There are many myths surrounding employment law, some of them have firm backing to support the myth while others are simply not true and fall away as soon as it’s looked at in detail. One of the most common myths is that employees on long-term sick leave cannot be dismissed, but is this really true?

Can you be fairly dismissed on sick leave?

It’s a big worry for anyone who has been off work for a long time due to sickness, unless of course you believe the myth that you can’t be dismissed when off on sick. While there are many restrictions surrounding terminating an employee on long-term sick, there is nothing in place that completely prohibits this action from taking place.

So, in short, yes an employee can be fairly dismissed whilst on sick leave.

Why would you be dismissed?

There are a handful of things that could result in you being dismissed during long-term sick leave. This includes: More...