Doctors could be told to sign fewer people off work with sick notes

The Treasury and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are assessing how to reverse a rise in the number of people off work with long-term sickness following the Covid-19 pandemic.

They are encouraging doctors to help people remain in employment under plans being considered for next months budget. This would include recommending ways people with long-term illnesses can continue to work with support, rather than using sick notes which allow them to drop out of the workforce entirely.

The UK's problem with long-term sickness

In October 2022, the number of people out of work due to long-term sickness hit a record high of nearly 2.5 million, according to the Office for National Statistics. Other figures also showed that approximately 149.3 million working days were lost due to sickness or injury in 2021, which is 4.6 days per worker. This costs the UK economy an estimated £20.6 billion.

This new method may not be the best solution

Steering employees to work when they would usually be signed off with a sick note could be a counter-productive move. This is because employees will be showing up to work but aren't as productive due to mental or physical health problems which prevent them from doing their job - also known as 'Presenteeism'.

In 2022, research conducted by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found that 35 workdays are lost per worker every year due to presenteeism.

Fewer sick notes and under-productive workers will affect HR

Company HR teams would face extra work due to these adjustments for employees who would have been signed off sick. Businesses and their HR teams would need to conduct suitable risk assessments and may need to seek specific health and safety advice. They will also need to consider if this would impact their Employer's Liability Insurance.

If doctors are told to sign fewer people off work with sick notes, this will have an impact on your business if your employees suffer from a long-term sickness, currently or in the future. It's important to ensure the correct procedures are in place to accommodate your employees needs, and it may be worth investing in employee heath & wellbeing.