Personnel Today and sister magazine Doctor interviewed more than 1,200
readers on their attitudes to sicknotes.
While doctors agree that the number of sicknotes has increased and that they
are issued too readily, there are significant perception differences between
the HR and medical professions when it comes to the ‘illness’ that leads to the
sicknote.
While doctors maintain that most sicknotes are issued over stress,
depression and back-ache, the perception in HR is that a significant number of
sicknotes are being given out because of colds and flu and other common
complaints.
There is a clear difference of opinion over who should be issuing sicknotes,
however, with doctors heavily in favour of handing over the responsibility,
while HR believes doctors are still the best people to make a judgement.Â