June 4th, 2011 
Admin British bosses are complaining that measures designed to decrease the impact of swine ‘flu on the workplace are in danger of creating a ‘skivers’ charter’.
Far more than a thousand organizations across the country claim staff have been logging-on to an NHS self-diagnosis web site to extend their Summer holidays.
The National Pandemic Flu Service advises that people who appear to have symptoms associated with swine ‘flu need to stay at residence for up to seven days.
Nevertheless, Manchester-based Employment Law Advisory Services (ELAS) says it has been inundated with enquiries from managers who claim colleagues with out any signs of illness are using the web site and causing far more disruption to the workplace than the ‘flu itself.
Peter Mooney, ELAS head of consultancy, said his firm began receiving calls from angry managers as soon as the website became active at the end of last month.
“They feel that some staff are simply taking advantage of current concerns about the transmission of swine ‘flu to take an additional couple of days off work. Because the emphasis has been on not going to your local GP but making use of services like this to assess the infection and the risk to other people, those who stay at house aren’t going to need a doctor’s note or have too numerous folks calling on them to see how they feel.
“Based on the volume – and the nature – of calls we’ve been taking, the number of deliberate false cases of the condition are having a substantial impact on workplaces across the country, something bosses are keen to tackle.”
Mr Mooney warned that additional short-term measures being regarded as by the Government to address the impact of swine ‘flu could exacerbate the troubles being experienced by Britain’s bosses.
The Cabinet Office is deliberating over proposals for a possible six-month extension for the length of time for which men and women can self-certify in order to get the country by way of the worst of the crisis.
Those plans would enable people to take up to 14 days off work without having to get a doctor’s note.Mr Mooney added: “Employers think that by doubling the self-certification limits, you are potentially multiplying the chance for untruthful individuals to kid the system.
“The concern is about when and how they can tackle those people who they think have not been ill. After all, they are being told not to return to work until all their symptoms have gone but that doesn’t mean suspicion about whether they really had been under the weather won’t persist.”
Go to www.employment-law.uk.com for a lot more details.
For HR Software to manage your absences, go to www.employersafe.co.uk
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