Absence due to poor mental health

An employee needs to take time off work with mental health problems and a doctor's note has been provided to clarify this. Can I employ someone in their absence to do their job so that work levels are kept to a minimum for when they return?

This is a complicated question because most general practitioners are not qualified to deal with serious mental illness problems. This area sits in the field of psychology and psychiatry, therefore one thing that might be appropriate to do, with the employee's agreement, is to seek a full medical report.

One of the questions that you should ask the doctor is whether they intend to refer the individual to somebody that is psychiatrically qualified or if the doctor happens to be so themself. It