The WRC recommended occupational health support and a joint action plan for a customer assistant after finding flaws in the handling of a verbal warning over attendance. The recommendation was dated 18 August 2017. The warning had expired by the hearing, and the officer saw little value in recording it as expunged.
The officer found the warning relied on an incorrect absence count that was not corrected on appeal, and that the employer had not shared the attendance records. The disciplinary process was disjointed, lacked a complete investigation report and did not make clear how seriously the employer viewed the absences. The worker’s absences were medically certified.
The officer recommended that the worker receive support from the company’s occupational health service and that both sides agree a plan within four weeks addressing future leave and the business’s needs.