Hi 

Looking for some guidance please!  We are a small pre school and we have a member of staff off long term sick since July 2013 and she recently gave me another sick note for end March 2014 and I am fully expecting another one after that!

We sent a letter to her in December asking her to give permission for us to contact her doctor to see if we could find out any news about a possible return to work as currently we are using agency support to cover her position which costs a fortune.

She did not sign and in fact in her letter which she sent back with the sick note she states that she intends to return to work as and when her condition allows her to, which helps us out not at all!  Therefore what we need to know is, how long are we obliged to keep her position open for her do we just go on forever accepting sick notes or can we at some point say enough is enough if you can't return we are going to have to let you go.

Any advice gratefully received thank you