The membership have spoken, and endorsed the new agreement in the recent ballot, click here to see the details of question 1, click here to see the details of questions 2.

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Missed the Voice:

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The new fit note and it's application

Royal Mail Group are issuing briefings for all Managers within Royal Mail Letters, Parcelforce and Post Office Limited setting out key information on the introduction of the new ‘Fit Note’ procedure.

The main changes to the existing sick note are:

A new option for the Doctor or GP to advise if an individual may be fit for work with some modifications to the work or work place

Space for a Doctor to provide information on how an individuals condition will effect what they do

Tick boxes for the Doctor to use to suggest common ways to help a return to work, these options are to return to work, altered hours, amended duties and or work place adaptations

The new ‘Fit Note’ is still not required until after the seventh calendar day of sickness, up until then sickness is still self certificated as it is now.  Information on the form is still advice to the individual it is not an instruction to the employer and obligations under the disability discrimination act has not changed.

A meeting was held with Royal Mail Group on Monday the 22^nd March 2010 and additional wording has been placed into all of our existing attendance procedure agreements to accommodate the new ‘Fit Note’ procedure.  Branches should be aware that although additional wording has been placed into the procedures there are no other alterations in respect of how the attendance procedure should be applied.  Royal Mail Group intend to produce a questions and answers document covering a whole range of questions that may materialise on the introduction of this new system.  Once the business sends CWU Headquarters a copy of the questions and answers we will communicate a copy to all branches.

"The New Fit Note" - Statement of Fitness for Work - DWP Guidance for Employees, Employers, GPs and Hospital; Doctors:

The DWP has finalised and published guidance on the 'New Fit Note' for

Employees,

Employers,

GPs and

Hospital; Doctors.

Some important points from the DWP 'Fit Note' guidance:-

Return to work tick boxes

Where a doctor has advised that the employee may be fit for work they will include some comments on their patient’s condition and, where appropriate, will tick one or more of the four tick boxes on the Statement. These are common ways to help someone with a health condition return to work. The tick boxes are:

Phased return to work. A doctor will recommend this where they believe that an employee may benefit from a gradual increase in the intensity of their work duties or their working hours.

For example, agreeing that:

An employee following an operation could return to work on reduced hours, gradually increasing to their normal hours over an agreed period of time; or

An employee with a back or shoulder problem, whose job involves lifting, gradually increases the quantity or intensity of their work. This could help them return to work earlier whilst rebuilding their capacity for manual work.

Altered hours. A doctor may recommend this where they believe that an employee will benefit from a change to the hours that they work, in order for them to return to work. This does not necessarily mean working fewer hours.

For example:

Providing the option to start (and/or leave) later could support someone who is unable to drive and struggles with rush hour public transport to continue working.

Allowing more flexible hours could support someone who is still receiving treatment to return to work and attend treatment sessions during working hours.

Amended duties. A doctor may recommend this where they believe your employee may be able to return to work if their duties are amended to take into account their condition.

Examples of amended duties:

Removing heavy lifting from the job of someone who has a back injury could help them return to work whilst recovering from their injury.

Reducing or removing a more pressured part of a job role (such as dealing with complaints), could help someone off work with stress return to work.

Workplace adaptations. A doctor may recommend this where they believe your employee may be able to return to work if their workplace is adapted to take into account their condition.

Examples of workplace adaptations:

A ground floor workstation for an individual who has problems going up and down stairs (this may occur in cases of arthritis, for example).

Arranging for a parking space near the entrance to the workplace, could help someone who has reduced mobility post surgery return to work.

Revised workplace risk assessment and TU Rep involvement

In determining what action an employer is able to take as a result of advice given on a 'fit note', they will need to consider whether a revised workplace risk assessment is required and to keep it under review. The guidance recommends that

It may be helpful to discuss this process with the employee or their Representative.

Disagreement and TU Rep involvement

The guidance recommends that the employers aim should be to ensure that both the management and the employee are comfortable with the support that is being offered. If there is disagreement the employer may wish to suggest that

the employee seeks advice from their trade union or an advice centre.

The TUC have reported that the DWP guidance attached has greatly improved following their input and now make reference to employee and trade union rep/safety rep involvement.

Click the links below for:

An example fit note

DWP Guidance to employers

DWP Guidance to GP's

DWP Guidance to Hospitals