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SICK NOTE TO FIT NOTE Employment legislation changes every April and October. John Cardwell, Managing Director of Effective Human Resources outlines the key changes that could affect our members. The sick note has become the ‘Fit Note’! It is intended that the new Statement of Fitness to Work Fit Note can help get employees back to work, with doctors being able to advise people who are on sick leave for over seven days on whether, with extra support from their employer, they could return to work earlier and on what grounds. Evidence shows that work is generally good for your health and that often, going back to work can actually aid a person’s recovery. On the other hand, staying off work can lead to long-term absence and job loss with the risk of isolation, loss of con?dence, mental health issues, de-skilling and social exclusion. The new ?t note will ask GPs to state whether individuals are ‘un?t for work’, or ‘may be ?t for work taking account of the following advice’. Doctors will then be told to list whether the employee would bene?t from a phased return to work, altered hours, amended duties or workplace adaptations, but the note does not require them to go into detail regarding which activities an employee can carry out at work. The Department for Work and Pensions has published guidance to help employers use the new ?t note and get staff back to work following periods of ill-health. You can access this from their website: http:www.dwp.gov.uk?tnote If you would like to see a sample of the new ?t note, then please click the link below: http:www.dwp.gov.ukdocsmed3-?tnote- sample.pdf The new guidance states that if an employer does not understand the advice on the ?t note, they should discuss it with the employee in question, and if the matter is not resolved, they could then contact the GP in person for clari?cation. However, this could come at a cost to the employer. In addition, the guidance says, ‘If you are still unsure about the advice given, then you may want to consider advice from an occupational health professional or write to the GP for further information.’ Going back to work can actually aid a person’s recovery 28