Feeling Fit?

The first Monday of February is national “sickie” day – not an officially declared day I hasten to add, but more a statistically determined day on which the highest level of employee sickness takes place. Apparently this is due to the Christmas hangover and the dark dreary mornings. The estimated cost to industry is more than £30 million.

For years Government, industry and the professional bodies have tried many schemes to tackle both short term and long term illness.

The latest initiative is the much heralded “Fit Note” which comes into force on 6 April 2010.

However there are some changes from the initial proposal last year: doctors will not have to determine whether patients are ‘100-per-cent fit for work’, as originally proposed, but instead declare that they are ‘not fit for work’, or ‘may be fit for some work.’

The ‘may be fit for some work’ will include the doctor’s statement of ‘taking account of the following advice’.

This puts the emphasis fully on employers to conclude what a patient who is declared ‘may be fit for some work’ could or could not do at work.

Preparation for this change is vital. Now is the time for employers to review their health at work and absence policies in advanced of these changes. The very real risk is in deploying workers into unsuitable temporary roles, perhaps putting that employee or others at risk. Training for managers and access to professional occupational health and safety advice will be a key solution in helping to manage this change.

Mathew Joyes is Head of Risk Management at Associated Training and Consultancy, a leading provider of health, safety and environmental solutions.

All of the entries in this blog provide general advice and should not be interpreted or used as specific health and safety guidance to your organisation – you must always consider your own circumstances and take appropriate action. If in doubt, contact us for professional and specific advice.