Occupational Health Assessment Limited’s survey suggests Fit Notes are now better supporting absence management but HR still calls for major improvements.
After many years of negative headlines, research by Occupational Health Assessment Limited suggests that Human Resources (HR) experts are finally starting to see some genuine value from the Fit Note system in supporting absence management procedures.
The survey of 160 employers representing more than 600,000 employees was undertaken in March and found that more than six in every ten employers (61%) now see some positives from the Fit Note system first introduced in 2010. One in every ten respondents (10%) consider Fit Notes to now be “pivotal” to their absence management procedures, with others suggesting that Fit Notes are of some use (16%) in this objective. A significant number of employers (35%) found the Fit Note system useful, but rather inconsistent in quality.
Magnus Kauders, Managing Director of Occupational Health Assessment Limited, commented;
“It has been many years since the first Fit Note was issued in the UK, and our research suggests that employers are finally starting to see some genuine value from the system which replaced Sick Notes more than a decade and a half ago.
Our survey suggests that the Fit Note system is showing signs of working as originally intended, and this may reflect the improvements made to the system in 2022, when the system was digitised and certification was widened to include healthcare professionals other than the employee’s family doctor.”
These positive findings arrive at a time when The Keep Britain Working Final Report (published in November 2025) has hinted at the Fit Note system being replaced with a more formal system of Workplace Health Provision.
It should be noted that the vast majority of HR professionals would welcome further improvements to the current Fit Note system. Indeed, Occupational Health Assessment Limited’s survey found that almost 9 in every 10 employers (86%) questioned would like to see Fit Notes improved or replaced by an alternative system. Almost half (47%) called for a complete redesign of Fit Notes, with a further 39% calling for minor improvements to make the system work better. Just 5% of HR experts believe that the current Fit Note system is sufficient.
Steve Herbert, Brand Ambassador at Occupational Health Assessment Limited, observed;
“There is always room for improvement in any system, and it is clear that HR professionals are still largely underwhelmed with the Fit Notes they are receiving. Yet our survey suggests that as the system beds-in it is becoming more relevant in absence management and may become even more useful in the years ahead.
A wholesale replacement of the current system might take a similar time to make a positive difference, not least because the recommendations made by The Keep Britain Working Review in this regard were embryonic. At this stage, we would encourage HR experts to make the best they can of the current system.”
For full details of the Occupational Health Assessment Limited research findings please scroll down.
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Survey details & results
The anonymous survey was undertaken on Wednesday 4th March as part of the quarterly Occupational Health Assessment Employment Webinars series. 160 senior HR, Finance, and C-Suite professionals responded representing UK employers in the Private, Public, and Third Sector. In total these organisations employ at least 600,000 employees worldwide.
Survey results and questions:
Q1) Do Fit Notes add value to your absence management procedures?
- Yes; the information provided is pivotal to how we approach absence management (10%)
- Yes; the information provided is of some use in absence management (16%)
- Yes; but some fit notes are more detailed and useful than others (35%)
- No; fit notes don’t provide enough information to support absence management (37%)
- I’m not sure (3%)
Q2) Would you like to see Fit Notes improved or replaced by an alternative system?
- Yes; a complete redesign would improve absence management (47%)
- Yes; some tweaks to the current system would improve absence management (39%)
- No; the current system is sufficient (5%)
- I’m not sure (8%)
- N/A; we don’t use fit notes to evidence absence or inform absence management (2%)
About Occupational Health Assessment Limited
Occupational Health Assessment Limited is a team of highly qualified and experienced specialists who aim to help employers identify and reduce their workforce health risks.
Headquartered in Guildford, Surrey, the team delivers occupational health support right across the UK and provides assessment appointments within 48 hours of a request. This rapid response service ensures that businesses are provided with all the key data to make robust and swift decisions to reduce absence, support employee wellbeing, avoid presenteeism, mitigate litigation and avoid unwanted negative publicity.
Occupational Health Assessment Limited are a Certified B-Corporation and SEQOHS Accredited occupational health provider and have been independently assessed as meeting high standards of care and service by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine.
Occupational Health Assessment Ltd in numbers:
170 years of combined OH and employee benefits expertise and experience
165 appointments available weekly
325 thousand client employees covered
48 hours to get an appointment
“The service is congratulated on their high level of appreciation and support regarding individual experience, knowledge, and skills and the ongoing development of their staff” SEQOHS Assessment Report
Website: www.occupationalhealthassessment.com
