The fit note system is not working in the way it should be, say HR professionals, who have complained that doctors fail to use the notes as they were intended when the Government introduced them two years ago. According to a survey by XpertHR , 62%  More...
13 November 2012 13:07

A recent gathering in Wales brought together GPs and occupational health teams to discuss the impact of fitness-for-work statements on sickness absence at various organisations. Occupational health practitioners provide their feedback on the event.  More...
01 November 2012 09:00

The Government's electronic fit note went "live" in July and GPs are starting to use them instead of the old paper version. The computer-completed forms will still be printed on one side of A4 and include exactly the same information as handwritten   More...
31 July 2012 09:00

If employers want the fit note to work they need to be taking more initiative when it comes to making contact with GPs about the work that their staff do, employers' body the EEF has said. The organisation published ­research in May 2012 illustr  More...
31 May 2012 09:00

Nearly two-thirds (60%) of employers believe that the fit note has made no difference to sickness absence levels since its introduction in 2010, a report has found. The research, from manufacturers' organisation EEF and health insurance provider Wes  More...
14 May 2012 12:30

The fit note is providing an important "nudge" to get managers to instigate conversations with their staff to discuss the best way to help get individuals back to work, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has argued. Accordin  More...
31 January 2012 09:00

While recent research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) shows that the fit note is so far yet to have a significant impact on absence rates, its research adviser, Dr Jill Miller, argues that its role in opening up co  More...
19 January 2012 09:56

Fit notes have "nudged" managers to have conversations with staff on sick leave about their return to work but have failed to improve absence levels, say employers. In a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and   More...
14 December 2011 00:01

The Government's "Fitness for Work" assessments have been praised and vilified in equal measure since they were rolled out nationwide in April. The employment and support allowance (ESA) tests are part of the Government's £5 billion "Welfare to Wor  More...
23 September 2011 16:04

Employers remain sceptical about how proactive GPs are being in using the fit note to encourage employees to return to work quicker. Research by XpertHR has found that more than 85% of employers believe that GPs are not good at communicating what   More...
07 September 2011 11:22

Employers have little confidence in the fit note system and do not feel that GPs effectively communicate what needs to be done in order for employees to return to work after illness. That is one of the main findings of the latest XpertHR survey on th  More...
01 August 2011 09:00

GPs remain sceptical about the effectiveness of the fit note, a major poll of family doctors by insurer Legal & General has concluded. More than a year after its launch, half of the more than 1,000 GPs surveyed said that the fit note had not enha  More...
28 July 2011 16:13

GPs are reported to be coming around to the fit note, with nearly two-thirds (61%) now agreeing that it has either "somewhat or completely" improved the quality of discussions with patients about return to work. The research was carried out by the Ro  More...
06 June 2011 08:32

The CBI claims that fit notes have failed to deliver a reduction in sickness absence, with its publication of new absence figures today. According to the CBI's Absence and Workplace Health Survey , conducted in conjunction with Pfizer, the  More...
12 May 2011 11:12

When it was launched one year ago the "fit note" was meant to cure one of the biggest headaches for HR managers. No longer would employees be signed off for weeks with no explanation or be allowed to slip into long-term sickness absence. But   More...
11 April 2011 09:38

An online search for "workplace stress" returns an indigestible 1.5 million results, so whether you are suffering from it or managing it, there is an almost inexhaustible array of resources at your disposal.  But stress is just one area o  More...
01 March 2011 10:35

A review into sickness absence, announced today as part of the Government's welfare reforms, has been welcomed by business groups. Personnel Today revealed exclusively last week that the Government would be launching a review into sickness absence,  More...
17 February 2011 14:31

Employers support fit notes but do not believe doctors are completing them correctly, according to research carried out by XpertHR. The XpertHR report on sick pay arrangements found that two-thirds of employers did not fully implement the recommendat  More...
03 December 2010 00:00

The joint conference of the Society of Occupational Medicine and the Royal College of Nursing took place in Brighton on 18-19 October 2010. The theme was: "The Common Goal - getting the best results in occupational health practice". Noel O'Reilly report  More...
25 November 2010 13:55

Since its introduction in April, the fit note has been used by GPs with varying success. Ben Hicks summarises the situation. Reports on how GPs have been using the new "fit note" have varied with some suggesting GPs were simply using it as a si  More...
08 November 2010 00:01