Executive sector news
Employers' concerns for self-certification
20/7/2009There is concern among employers about how to manage proposals for emergency plans in response to the swine flu pandemic. Under the proposals staff will be allowed to self-certify their sick-leave for up to a fortnight.
The Cabinet Office is reviewing the plans which would extend the amount of time employees can take off work without a doctors note from seven to 14 days. These would be implemented for a limited period of time, most likely six months, if the number of cases in the UK rose dramatically.
The Department for Work and Pensions has said that the Civil Contingencies Committee is monitoring the situation and that the measures would only be implemented if absolutely necessary.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has rated it a 'proportionate' response. Ben Willmott, the CIPD's senior public policy adviser, estimates that only a small proportion of employees would take advantage of the new rules. He said, "There is a fine line between providing support to people who have genuine health problems and taking consistent action against the small proportion that are taking advantage of occupational sick pay schemes. That does not change regardless of changes to self-certifying rules".
Media coverage of swine flu has been a wake-up call for many employers who are only now beginning to recognise the need for emergency planning. Companies are being urged to focus particularly on technical infrastructure and communications. They should also introduce 'cross-functional training' so that healthy staff can be redeployed to key business areas.
