New
Sick Note Rules Root Out Serial Slackers
Employment
Law experts have welcomed proposed changes to the way sick notes
are issued, which they say will make it harder for workers to
feign illness or injury.
The
announcement follows research by The Confederation of British
Industry (CBI) estimating that 168 million days were lost through
sick leave in 2004 and that up to 23 million or 14% of those
were a result of staff 'pulling sickies'.
The
new proposals, announced in a report by the Department of Work
and Pensions, will enable non-medical professionals such as
physiotherapists, nurses and chiropractors, to dispense sick
notes - a responsibility formerly reserved for GPs - and are
expected to be introduced in April 2006.
They
work on the theory that a physiotherapist or osteopath is likely
to be in a better position to give an accurate diagnosis of
his or her patient than a GP with no prior relationship with
the patient other than a request for a sick note.
Russell
Brown, head of employment law at Manchester law firm, Glaisyers,
said: "This is good news for employers who want to make
sure an employee's condition has been properly assessed by a
specialist with the time and expertise to carry out an accurate
examination.
"GP
sick notes serve as strong evidence of a person's incapacity
to work but they aren't conclusive. Evidence uncovered by this
report suggests that GPs face pressure to provide sick notes
for fear that they could face a charge of negligence if they
don't.
"These
proposals should make it harder for those who feign illness
or injury to deceive their medial advisers into providing a
sick note."
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