LONG TERM ILL-HEALTH

Managing Long Term Absence - Overview

We can help you reduce the number of employees on long term absence thereby containing sickness absence costs. By getting involved in cases early and focusing on rehabilitating the employee back to work as quickly as possible, the number of employees who are unable to return to their own job due to illness or injury can be reduced. This is of benefit to both your organisation and your employees.

Assessments for Ill-Health Retirements or Permanent Health Insurance/Capability

There will be some cases where due to the nature of their medical condition, employees are absent for six months or more. In these instances we can assist you by assessing (where relevant) an employee’s:

		eligibility for ill-health retirement;
		eligibility for permanent health insurance;
		capability to perform their current job.

Assessments can be undertaken at one of our clinic locations. Where more than one employee needs to be assessed, it may be possible for us to assess these employees at your premises.

Independent Advice on Ill-health Retirement Appeals

We have extensive experience of providing independent specialist opinions on employee appeals against ill-health retirement decisions for both the public and private sector. Contact us for more information.

Advice on Policies and Procedures

It is important to have clear, flexible, and formalised ill-health retirement criteria and procedures that ensure that the decision to retire an employee on ill-health grounds is not made:

		too early in the recovery process (e.g. the employee will get better);
		before energetic treatment has been tried;
		before rehabilitation options are explored (e.g. the employee may be able to perform the job with accommodations, or undertake an alternative job).

Clear formalised procedures will also ensure that all decisions are addressed with due consideration to the Disability Discrimination Act and other relevant employment legislation - click here.

We can provide you with advice and assistance in developing fair, effective and consistent policies and procedures for ill-health retirement as well as internal procedures for Permanent Health Insurance applications.