Problem 7: Dealing with a member of staff not fit enough to attend a hearing

As Deputy Vice Chancellor (Deputy Director), Director of Staffing, you have been informed by Personnel Department (on 4 Nov 1998 between 2-3pm) that a senior academic, on suspension pending a hearing for allegedly being ‘absent without authority’, has phoned from his/her home to say that he/she is too ill to attend the hearing the following morning and has seen his/her GP who has also certified that he/she is not fit. You are also aware of the fact that the member of staff has complained about the irregular suspension and improperly implemented disciplinary procedure.

Would you:

a) write to the senior academic wishing him/her a speedy recovery and invite him/her to a meeting once he/she is fit enough to attend
b) phone the member of staff over the next few days to see how things are progressing, and offer your support
c) adopt the ostrich position
d) phone the member of staff and assess the nature of the illness
e) phone the member of staff and inform him/her that the disciplinary procedure will proceed in his/her absence even if he/she is unfit to attend
f) phone the member of staff and inform him/her that the disciplinary procedure will proceed in his/her absence even if he/she is unfit to attend and if you do not receive a letter of resignation by the end of the day
g) phone the member of staff and inform him/her that the disciplinary procedure will proceed in his/her absence even if he/she is unfit to attend and that he/she will be sacked for gross misconduct the following day
h) phone the member of staff and inform him/her that the disciplinary procedure will proceed in his/her absence even if he/she is unfit to attend
and that he/she will be sacked for gross misconduct the following day and that it will be on his/her record for life, if you do not receive a letter of resignation by the end of the day?
i) phone the member of staff and inform him/her that the disciplinary procedure will proceed in his/her absence even if he/she is unfit to attend and that he/she will be sacked for gross misconduct the following day and that it will be on his/her record for life, if you do not receive a letter of resignation by the end of the day, and that you will send somebody round to fetch it if the senior academic is too ill to deliver it?