Municipal doctors back capability certificates for sick workers

Municipal doctors in the Faroe Islands support the coalition government’s plan to reform the sick pay system by focusing more on what sick employees can do, KVF reported on Wednesday.

The Faroe Islands Association of Municipal Doctors supports replacing standard sick notes with so called capability certificates.

Instead of only stating which tasks a sick employee cannot perform, the certificate would focus on the work duties the employee remains able to carry out.

The government has provided few details about how the new system would work. Turið H. Johannessen, chair of the association, said Denmark has a similar system that could serve as a model for the Faroe Islands.

“The longer people are completely absent from the labour market, the harder it is to return,” Johannessen said.

The Confederation of Faroese Employers has also said it supports the plan.