Keeping in touch

During the leave, an employer is entitled to take reasonable steps to keep in touch with the absent employee.

If the role is under threat of redundancy, the employer must keep the absent employee fully informed and consulted, just as if she was at work and updated with suitable available vacancies that arise during the leave period (Longford v East Sussex County Council [2013] UKEAT 0275/13/1211). See Chapter 11 for special rules to protect them during this period .

Even if there is no threat of redundancy, an employee absent on Maternity, Adoption or Additional Paternity Leave has the same right to be kept informed, for example, via intranet access, of suitable internal job opportunities as comparable employees who are not absent (Visa International Service Association v Paul [2004] IRLR 42).