I look after the payroll for a client who has no HR department, so I’m hoping that someone out there will have encountered this before….

The client employed a lady in December 2005.In March this year we received notice to deduct money from her wages to pay off 4 sets of council tax arrears, at a set % of what she earned each week.
The following week she went off sick, and has remained on SSP until recently. We had to continue to deduct the arrears from her SSP as SSP is classed as attachable earnings. So, in effect, for 28 weeks we have been paying her debts off, albeit in small amounts. We have now given her notice that we do not have to pay the SSP anymore.

We cannot get in touch with the lady, and she has not responded to letters asking her to call in and speak to the care home owner. As we do not have to pay her anymore, do we have the right to end her contract immediately? I seem to remember that as she has been employed for less than a year this will be OK?

If someone could let me know, and also if we cannot end the contract, what shall we do? Do we have to keep her job open indefinately?

We want to be fair & to avoid any unfair dismissal claim.

Many Thanks HR people!
Sarah Kitchen
sarah kitchen