As a manager who does a lot of these type of meetings, I often want/need them to take place as they are an essential part of the process if as employer I think it is time to bring the situation to an end, or to offer support and try to get the person back to work. So within reason, i will meet at a time and place of the employee's choosing as frankly it is often more to my benefit that the meeting happens so I need to be flexible in order to make sure it happens Therefore I would say that it is always worth asking as if they want and need this meeting to take place, then they should be able to be flexible to ensure that this happens.