A new kind of sick-note which tells employers what staff can, rather than cannot, do would be good news for small firms, one expert has claimed.

Ben Willmott, employee relations advisor at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) explained that the so-called well-note would offer many benefits.

He said: "Research published by the Department of Work and Pensions in 2006 clearly showed the link between work and health and that working, in many cases, is part of an individual's rehabilitation and recovery - particularly around mental health issues."

Mr Willmott added that while well-notes will not solve all sickness-related problems, they will help forge better links between GPs and employers and that this will have definite benefits for workers.

Last month, health secretary Alan Johnson said that he wants GPs to issue well-notes as this would help to tackle long-term absenteeism in the UK.

According to Dame Carol Black's recent report on the issue, 175 million working days were lost to sickness in 2006.

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