The Help Tabloid

In the aftermath of conclusion of a consultation on the proposed fit note by the government, Thompsons Solicitors, a UK based law firm, has warned employers against the usage of fit notes in place of sick notes that can lead to forcing sick workers to return to work even before they are completely fit to take up their jobs. The firm has also added that the proposal by the government to introduce fit notes would neither be of any avail in decreasing the cost of sick leaves nor help in reducing the compensation paid to employees who fall sick due to negligence of employers.

The fit note as proposed by the government will ask GPs to make sure that sick employees fall in the categories of fit for work, not fit for work or may be fit for some work. In the last category, the employers would ask employees to do phased work with lesser hours, or give a different mode of work, as well as make changes in work conditions.

The head of policy at Thompsons Tom Jones stated that his firm is not trying to curtail the choices to be made by employers or employees, as it is always good to get back to work after a brief period of sickness than staying home. However, he added that a number of employees stay at home merely because employers are unable to make temporary adjustments for them to return to work. This state leads to a situation where there are a lot of people willing to work but cannot do so.

He added that the indiscriminate application of fit notes could actually make employers force employees back to work even when they are not feeling well, and later terminate their services if they are not able to perform. This is harmful for the industry as a whole as it does not address the issue of health and wellbeing of employees at all. A government consultation on the new ‘fit note’ policy ended this week. Employers can keep themselves up to date with employment relations developments with accredited CIPD Training such as the Certificate in personnel practice from Workplace Law Training.