What is Fit for Work?

• One of Dame Carol Black’s recommendations, from a review ("Working for a healthier tomorrow") of the health of Britain’s working-age population, was that “the paper-based sick note should be replaced with an electronic ‘Fit Note’, switching the focus to what people can do and improving communication between employers, employees and GPs”
• The new ‘Fit Note’ will be rolled out across Britain from April 2010
• All employers need to play their part

Why Fit for Work?

• Some 175m working days are lost each year, costing the economy £100bn in lost productivity, benefits and taxes
• That’s enough to run the entire NHS - and equivalent to the entire GDP of Portugal
• So with 600,000 people a year coming out of work and onto incapacity benefits, there is a real need, particularly in a recession, to prevent people from being off sick for any period longer than necessary and help those who have temporary or permanent physical or mental problems or disabilities return to work as soon as possible

How will Fit for Work - work?

• GPs - The current ‘sick note’ system is reformed to create ‘fit notes’, spelling out what the patient/employee can do rather than can’t do
• Employers - Notes are to be passed on to employers so they can give the individual support to return to work - if the patient/employee agrees. Employers will also offer more support to staff including healthy lifestyle promotion, subsidised gym membership, and access to occupational health teams, together with creative ‘accommodations’ for a range of disabilities or ill health conditions
• Government pilots - During 2010/2011 there will be 10 Government pilot ‘fit for work’ schemes, which will refer employees at risk of prolonged absence to a range of vocational rehabilitation services

How People Resolutions can help:

• Planning: Auditing existing absence management frameworks, creating sickness absence policies and procedures and consulting on the impact of Fit for Work
• Prevention: Ensuring effective absence management policies and procedures are in place and accessible to employers and employees; training managers in disability management, ‘accommodations’ and creative back to work options
• Resolution: For individual issues and potential conflicts arising from employee absence and retention issues, including facilitation, consultancy, ‘Fit for Work’ assessment and case management, Mediation and Investigation.
  
  

To discuss further, call us free on 0800 6125 110, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or download our fact sheet.