20/04/2010
Statement of Fitness for Work (fit note)
Sick notes (or Medical Statements) are the forms issued by doctors to people when they are ill or injured. They provide advice about whether or not an individual with a health condition is fit for work. They are commonly used by employers as evidence that an employee cannot work for sick pay purposes.
Many people with health conditions can, with some basic support from their employer, work as they recover from their condition. This helps the individual because for many people work can help recovery and also benefits the employer by reducing sickness absence.
Under the sick note system, doctors could only advise their patient on whether their health condition meant that they should or should not work. As a result many people, who could benefit from support whilst in work, would be advised that they could not work. Their employers would not have had the opportunity to consider how they could help them achieve an earlier return to work.
What has changed?
The fit note allows your doctor to provide you with more information on how your condition affects your ability to work. This will help your employer to understand how they might be able to help you return to work sooner.
The changes mean that your doctor can:
· advise when you may be fit for work with some support
· suggest common ways to help you return to work
· give information on how your condition will affect what you can do
What stays the same?
The fit note can still be used as evidence for why you cannot work due to illness or an injury. You still won't need the fit note as evidence until after your seventh calendar day of sickness.
The requirements for the payment of Statutory Sick Pay have not changed. If your doctor recommends that you 'may be fit for work', and you and your employer agree that you should remain off work, you should still get Statutory Sick Pay.
If you are an employer looking for more information about the ‘Fit Note’ go to:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/fitnote-employer-guide.pdf
Or if you are an employee requiring information relating to benefits and the fit note visit:http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Sicknessabsence/DG_187161
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