How Should We Handle an Employee on Probation Taking Unapproved Leave and Requesting Remote Work?

We have an employee who joined us 2 months ago. He went on an unapproved leave citing health reasons. Despite several calls and a couple of emails asking him to report to work and provide medical certificates, he has not responded. He recently called saying his dad is unwell, and he wants to work from home. He is on probation, and his performance has been extremely poor in these last 2 months. We do not provide work from home for long periods, and since he says he cannot report to the office, can we terminate his employment by giving him notice? Please suggest what's the best action to deal with this.

Issue him with a show cause for unauthorized absence from work. If he doesn't return to work, you can proceed to terminate his services as per the appointment terms. The provision for working from home depends on the nature of the employer's business and the employee's work nature. An employer can deny work from home citing the same.

Regards,
Rahul Chhabra