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Sick Certificates: Rehabilitation as an Alternative

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10% of Kent police officers are off sick more than 28 days/annum! ( Personnel Today Feb 08) Average sick absence rates 7.8 days for London. Since 2002 Tate & Lyle ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Sick Certificates: Rehabilitation as an Alternative


1
Sick Certificates Rehabilitation as an
Alternative
Sandra Neylon Director, Neylon Occupational
Health Ltd
2
Introduction
  • Statistics
  • What is a sick certificate?
  • Rehabilitation
  • Case management
  • Keys to success
  • Summary

3
The Statistics
  • Sickness absence costs UK businesses 12.2
    billion/year! (CBI 2007)
  • 10 of Kent police officers are off sick more
    than 28 days/annum! (Personnel Today Feb 08)
  • Average sick absence rates 7.8 days for London
  • Since 2002 Tate Lyle
  • has reduced long-term sickness/absence by 60
  • reduced ill-health early retirement by 75
  • and overall sickness/absence is currently running
    at 2.2

4
Work is Good for Your Health
  • Best way out of poverty
  • Positive health and social consequences
  • Being out of work
  • One of the biggest Public Health challenges
    facing Western Society
  • 80 of people unemployed for 6 months or more
    will never return to work

5
Work is Good for Your Health
  • If you are out of work for more than six-months,
    your chances of committing suicide are
  • 40 times higher than if you are working. Being
  • out of work is more dangerous to your health than
    smoking 60 cigarettes a day!
  • (Unum Centre for Psychological and Disability
    Research)

6
What is a Sick Certificate?
  • Historical context Medical model justifying
    incapacity GP used to be responsible for
    government expenditure on sickness. Now employer
    is responsible for funding sickness/absence
  • Now have system of sick cert on demand -
    Research proves that GPs are despondent with the
    system as it generates a vast majority of
    consultations
  • Very rare that GPs have OH experience
  • Issued by a GP or hospital for sick payment
    purposes only
  • An advisory note based on fitness for full role

7
What is the Alternative?
Rehabilitation - A program of clinical and
occupational services with the aim of returning
employees to their contractual role or finding a
suitable alternative role if possible. tempora
ry changes in duties, hours or expectations of an
employees job until the employee is fit to resume
normal duties. (Van Duijin et al 2004)

8
Early Intervention is Key
  • The sooner action is taken, the better the
    chances are of an employee making a full and
    speedy return to work
  • Once an employee has been off sick for more than
    six weeks, the problem is often compounded and
    the chances of returning to work at all are
    significantly reduced
  • Work in a well-managed workplace is a treatment
    for people recovering from sickness absence and
    an early return to work improves both mental and
    physical recovery
  • Simple adjustments can enable workers to return
    to work safely before their symptoms completely
    disappear
  • Workers can normally return before they are 100
    fit(HSE Managing sickness absence and return to
    work 2006)

9
Case Management
  • Proactive rehabilitation programme agreed with
    employee
  • Round Table Approach - By working with the
    employee, the manager, the GP/Consultant (if
    necessary) and the human resources team, a care
    pathway can be mapped out by Occupational Health
    to ensure that employees are returned to health,
    work and efficiency at the earliest date
  • Reduced hours amended shifts reduced or
    alternative duties transportation
  • Letters to GPs and Consultants

10
Keys to Success
  • Requires a robust sickness/absence policy and
    strong commitment from employees and managers
  • Rehabilitation must be an integral part of every
    sickness/absence policy
  • Employee education about sickness, sick
    certificates and rehabilitation effective
    communication is a must!

11
Summary
  • In conclusion
  • Rehabilitation is integral to creating good
    health at work
  • It expedites employee recovery from illness or
    injury
  • For rehabilitation to be successful there is a
    need for increased awareness and commitment among
    employees, managers and unions or employee
    representatives
  • Good communication links with GPs and
    Consultants are also vital
  • It is associated with high performing and well
    managed organisations

12
  • Questions?

13
Thank you for your time ..
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