Employers operating out of offices to rent in Edinburgh have been advised that they should take care when looking to dismiss a staff member who has been on long-term sick leave.
Michael Scutt, partner at employment law practice Dale Langley & Co, explained how there are only a few reasons for lawful termination of a contract.
He described how bosses need to "carry out a full and thorough investigation", which may include looking at medical records and finding out when the employee could return to work.
This is so they prevent getting into "very deep water by giving someone a claim for discrimination".
Mr Scutt stated that companies should not use incapacity as a reason to get rid of staff, but acknowledged that in some cases this practice does occur.
His comments come after a new report by Legal & General shows that half of all GPs see patients who have been dismissed from their jobs during illness a few times each year.
