News
Fit Notes - The New Sick Note
15th March 2010
Following a report "Working for a Healthier Tomorrow" which outlines how work improves workers' mental and physical health and assists faster recoveries, the government is replacing the Med 3 or sick note with the "fit note" from 6th April this year. Details of the change are given in the article below.
The government has also set up
1) Occupational Health Advice lines for line managers of organisations with 250 or less employees. Call 0800 077 88 44 or see www.health4work.nhs.uk
2) Fit For Work Service (FFWS) in a number of piloted areas. The nearest to Doncaster is Wakefield. The FFWS provides personalized, timely support for workers off work due to sickness thereby encouraging an earlier return
to work. See: http://www.workingforhealth.gov.uk/Initiatives/fit-for-work-service/Default.aspx
Fit Notes - the new "sick note"
What is different about the new sick note?
The medical certificate or "sick note" will be replaced with a "fit note" from 6th April 2010. In addition to the old style statement that an employee is not able to work because of illness, this note will allow doctors to state what tasks an employee is fit to do, rather than the current "not fit for all work". It could also include comments on how an employer could assist an employee back to work.
What kind of things will be on the 'fit note'?
The new note has four tick boxes for the doctor to select if the employee is fit to do some work. These are common, temporary measures to help an employee return to work, such as:
- phased return, e.g. a full time employee builds up working hours from one day to 5 days over an agreed period of time
- altered hours, e.g. a full time employee returns 10 am - 3pm to avoid driving in the rush hour
- altered duties, e.g. some of the more stressful or heavy duties are removed temporarily
- workplace adaptations, e.g. re-sitting an employee on a lower floor
There is also space for further comments should the GP think them relevant.
None of this should be new to an organisation which has and uses a Sickness Absence policy although 'fit notes' may also apply to employees who have had relatively short periods of sickness. Many employers will already consult with a sick employee, with a view to facilitating the individual's return to work in some capacity. Now information will be available through the fit note without the employer having to go to the expense of a GP's report. The organisation could still ask the employee's permission to seek further clarification of the medical condition, e.g. prognosis from the employee's GP if they felt that would be helpful.
What do you need to do?
If an employee hands you a medical certificate/fit note with suggestions from their doctor for facilitating an early return, you should arrange a meeting with your employee as soon as possible to discuss the possibilities. You do not have to allow them to come back to work if the GP's suggestions are really not feasible from your point of view; the obligation is to give it careful consideration.
You should think about including a new paragraph in your policies, especially the Written Statement and the absence policy if you have one. Have a look at a model policy here for
ideas.
Deciphering the doctor's note
Finally, it is proposed that GPs should print these notes from their practice's computer, rather than issuing hand written notes, which we all have difficulty reading. Now that is a good idea!
