Interesting situation this in an employee has been off sick for a year with stress. The employer has supported the employee with counselling and now aims a phased return to work. At the end of the meeting setting out the return they disclosed they’d overpaid the employee by £5000, they added that if the employee wanted to leave they’d want the overpayment back in full.

Two points – (1) is it right that the employee should repay what is an employer error (2) the return to work is already stressful enough for the employee, so having £5000 liabilities landed on them at a meeting designed to reflect duty of care and return to work seems highly innappropriate – could anyway suggest ways of working through this dilemma?

Much obliged –
Pete @ Peopleprojects