'Sick' notes are changing to 'Fit' notes
From April 2010 '‘sick notes', issued by doctors when an employee is off for a period of time due to injury or illness, will change slightly to become 'fit notes'.
The emphasis will now be on how fit a person is and the doctor will sign a form to state whether the employee is either not fit for work at all, or that they may be fit for work if some alterations are made to the working conditions or hours etc.
Space is given for the doctor to provide information on the restrictions imposed by the condition and they can make recommendations to the employer so that the employee can return to work as soon as possible, for example, suggesting a phased return to work with lighter duties to begin with, altered hours or workplace adaptations.
The statement is not binding, it is your choice how to proceed and if an employer cannot, or chooses not to make the adjustments that the doctor has suggested, they should treat the certificate as if the doctor had certified the individual as 'not fit for work'.
In a similar fashion, the statement is not binding upon the employee either, although if they refuse to return to work even if the suggested changes are made, the employer can insist upon a further medical report to substantiate the claims of continuing to be unfit.
If you have a sickness absence policy you may need to consider whether any amendments are needed in order to account for the new 'may be fit' for work rules. In the meantime, if you have further queries in relation to this matter, please contact our payroll supervisor Nigel Newman.
