Q: A staff member has been producing a medical certificate stating she is not fit to work for the past 4 months. She has begun returning to work, but only on a part-time basis (despite the role being full-time).

She has not disclosed any details about her condition, and she has asked colleagues not to ask any questions.

We believe she is genuinely unwell; however, we need a person full-time in her role as the workload is increasing and if she does not return full-time soon, we will need to open a new position to compensate for her absence. 

Can we ask for information about her condition to ascertain whether she will be able to return to work full-time? If she won’t be able to return to full-time work in the near future, can we dismiss her?