News
Are you fit for work?
From 6th April the sick note is changing to become a fit note. The move comes as figures reveal that more than 2.6million Britons are on incapacity benefit. Sick leave now costs the economy £100billion and around 172million working days each year.
The existing format of a doctor’s certificate will change so that a doctor will be able to consider not only whether their patient is unfit for work, but also whether their patient may be fit for some work based on an assessment of the patient’s health condition.
A doctor will give a ‘may be fit for work’ statement detailing whether a phased return to work, altered hours, amended duties or other options are in the patient’s best interests. The doctor will also be able to state that the patient is not fit for work just like the old sick note.
If it is not possible for the employer to provide the support recommended, then the patient should be treated as ‘not fit for work’ and not return.
The fit note has the ability to become an area for disagreement between employers and their employees as well as potentially important evidence in disability discrimination cases involving a failure to make reasonable adjustments to the working environment
Please contact Roger Stone at Chichester or Sarah Evans at Selsey for more information.