Unwell people could be denied sick notes in bid to boost economy

[pellinore]

The government could tell doctors to sign fewer sick people off work as part of a bid to boost the flagging performance of Britain's economy.

People deemed ill enough to get a sick note would instead be "helped" to remain in work under plans under reported by The Telegraph and under consideration in Whitehall.

Ministers, including chancellor Jeremy Hunt, have voiced concerns about increasing levels of economic inactivity in the economy – as well as the number of people signed off work with long-term conditions.

Unwell people could be denied sick notes in bid to boost economy | The Independent

Edited February 15, 2023 by pellinore

[L.A.T.1961]

5 hours ago, pellinore said:

The government could tell doctors to sign fewer sick people off work as part of a bid to boost the flagging performance of Britain's economy.

People deemed ill enough to get a sick note would instead be "helped" to remain in work under plans under reported by The Telegraph and under consideration in Whitehall.

Ministers, including chancellor Jeremy Hunt, have voiced concerns about increasing levels of economic inactivity in the economy – as well as the number of people signed off work with long-term conditions.

Unwell people could be denied sick notes in bid to boost economy | The Independent

I think something needs to be done to wean people off the covid method of stopping at home and being paid. 

But I don't see this working.

Not as I like the idea of pushing this cost on business but they would probably deal with absenteeism better than the method suggested.

I would pay an attendance bonus to workers with a full months work, it need not cost too much as the normal monthly salary could be adjusted accordingly.  

Folks would be down a few £% if losing time and a bit better off with a full months work. 

The carrot and stick technique and it might reduce the cost for agency workers to cover missing staff .

 

 

[+Desertrat56]

5 hours ago, pellinore said:

The government could tell doctors to sign fewer sick people off work as part of a bid to boost the flagging performance of Britain's economy.

People deemed ill enough to get a sick note would instead be "helped" to remain in work under plans under reported by The Telegraph and under consideration in Whitehall.

Ministers, including chancellor Jeremy Hunt, have voiced concerns about increasing levels of economic inactivity in the economy – as well as the number of people signed off work with long-term conditions.

Unwell people could be denied sick notes in bid to boost economy | The Independent

Oh brother, then you will have offices full of sick people trying to work just like in the U.S. before covid.    It is an inefficient way to run a business or a country.  If people are sick they need to stay home and the employers who don't allow that should be reported.   

[+Desertrat56]

21 minutes ago, L.A.T.1961 said:

I think something needs to be done to wean people off the covid method of stopping at home and being paid. 

But I don't see this working.

Not as I like the idea of pushing this cost on business but they would probably deal with absenteeism better than the method suggested.

I would pay an attendance bonus to workers with a full months work, it need not cost too much as the normal monthly salary could be adjusted accordingly.  

Folks would be down a few £% if losing time and a bit better off with a full months work. 

The carrot and stick technique and it might reduce the cost for agency workers to cover missing staff .

 

 

In the U.S. an employer who requires a note from a doctor for a sick employee is essentially using that stick to beat their employees to work more hours, as it costs a lot of money to go to a doctor and when you know it is a virus there is no reason to go to the doctor unless you need to in order to keep your job.  So I get why people come to work sick in the U.S.  (I have worked in offices where one person came to work with the flu and the next week almost everyone in the office had the flu, and they were at work!  That is NOT right)

[Tatetopa]

I used to work through colds and flu all the time.  I can tell you I was not at peak performance, and I wonder how many caught my flu.   Hourly people where I worked had little recourse to sick days and were working 10 hours of mandatory overtime a week.  I sometimes wonder if a sick quality inspector,  fuzzy headed and high on Sudafed ever missed a fatal flaw in an aircraft engine component that we produced.  How many of those wound up on engines in service? Happy flying.