News

March 10, 2010

‘Fit notes’ introduced to replace sick notes

Employers may need to make changes to their risk assessment, sickness and disability discrimination policies and procedures to accommodate new ‘fit notes’, which replace sick notes from 6 April 2010.

Medical statements are issued by doctors to employees when they are ill or injured, and currently describe an individual’s condition and indicate whether or not they are fit to work. From 6 April, the new statement - known as a statement of fitness for work or ‘fit note’ – will mean doctors can advise that the patient either:

• is not fit for work; or
• may be fit for work.

A doctor will give a ‘may be fit for work’ statement if he thinks that an employee’s health condition may allow them to work – as long as the employer gives them the appropriate support. In this case, the doctor will give advice about the effects of the patient’s health condition and, if appropriate, suggest the types of adjustment or adaptations that an employer could consider making to help the employee back to work.

New guidance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) includes a flow chart explaining the options where an employer receives a ‘may be fit for work’ statement, and sets out a number of practical case studies. The guidance also contains a sample of the new ‘fit note’, together with detailed information on all its sections.

•  Download the guidance for employers from the DWP website www.dwp.gov.uk/fitnote

 Operative date

• 6 April 2010