Sick Certificates: Rehabilitation as an Alternative

1
Sick Certificates Rehabilitation as an
Alternative
Sandra Neylon Director, Neylon Occupational
Health Ltd
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Introduction

• Statistics
• What is a sick certificate?
• Rehabilitation
• Case management
• Keys to success
• Summary

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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)

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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)

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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

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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!

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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

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• Questions?

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Thank you for your time ..