[cgrealy]

> it might be a cultural difference: I'd expect all of those to be handled by HR.

Possibly. Generally, I'd only involve HR as a last resort. Go to them for guidance, certainly, but in terms of dealing with an employee, I prefer to talk to them directly.

> [abuse of sick leave]

Completely agree that it's a delicate situation and you need to be very careful, or (in some countries depending on employment law) you could be open to a claim of wrongful dismissal.

All of which is why I don't expect an AI to take over people management roles any time soon.