Employees must be given time to respond to a proposal to end
their employment. But they needn't be given forever.
It is common for employees to ask for more time to respond to
allegations or proposed disciplinary action. In fact, such requests
are sometimes made multiple times, leading to a long, drawn out
– and often costly – process.
In some cases, a request may be for legitimate reasons and due
to matters beyond the employee's control. In others, they are
made simply to stall or avoid the process. These requests can be a
source of real frustration for employers.
Questions that often arise include: if an extension is
requested, must it always be granted? How long (or short) is a
reasonable extension? How many times can or should an extension be
granted?
