Hi, The purpose of a notice period is to hand over responsibilities to the new incumbent and to complete any current pending work by the resigned employee. The employee should serve the notice period as per the terms and conditions of the Appointment Order, which is mutually agreed upon between the employer and employee.
When the employee is not willing to serve the notice period after emailing the resignation letter, it amounts to a breach of contract, so you need to follow the disciplinary process. Provide ample time for the employee to return. If the employee fails to report back even after receiving an official warning letter, you may proceed with termination.
An amount equivalent to one month's notice pay may be recovered from the full and final settlement of the employee, which you can mention in the termination letter.
Note: If the employee is unable to serve notice due to genuine reasons like ill health, the same needs to be considered favorably.