This guide that explains what to do if an employee gives you a fit note and how you can use the note most effectively to help your organisation. This includes information on how you can support the employee back to work, as well as option for how to get more information.
It has been updated in order to remove references of the Fit for Work service, which has now closed.
The guide suggests the following five things to do if you are given a fit note:
Check whether your employee’s doctor has assessed that they are not fit for work, or may be fit for work.
Check how long your employee’s fit note applies for, and whether they are expected to be fit for work when their fit note expires.
If your employee may be fit for work, discuss their fit note with them and see if you can agree any changes to help them come back to work while it lasts.
If your employee is not fit for work, or if they may be fit for work but you can’t agree any changes, use the fit note as evidence for your sick pay procedures.
Consider taking a copy of the fit note for your records (your employee should keep the original).
The full guide is available here.
The document Fit Note: Guidance for GPs - which has also been updated to remove reference to the Fit for Work service - is available here.
Department for Work and Pensions September 2021