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Fit Notes are the New Sick Notes |
Employee signed off work due to illness? Sick note received? Due to new legislation coming into force on the 6th April sick notes will be replaced with fit notes issued from GPs.
GPs will now declare the patient 'not fit for work' or 'may be fit for some work', the latter declaration does also include ' taking account of the following advice'. This acknowledges it is not the doctor but the employer, in consultation with the employee, who is best-placed to make the decision as to whether they can accommodate any changes to facilitate a return to work.
The Government has based this decision on the belief that 'doctors completing the medical statements do not have the knowledge or expertise about the patient's job role and the risk involved'.
This new regulation aims to support more people with health conditions to return to work - but does this add further pressure to the employer when ensuring the safety of their staff?
Full guidance can be found here which will be followed by a campaign to raise awareness.  |
| Construction Firm Fined after Sub-Contractor Fall |
A sub-contractor employed to install timber frames to act as supports on a two-storey house construction site fell down a stairwell from the first floor of the building. A pallet containing wall tiles had been positioned over the top of the opening of the stairwell. However it was not big enough to cover all of the opening leaving a gap exposed.
The worker fell five meters and landed at the bottom of the concrete stairwell. He was taken to hospital for treatment of multiple fractures to his arms, legs and skull.
The firm was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay a further £5000 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974
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