14 day “self-certification”

Today’s the day that medics at the BMA annual meeting will vote on a motion calling for the “self-certification” period to be extended to 14 days.

If this is decided, employees will be able to go off sick for up to 14 days without having to ‘prove’ to their employer that they are actually ill.

Deputy chair of the BMA, Dr Richard Vautrey says “it’s about empowering patients and trusting patients and reducing unnecessary appointments with GPs. If you’ve got a patient who very clearly has an illness that is going to last 10 days to two weeks, why do they need to make an appointment with a GP just to get that note to tell their employer what their employer probably knows already and what the patient should be trusted to be able to pass on?”

However, Joyce Robins, Co-Director of Patient Concern has said “two weeks off work without a sick note is far too much – that sounds to me like a skiver’s charter.“

It’s an interesting debate and I suppose we can only wait until after the BMA annual meeting to find out what has been decided and what this will mean for employers.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss an ongoing sickness absence issue, then please contact us on 0808 168 5780 or email efisher@eaglehr.co.uk