Square Circle HR Ltd
human resource consultancy and employment law
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Fit Notes
A website is offering fake new-style Med 3's which include a 'Statement of Fitness for Work'. The web-site charges £9.99 - and it's "buy one and get one free".
The website concerned (http://www.doctorsnotestore.com) says it provides "Guaranteed 48 hour delivery of authentic looking replica doctors sick note or medical certificate. Written on official doctors notepaper, with real stamp". It says "all fake-sick notes come with an official sick note stamp" and offers the ability to choose from Doctors at medical centres in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow - or any other area.
It also says that documents purchased from it "are to be used for entertainment purposes only. We do not condone intentional false absence from an employer or educational institution. We do not condone illegal use of these documents". But then it goes on to say "Print a homemade sick note and you are much more likely to be caught out".
Fake sick notes are not new. A BBC news item in August 2008 suggests they have been around since at least 1997. However their abuse for fraudulent purposes continues to be something about which employers and HR departments should be on their guard and the development of new fake fit notes is a prompt for a timely reminder.
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