Proposals for a new type of disability leave have been set back by leading sickness protection insurer UnumProvident.
Last month, rehabilitation specialists said insurers should be forced to subsidise a new form of disability leave in order for people to return to their jobs faster. It would provide a newly disabled employee, or an employee whose condition has deteriorated a period of time off work to adjust to their new situation. This new period of paid leave would be funded partly by the Government and/or Insurers.
According to UnumProvident, a defined time of disability leave would not be seen as beneficial by those taking it. They believe that in general, people at home with an illness or disability want to get back to work.
Our view
We have to agree with Unum. Surely creating deadlines and timescales will create abusers who stay off longer than they should and losers who are forced to return when not ready.
If you draw a line in the sand there will always be winners and losers.