Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

There has been an interesting development in Britain regarding efforts to address absenteeism. I noted some figures from Ireland which show that the direct cost of absenteeism to small businesses, particularly those with sick pay schemes, is more than €490 million per annum. Under the radical new scheme introduced in Britain, anyone who has been sick for more than four weeks will face a fit for work test aimed at stamping out the sick note culture. A person who has been sick for four weeks will have to visit his or her doctor. Every year, more than 1 million people in Britain take sick leave for more than one month, costing the economy more than £9 billion.

The position regarding absenteeism in Ireland is similar to that in Britain, particularly in the case of small firms. It is a scandal to the extent that some doctors automatically give sick leave certificates to people who no longer wish to work. While I am not sure what is the solution to the problem, we should at least examine the British model to ascertain whether there is something we can do to address absenteeism. The ability of small firms to survive is affected when employees who take sick are not as ill as they maintain. I believe we can do something about this problem.