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Rehabilitation

Background 

Wherever possible, when an employee has a skin disorder, they should be encouraged to stay at work rather than take time off. However, it’s important that the employee has no further contact with the substance that’s causing the problem. The employer may have to give the employee other tasks, at least on a temporary basis, until changes in working practices or new controls are introduced. There may be cases where the employee’s skin is so badly affected that they have to take time off work for their skin to recover. As a last resort, the employer and/or employee may have to consider if the employee needs to change their job. If a period of absence is needed, it’s important for the employer to work with the employee to manage their return to work. You can get an overview of key considerations in the rehabilitation process in Work and health: changing how we think about common health problems. Also, see the TUC’s approach to rehabilitation.  
 

HSE guidance 

The HSE has a return-to-work factsheet for health and safety representatives, and one specifically for managers.

The HSE also has tools and documents to help with absence management and rehabilitation. These include:

More guidance

A Peninsula Medical School report Avoiding long-term incapacity for work: Developing an early intervention in primary care considers the evidence base for early intervention in sickness absence.
 
Concepts of rehabilitation for the management of common health problems is a paper commissioned by the Department of Work and Pensions, that attempts to develop an intellectual framework for policymaking, research and development.
  

Professional bodies – contact details 

 

British Association of Dermatologists

Willan House, 4 Fitzroy Square, London W1T 5HQ
t +44 (0)20 7383 0266
www.bad.org.uk/

admin@bad.org.uk

 

British Contact Dermatitis Society

www.bcds.org.uk

 

British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology
 17 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2PL

www.bsaci.org

info@bsaci.org

 

British Society for Investigative Dermatology

www.bsid.org.uk
  

Case Management Society UK

PO Box 2073, Reading RG4 7ZJ

t +44 (0)118 948 2272

www.cmsuk.org

info@cmsuk.org

 

Commercial Occupational Health Providers Association

PO Box 6873, Wellingborough NN8 1ZP

t +44 (0)1933 227788

www.cohpa.co.uk

info@cohpa.co.uk

 

Faculty of Occupational Medicine

6 St Andrew’s Place, London NW1 4LB

t +44 (0)20 7317 5890

www.facoccmed.ac.uk

fom@facoccmed.ac.uk

 

Institute of Occupational Medicine

Research Avenue North, Riccarton, Edinburgh EH14 4AP

t +44 (0)870 850 5131

www.iom-world.org

info@iomhq.org.uk

 

Society of Occupational Medicine

6 St Andrew’s Place, London NW1 4LB

t +44 (0)20 7486 2641

www.som.org.uk/

admin@som.org.uk

 

Financial help and advice

Under certain circumstances, employees with skin conditions can qualify for government funding to pay for adjustments to the work premises or equipment so that they can keep working.

 

Directgov explains…
‘If you feel that the type of work you do is affected by a disability or health condition that is likely to last for 12 months or more, ask the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at your local Jobcentre Plus office about Access to Work. They can put you in touch with your closest Access to Work Business Centre to check whether you’re eligible for help.’ Jobcentre Plus has more…

 

HM Revenue and Customs has a range of advice, including a calculator for statutory sick pay.