining medical evidence, considering reasonable adjustments, and genuine consultation about the future. Dismissal without that process is very difficult to defend.
When should I get an occupational health report?+
Early. Occupational health can provide an independent view of the medical position, likely return date and any reasonable adjustments needed. It also demonstrates you're taking the situation seriously, which matters if it goes further.
Can I contact someone who is off sick?+
Yes. Reasonable welfare contact is expected and appropriate. The key is 'reasonable', the frequency and nature of contact should be proportionate to the situation. Complete silence isn't supportive and isn't a safe approach.
What if the absence might be related to a disability?+
This significantly changes your obligations. Employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities. Taking formal action without considering this first creates discrimination risk. Get advice before proceeding.
Ready to sort this out
Get a clear, honest read on your situation
Start with the free Situation Check to understand exactly what you're dealing with, or book a free consultation and talk it through with Samantha directly.
Not ready to book? Just tell me what's going on and I'll come back to you.
You deal directly with Samantha, no call centre, no junior, and if you can handle it yourself, she'll tell you. Getting it wrong can run to five figures; a focused session starts from £495 + VAT, with a written plan in 48 hours.
Free and no obligation · Usually a reply within the hour · Referred by accountants and solicitors.
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You might also be dealing with
These situations often come up alongside each other.