| To ease pressure on GPs and the NHS as the booster programme is accelerated, the Government has introduced, we have to have very quietly and with no fanfare, a temporary change to the self-certification rules. The temporary period applies to any period of sickness absence which starts in the period 17 December 2021 to 26 January 2022, or which commenced before 17 December 2021 but had not lasted 7 days (i.e. the employee was self-certifying for the first 7 days). Currently your Contract of Employment requires a Fit Note after 7 days of sickness absence, for this temporary period, this will no longer apply. Sickness absence commencing after 26 January 2022 will revert to the 7-day self-certification period (unless the period is extended of course). This will mean a temporary variation to this Contractual term, but don’t worry, in practice, all you need to do is not enforce the requirement for a Fit Note until the employee has been off for 28 days. There is no need to communicate this to employees unless it applies to them i.e. they go off sick in this period. If employees are self-isolating and cannot work because of coronavirus (COVID-19) they can get an ‘isolation note’ online from NHS 111; they do not have to go to their GP or a hospital. If you agree and require it, a similar document can be provided by a physiotherapist, podiatrist or occupational therapist instead. This is called an Allied Health Professional (AHP) Health and Work Report and should be perfectly acceptable to advise you on the employee’s condition and fitness for work should you need it. Fit notes are free if the employee has been ill for more than 28 days when they ask for one. The doctor might charge a fee if they ask for the fit note earlier. If the employee’s illness started before 10 December 2021, they can get a free fit note after 7 days. Full details are available on the .gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/taking-sick-leave?fbclid=IwAR3rs9WKB9-JLctvE9hNsaYUz3cJbeZ0Eic8_3SjsmrSp59W5XBkpTmd9jY You are legally required to pay Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) of £96.35 per week, to all employees who meet the earnings threshold of £120 per week, are employed and have done at least some work for you. Full details are available on the .gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay |
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