This is the message from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), following the release of new research from Norwich Union showing that up to nine million out of 22 million requests to GPs for sick notes each year are suspicious.
Ben Willmott, Employee Relations Adviser at the CIPD commented, Our research shows that tackling absence management has become one of the biggest priorities for employers. But to be effective, employers must ensure they have progressive people management policies in place, which are less likely to lead employees to wake up and think íI donít feel like going to work todayí. This means ensuring that staff are treated fairly at work, have achievable targets and the support, training and recognition to help them achieve these targets.
Willmott continues, But GPs also have a key role to play. It is in their interests to issue sick notes in a responsible manner by making every effort to establish if their patient has a genuine health problem that prevents them from attending work. If GPs give sick notes without good reason and without much thought, then it is not surprising that they find themselves in demand.
The most recent absence survey from the CIPD showed that absence levels were cut by a tenth in 2003 - down from ten days per year to nine on average.
Employers and GPs need to work together to cut absence <br>levels
Employers and GPs must work together to help the sick-note system run more efficiently.