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BUSINESS WOMEN SCOTLAND
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SQUARE CIRCLE HR LTD • TEL: 0141 248 7826 • WWW.SQUARECIRCLEHR.COM
Alison Welsh is a Director of Square Circle, a human resource consultancy
and employment law company. Email Alison with your HR queries and she will
answer in following issues of BWS magazine. e: [email protected]
New Fit for Work Programme
Last April the government
abolished the scheme where
businesses could recover
statutory sick pay if the total paid
in the tax month was greater than
13% of gross national insurance
contributions for that month.
The justification was the cost of
this scheme and that it did not
encourage small businesses to
manage their absence levels
effectively. The plan is to use the
£50 million per annum savings
to fund an occupational health
and work assessment advisory
service.
The new Fit for Work is available
now. Employers don’t need to use
the scheme but free work & health
advice will be available via a helpline/
online access to give advice about
work –related health matters including
possible adjustments on return to
work.
The main route to this service will
be through GPs after the employee
has been absent through sickness
(or expected to be absent) for more
than 4 weeks and expected to return
to work. Employers can also refer
staff, with their consent, if their GPs
have not. The employee then has a
telephone or face-to-face assessment
by an occupational health
professional who then becomes their caseworker. A return to work plan
will be created ideally with input from the employer, with the individual’s
agreement, and although not binding employers will be encouraged to
follow any recommendations to facilitate a return to work.
Fit for Work will contact employers to gain a better understanding
of the specific working environment and the role, to discuss where
recommendations have not been put in place and to act as a facilitator
where there may be a poor relationship between employer and
employee.
The caseworker will contact the employee at regular intervals to
gauge whether or not the return to work plan is on course. Further
assessments can be arranged if there is a delay in the return to work.
Once the employee has returned to work or where the service can
provide no further assistance and the employee has not returned within
3 months, they will be discharged from the service.
There may be some difficulties with the new service where employees
refuse to give their consent. If this happens the employee will not be
referred to the Fit for Work scheme. Some GPs have also criticised
the scheme for being punitive and the BMA has said it will boycott the
scheme if doctors believe it is forcing people back to work before they
are ready.
Businesses should familiarise themselves with the Fit for Work service
and make their staff aware of the information available on the website
and via the phone line. Employees should understand the benefits and
purpose of the service and see it as an effort to inform and assist staff
back to work. This is a service which could be a real support, for SMEs
in particular, and give access to a valuable professional service to help
manage absence. For more information call Square Circle o