How to Make the Fit Note System Work for You

What is a 'fit note'?

April 2010 saw the introduction of the statement of fitness for work, commonly referred to as the ‘fit note’, to replace the traditional sick note.  The new system is designed to promote a speedier return to work and provide greater flexibility in managing sickness absence. 

Whilst GPs can still advise that an employee is unfit for work, they now have the option to advise that an employee may be fit for work if they get suitable support from their employer.  This allows GPs to suggest changes that may enable the employee to return to work, typically:

• a phased return to work
• amended duties
• altered hours
• workplace adaptations.

If it is not reasonable for an employer to provide the support recommended by the GP, the statement is used to classify the employee as not fit for work.

What are the issues?

It is widely accepted that work is generally good for health and wellbeing.  Most common health problems can be accommodated at work if a flexible approach is adopted and people work together to overcome obstacles.

However, research carried out by insurance company Aviva in January 2010 highlighted scepticism amongst employers and employees about the effectiveness of the fit note. One in ten employers thought the new system would be difficult to implement and just 5% thought that fit notes would reduce absence rates. 

The fit note system increases the employers responsibility to support an employee’s rehabilitation back into the workplace.  Whilst the options of a phased return to work, amended duties or altered hours can often be implemented with little disruption to the business, workplace adaptations can be seen as expensive in both time and money. 

Good communication and expert help are the key to success

System Concept's chairman, Tom Stewart, is a member of a working party set up by The Council for Work and Health, to address these issues.  He explains:

Effective communication between employer and employee, often combined with some expert advice, can usually help employees get back to work successfully.

There is usually no direct communication between the GP and the employer, and GPs do not have the expertise to provide practical examples of suitable workplace adaptations.  However, a qualified ergonomics professional will talk to both employer and employee and assess the individual needs of the person, the tasks and the working environment.  They can then provide specific, practical and tailored advice on what the employee can do, and adaptations that can be made to help them.

Changes can improve the environment for everybody

Adaptations do not need to be expensive and often benefit other employees too.  For example, we recently carried out an ergonomics assessment of the laboratory tasks in the Cadbury's chocolate crumb factory.  The company needed to make changes to help an employee return to work after major surgery and decided to use it as an opportunity to improve the laboratory layout.

System Concepts’ consultants visited the laboratory, talked to the staff and observed them working.  To reduce risks from manual handling and excessive bending they recommended changes to the:

• sample delivery system
• laboratory layout
• trolley and autoclave design
• waste disposal, internal and external storage facilities.

The high priority recommendations were implemented and the employee is now back at work and coping well.  The goodwill generated by improving the environment meant others workers were happy to help with some of the tasks which could not be re-designed.

Ways we can help

System Concepts’ team of highly qualified ergonomists and health and safety professionals have an extensive track record providing employers with practical solutions and support, including:

• advice on how to implement cost effective workplace adaptations
• reviewing your risk assessments to ensure that adaptations and other changes do not introduce new risks
• advice on how to improve your arrangements for absence management, including reviewing your existing procedures
• training and guidance on the fit note system and how it could affect your organisation.

This case study describes how we assessed the workplace needs of staff with disabilities and long term health issues at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

For more information and advice, please contact us.