Changes to sickness

The 2011 “Health at Work; an independent review of sickness absence” report made a number of recommendations about how to minimize loss of work due to ill health.

The report included the following recommendations;

• Establish a new independent assessment service which would provide expert advice on whether an employee could return to work and if so how they could be supported by an employer after they had been absent for 4 weeks.

• Revise “Fit Notes” so that an individual’s capacity to return not only to their own job but to work more generally could be considered.

On the 17th January 2013 the Government published its response and largely accepted the report’s recommendations.

As of 2014 a Health and Work Assessment and Advisory Service will be introduced which will provide;

(a) A state funded assessment by occupational health professionals for employees who are off sick for 4 weeks or more;

(b) Employers and employees with advice on overcoming the barriers that prevent employees from returning to work;

(c) Case management for employees with complex needs who require ongoing support to facilitate their return to work;

(d) “Sign Posting to Appropriate Interventions” including universal job match (a free online job matching service launched in November 2012) for those employed and able to return to work but unable to return to their current job.

The Government also confirmed that revised sick note guidance would be published and that statutory sick pay record keeping obligations are to be abolished although currently there is no date regarding this.