Sick cert for work

LegacyUser

I have worked in my current job for 2 years and have never been out sick. Unfortunately I came down with a very bad viral infection on Monday evening. I lost my voice, bad chesty cough, badly congested sinuses, aches and pains, upset stomach and a banging headache.

I went to my GP today to obtain a sick cert for my employer. I am still quite sick but my GP only certified me unfit for work until today, meaning I should return to work tomorrow. I am unsure as to what to do. I am still quite sick and I don't want to return to work sick nor do I want to pass this onto my colleagues so close to Christmas.

Can anyone advise what the procedure would be if I needed to take tomorrow off also? Would I need to obtain another sick cert?

For some additional information, my boss telephoned me just now to see how I am feeling and didn't (and hasn't all week) put me under any pressure to return to work before I'm fully better. I have also had conversations in the past with my boss about my GP, who is a very unsympathetic doctor. You could have a limb hanging off you and he would still give you the minimum treatment possible.

Mrs OBumble

Do you have a medical card? If so, you're stuck with your current GP for now ... go back and do the best you can. And after that, start investigating what you need to do to transfer to a better GP.

Otherwise, go and see a new GP immediately - there is no reason why you should stay on the books of one who you find unsympathetic.

Either way .. if you cannot work tomorrow (which is now today), go and get a more realistic cert.

Wils110

You pay doctor 55€ and you let him tell you when to go back to work...

Seems like he wants more money for another sick note

tatli_lokma

I would first, let your boss know, that you are still too unwell to go back to work - just because your sick cert is up, does not mean you must return to work. It just means you will need an additional cert.

Then ring the surgery as soon as it opens. Explain that you were there just yesterday and got a sick cert which anticipated your return to work today. Ask if this was intentional - it might be a case that the doc got the dates wrong, and meant for you to be off for the rest of the week, thinking that by monday you would be fit again. I think this is possibly what happened, as it is unusual for a doctor to send you back to work on a Friday if you are still a bit poorly. If it was a mistake they are not going to charge you.

If it was not a mistake explain that upon waking you are not any better than yesterday and in no fit state to go to work. Ask that a cert be left for you at reception to collect. At the very least ask for it to cover today, and hopefully by the time the weekend is out you will be better (if not, get another cert). If it was not an error in dates, I would be polite but firm with the GP's surgery - explain that you are not prepared to pay for another cert, as you presented to the doctor only yesterday and it should have been clear to him that you would not be fit to return. I certainly wouldn't be paying again for a cert or a second visit.

irish gent

LOL my friend TELLS me he's out of work today and feeling sick and the job says you have to bring in a sick cert lol. I thought after 3 days you do ?

_Brian

irish gent wrote: »

LOL my friend TELLS me he's out of work today and feeling sick and the job says you have to bring in a sick cert lol. I thought after 3 days you do ?

Employers have the right to request a cert at any stage if they feel an employee is messing them around.
Its actually an very effective tool in stopping guys taking a sickie, they have to fork out €40-50 to a doctor so its likely they'll only do this when actually sick.

I've had employees in the past who had to bring a cert in for each and every occasion, just because they were pulling the plumb, interestingly their sick day rate went to near zero.

irish gent

Well I hope if he has to get a cert for one day I think he might stay out till next week now and make it worth his while lol.

_Brian

irish gent wrote: »

Well I hope if he has to get a cert for one day I think he might stay out till next week now and make it worth his while lol.

He could be requested to have certs for each day, will his doctor give them.

We would also send employees to another doctor at our expense for a second opinion if we felt the employees doctor was too easy giving out certs.

irish gent

Rather than seeking GP certs for individual sick days, if an employer has an issue with high level of absenteeism then perhaps they should investigate why this is. Seeking to certify every sick day will only serve to create an environment of distrust with employees and in the impact morale as well as productivity.

Someone mentioned earlier about a common cold not being a justifiable reason to go to work. I wouldn’t necessarily agree. While agreed not a life threatening condition, a common cold does affect performance at some level and is contagious. Surely a better position is to avoid spreading contagion to other staff members thus impacting productivity further?
ge sick absence is due to poor people management and an office culture that promotes it.

_Brian

irish gent wrote: »

Rather than seeking GP certs for individual sick days, if an employer has an issue with high level of absenteeism then perhaps they should investigate why this is. Seeking to certify every sick day will only serve to create an environment of distrust with employees and in the impact morale as well as productivity.

Someone mentioned earlier about a common cold not being a justifiable reason to go to work. I wouldn’t necessarily agree. While agreed not a life threatening condition, a common cold does affect performance at some level and is contagious. Surely a better position is to avoid spreading contagion to other staff members thus impacting productivity further?
ge sick absence is due to poor people management and an office culture that promotes it.

I think blaming absenteeism on poor management is a cop out.
In a previous job I would have had maybe 25% of employees with zero absence. 10% above average absenteeism and a small number of serial pattern offenders. They would have been managed tightly and part of that is setting the expectation that until they return to average sick day rates, all sick days are certified.

irish gent

This guy is never out sick works in the company for 8 years great worker. He called me he has the flu ? he sounded bad on the phone. But he was asked to get a sick cert for only one day by HR not from me lol. But he's not a happy camper now because of attitude from HR over one day. He's always helped out when they asked him but I think he's going to be a problem from now on. Sometimes I guess people in jobs need a break now and again and not bully tactics..

skallywag

irish gent wrote: »

This guy is never out sick works in the company for 8 years great worker. He called me he has the flu ? he sounded bad on the phone. But he was asked to get a sick cert for only one day by HR not from me lol. But he's not a happy camper now because of attitude from HR over one day. He's always helped out when they asked him but I think he's going to be a problem from now on. Sometimes I guess people in jobs need a break now and again and not bully tactics..

I can see the chaps point completely here, I would also be very put out if I myself had such a track record and HR then asked me to provide a sick cert for one day out. Sounds like a completely incompetent HR function who work blindly per-policy without looking at individual circumstances. A sure recipe to lose your good employees to the competition.

skallywag

irish gent wrote: »

Someone mentioned earlier about a common cold not being a justifiable reason to go to work

I agree that if someone has a heavy cold then they should most certainly not be coming to work.

If someone in my team is coughing and spluttering etc at their desk then I will politely request that they go home. The last thing one needs is losing half the team due to infection, not to mention the negative impact said coughing and spluttering has in the work place environment.