Every year millions of workdays are lost due to sickness. The average per worker is around 4.4 days a year, according to 2013 ONS statistics. Whilst the average is quite low, some workers suffer from long-term sickness, and can be off work for a number of weeks, making it increasingly harder to return to work. Each year, around 865,000 people across England and Wales are thought to be signed off on long-term sick leave every year.
Long-term sickness and prolonged absences is a tough topic for employers to confront or coordinate themselves. The well-being and health of their employees should be high up on their list of priorities, but so should running a profitable and stable business. Attempts to encourage employees back to work can often comes across as insincere and financially motivated, not compassionate.
Fortunately for employees, and those suffering from long-term sickness, there is a new voluntary support service backed by the government called “Fit for work”, available across England and Wales. The aim of the service is to allow employers to refer employees suffering from long-term sickness, who have been, or are likely to be, off for 4 weeks or more.
What is “Fit for Work”
The “Fit for Work” support service, which is backed by the government, is an entirely voluntary service for which your employer or GP can recommend you for, as well as being able to recommend yourself to the service.
It is designed for people who need some help in returning to work, and are willing to accept that help in order to get back into the work routine.
Should your employer recommend you, you will be offered a health-based assessment, undertaken by a clinical professional, which takes around 45 minutes. The basis of the assessment is to discover why the individual may find it hard to return to work, along with making recommendations about how they can help themselves in returning to work.
According to the fitforwork.org site, being in work is an important contributor to good health. The longer someone is off work, the harder it is for them to get back to work – research suggests that being out of work for long periods of time is damaging to social and financial well-being, and health.
After returning to work
If an employee is referred to the scheme, and is successfully returned to work, follow up checks will be made by the Fit for Work scheme to ensure that they’re still coping, and are still fit enough to be there.
Further information
The majority assessment will be conducted over the phone, however face-to-face assessment can be undertaken where required.
Fit for Work is being delivered in England and Wales by Health Management Ltd and in Scotland by the Scottish Government. In Scotland the service is called Fit for Work Scotland.
Find out more at Fitforwork.org/about
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