Medical leave may be a right, but absences still affect teams, workloads and how performance is assessed, much as falling sick is not something one can control. I remember this conversation I had almost a decade ago with a dedicated employee. She was a high performer across most counts, but had maxed out her medical leave entitlements for the year. The company appraisal form includes a section on attendance and punctuality, in which she scored three out of five. The employee was upset and felt