Blowing the whistle on sick-note workers

Under normal circumstances, an employer who opened the Sunday paper to see an employee leading his local junior football team to victory might experience pride, or at least the urge to congratulate the worker in question. However, when the very same employee is supposedly on sick-leave, as the result of a bad back, thoughts will naturally tend more towards P45s than bottles of champagne. However, a recent tribunal finding of unfair dismissal in just such a case should serve as a warning that, even in seemingly clear-cut circumstances, employers should tread carefully. So, what is the best way for businesses to handle employees who they suspect are faking or exaggerating their illness?

For more information on this issue contact Jane Fraser.

Published in The Herald Business Magazine - 3 December 2004