Member Article

RIP the sick note; hello the Fit Note

Described as a ‘crackdown on skivers’, the Government’s new so-called Fit Note scheme, due to come into force on April 6, may also cause stress for employers, according to one of the North East’s leading human resource consultancies.

Duncan Urquhart of Drummond says the potential for Fit Notes to create an additional source of conflict in the workplace is significant.

From 6 April 2010, instead of writing a ‘sick note’ to explain an employee’s absence, GPs will be required to write a Statement of Fitness for Work telling an employer the types of work an employee will be able to do or will need to avoid. The Government hopes this will reverse the rise in workers on long term sick leave and help them back to work earlier.

To help employers avoid pitfalls in the early months of the new regime, Drummond is organising a seminar in May to help HR professionals with the new legislation.

Speakers at Drummond’s seminar will include leading employment law barrister Simon Goldberg from Trinity Chamberswho will provide expert analysis on the legal implications of mishandling absence in the workplace. There will also be a medical perspective from a GP.

Mr Urquhart says: “In the early days of the new Statement of Fitness for Work there is potential for confusion between what a GP says on the form and how this is interpreted by an employer. This could lead to costly and time-consuming disputes.

“The intention behind replacing sick notes with fit notes is laudable, especially as more and more organisations report an increase in long term absences. However, there is potential for serious misunderstandings until custom and practice is established.”

Mr Goldberg, who practicesfrom Trinity’s Chambers in Newcastle and Teesside and who is a member of the Employment Law Bar Association, Employment Law Association and the Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel, said: “Managing absence may seem straightforward but there are many pitfalls for the unwary. Careful planning can be extremely useful in preventing issues from turning into divisive and expensive workplace disputes.”

The seminar will take place from 0900 to 1130 on Wednesday, May 5 at the Ramside Hall Hotel, Durham. Places are free. Phone 0191 239 9191 for more information or to book a place.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Simpson .