Having now seen a number of  "Statement of Fitness for Work Notes" or "Fit Notes" as they are more commonly referring to I am really starting to wonder whether they are the "cure" for the old sick notes that we all hoped that they would be. All the "Fit Notes" that I have seen have all had the same old approach i.e. the GP puts a date that the employees should refrain from work until a specified date. I have not yet seen one whereby the GP has actually suggested that the employee could return to work provided he/she only undertook certain activities. I though that was the whole point of moving from a "Sick" note to a "Fit note" as we wanted to get employees back into work quicker!

With only 22% of employers believing that "Fit Notes" would reduce the number of employee absences, were they doomed from the start?  The general reaction from both GP’s and employers has been lukewarm to say the least. Neither GP’s nor employers seem to have a deep enough understanding of the "Fit Notes" and how they work.  GP’S are often not qualified in making proper assessments of a patient’s workplace, therefore, how are they able to suggest ways in which they can return to work.  If GP’s fail to understand the nature of the workplace and encourage a patient back to work which then leads to the deterioration of their health, the question could be whether the GP is then liable?  There seems to be a lack of information and detail in the "Fit Notes", which if provided, would give  the employer some indication of what their employees can do.

Recent research by Kronos, a Workforce Management Software Supplier, suggested that 38% employers believe that "Fit Notes" will create more of a problem than it solves, especially as the Local Medical Committee (LMC) have suggested that "Fit Notes" are more open to forgery than "Sick Notes."

As far as I am concerned there are two key issues, firstly, whether the employee will actually be honest enough to tell their GP enough about their job, so that the GP can make an informed decision about which elements of their role that they can safely complete as opposed to being off work. Secondly, whether the GP has actually got time to go through the detail of a person's job in order to make that decision. I rarely go to my GP, whenever I do, I feel sorry for them as they have on average a ten minute appointment slot within which to listen to all your ailments, diagnose your condition, create a treatment plan (if appropriate) & now they also have to, if you are employed, find out about your role & make recommendations on which element that you can safely do in your condition. Talk about Super Human - this is an unbelievable amount of work to complete in a suggested 10 minute appointment.

In saying this, we are still in the early stages of the introduction so these maybe just teething problems, however I believe that "Fit Notes" will not cure all the problems that "Sick Notes" created. That said I am more than happy to be proved wrong on this one. Please let me know of your experience of "Fit Notes."

As a trainer and a HR Professional I am usually surprised by very little as I have seen or heard most things, however, I was quite surprised when I was running a two day training course for a client when we had not one but three people turn up for the wrong course.

 

The first person was actually the funniest as he was there at the very start of the two day event, so the PowerPoint clearly displayed the name of the course as did the delegate pack that was on the desk in front of him. I even spoke to the organiser who advised that she did not know him as the number of delegates exceeded the number I have expected. The organiser advised me that she did not know him, however, I should just continue. So no doubt you can guess my mistake, I did as she suggested & didn't challenge the "cuckoo" on my course.

 

I started the course by introducing myself, the reason that we are here & giving an overview of the two days that we would be spending together. I then asked the delegates to voice their objectives for the workshop. It was not until we had completed that section & moved onto the first exercise that the "cuckoo" stood up & advised that he thought he was on the wrong course & had done so since he had walked in the room. It was not the course name that gave him the hint, it was the fact that he thought he was on a half day seminar & I kept talking about our two day journey!

 

After he left the room a couple of other delegates expressed their surprise that he was there but nobody had the courage to challenge him. Just before lunch another person walked in, apologised for being late & sat down. Again I asked the organiser who was the new delegate & she advised that he was Head of Finance so probably just popped in to see what was going on. So I said nothing until about 5 minutes later he advised that he was on the wrong course & left.

 

Mid afternoon, I had another potential interloper, this time as she walked in the room I challenged her & sure enough she was in the wrong room too. At this point I had to ask what was the other course & where was it being held. Turns out it was a risk management course & it was being held on another site about 6-8 miles across Manchester. I never knew that risk management was that popular.

 

From the feedback sheets I know that my delegates learnt about mediation on my course, however, I learnt that if in doubt I should challenge my delegates to make sure that they are on the right course. I think I will chalk that down to experience!   

Last week I had a most distressing 36 hours - I lost my mobile phone! The first time this has ever happened to me since I was first entrusted 20 odd years ago with a mobile communications device. Now whilst this is no where need the most distressing thing that can happen to a human being it is amazing how bewildering it is when you are without your phone. As not only does it have every contact I have, I didn't even know my husband's mobile number without it, the phone is also the device that I use to download emails when I am away from the office.

 

So based in a client's office in Southampton I was basically incommunicado for 24 hours.

 

It transpires that I left my phone in a locally taxi company, on my way out to celebrate a colleague's 40th Birthday & I was stone cold sober at the time. It took under 6pm the following evening for the taxi driver to come back on shift & advise that two mobile phones had been left in his taxi the previous night. It was then another agonising 2 hours before the phone was returned to me & then a further 12 hours before vodafone could switch my number back on.

 

When later that day I rang the same taxi to book my return taxi to Southampton Airport, after organising my taxi, the operator, very tongue in cheek, suggested that I did not take my phone out of my bag when in the taxi this time. I am sure I am going to be ribbed about this for a long time.

 

However, I would like to go on record to thank the taxi company & particularly the taxi driver of car 18 for restoring not only my ability to communicate with the outside world but my belief in mankind, as obviously there are a lot of honest people out there how are willing to help a damsel in distress. Thank you

Be warned I am about to have a real rant!

 

I have just read a response from "The Career Coach" in the Personnel Today Newsletter that quotes a Managing Director of a HR Recruitment company in responding to a question as to how a person should deal with the question of why they left their previous role in a redundancy situation. The person raising the question suggested that it could be seen that they were no good at their job for their previous employer and therefore why would a future employer want to take on a "useless" employee.

 

The response was that they should take along open references & similar material to prove that they were not useless.

 

What a load of rubbish! You are also putting the idea into a future employers head that you are useless when this is definitely not the case.

 

Through our sister company, Recruitment Doctor, we have been delivering the JobSearch for newly unemployed professionals programme, and those individuals are not useless, in fact in the majority of cases, they were at the top of their game & the only reason they were made redundant was for economic reasons due to company performance, nothing to do with their performance.

 

It staggers me that so called HR professionals can think this way.

 

We work with these individuals to help them understand their marketability, deal with the transition and identify the opportunity that they have been given. This includes the ability to take stock of where they are, to identify what they want next and how to sell themselves to future employers. Our attendees don't talk about being made redundant, they talk about the opportunity that they have been given. To find out more visit www.recruitment-doctor.co.uk

 

Right rant over time to get back to actually helping people!

 

 

I just had to come on and have a rant! Why is it in this technological age that we still have job seekers that put mobile telephone numbers on their cvs or application forms that they then do not answer?

 

I understand that sometimes that people may have to switch their mobiles off but surely you should have an answer service as you never know when that important call might come through.

 

I have spent the last hour trying to ring a number of people to try and invite them to interviews next week and so far I have had 3 incorrect numbers - well I am assuming that they are incorrect & not disconnected -  6 just ringing out, 3 saying that the receiver was unavailable & that I should call back later plus 1 that said that the receiver was unavailable but that they would text my number to the person, so at least they knew that I had called.

 

I have managed to get through to one real person! Here's hoping that they are good at interview as at this moment in time they haven't got much competition!

 

So can I please ask that all job seekers please check that their cvs are up to date, that their contact details are correct and that any telephone details provided are able to take messages, as you never know when that important telephone call will come through!