Aon supports call for urgent remedy for UK plcís sick note culture

In response to Dame Carol Blackís major report on Britainís sick note culture, Aon Consulting has issued the following comment.

Matthew Lawrence and Charlotte Bray, consultants in Aon Consultingís Benefits Solutions team, said:

ìWe welcome Dame Carolís call for a fundamental shift in attitudes to recognise that work is good for you, and an acknowledgement from both the individual, health professional and employer that people do not need to be 100 per cent fit in order to work.

ìIn particular, the report endorses our view that employers should do more to implement health initiatives that keep people fit for work, or hasten their return to employment when they are sick.

ìHowever, there is a barrier to employers investing sufficiently in health and wellness initiatives and both the Government and internal HR managers need to do a lot more to persuade boardrooms that they need to address the problem.

ìOccupational health services are under utilised by companies - and particularly by SMEs - and we support the notion that wider access would be beneficial. However, occupational health service (OHS) professionals are a scarce resource and in order to provide OHS on the NHS, we need major investment in restructuring, funding and training of the discipline. These changes could take many years to implement.

ìDame Carolís recommendation that employers should report on workplace health and well-being in company accounts is a step is the right direction. With work-related ill-health costing UK plc more than 100bn a year, there is a compelling argument for urgent action. Our own research shows that those employers with effective employee health management programmes will benefit financially both in the short and longer term.

ìWe recognise the pivotal role GPs could play in fostering a fit for work culture and it is important to balance this with the employerís role in shaping a wellness culture in the working environment. We support Dame Carol and the Governmentís key message that the sick note should be replaced by a fit note, in which the GP would outline what the employee is able to do, rather than what he or she cannot do.

ìAccording to official figures, 90 per cent of those who come on to incapacity benefit want to return to work, so government, GPs and employers alike should be doing everything they can to encourage them back into the workplace. We urge the Government to action the key points from the report, including incorporating occupational health and vocational rehabilitation into NHS treatment.ì