NEW doctor’s notes which tell employers what tasks a sick employee can perform have been welcomed by a top business group in Essex.

John Clayton, chief-executive of the Essex Chambers of Commerce, said the new “fit notes” system, introduced yesterday will help companies as they battle the loss of productivity when staff are off sick.

Doctors now provide fit notes for workers who are off for longer than seven days, detailing what they are able to do.

Mr Clayton said: “This is a practical solution to a problem, it’s not about exploiting people if they are sick.”

But Mr Clayton believes the plans will need to be reviewed to make sure they meet their goal of cutting absenteeism.

He said: “We’ll give the Government the benefit of the doubt on this and give it six months to see what happens.”

Dr Laurence Buckman, from the British Medical Association, also welcomed the change. He said: “Being in work is good for people’s Health and wellbeing and it’s for that reason the BMA is pleased the sick note system has finally been overhauled.

“GPs also need to be careful they are not drawn into making comments they are not qualified to make because, unlike occupational health doctors, they are not often in a position to know the details of the patient’s working conditions, neither do they have specialist knowledge of workplace hazards.”

The new system is a response to a report by Dame Carol Black, who looked into the health of people at work in the UK in March 2008.

Her review, Working for a Healthier Tomorrow, revealed the cost to the British economy of lost working days was well over £100bn a year with roughly 172 million working days lost in 2007 due to sickness absence.