Frequent Medical Leaves and Questionable Certificates: How Should We Handle This Situation?

Employee Leave Request and Medical Certificate Concerns

One of the employees requested leave, but his leave was denied by his manager because another employee in his team had already been granted leave. Despite this, the employee proceeded with his travel plans and submitted a medical certificate via email, stating he was advised to rest at an outstation, following the doctor's instructions. He traveled from Mumbai to Amritsar by train, as mentioned in his email. The medical certificate submitted was from a homeopath without any registration number. When questioned, he provided a document from an MD doctor in Amritsar.

How can he travel such a long distance when advised to rest? He resumed work and, after two days, went on leave again, stating he was advised to rest once more. However, he has not submitted any medical documents for this latest leave. The root of the concern is that, over the past year, he has taken several leaves, all on medical grounds. Most of the time, the medical reasons differ, but whenever a certificate is requested, it is always from the same homeopath doctor. I am not against homeopathic treatment, but the reasons mentioned are not acceptable, and they are never supported by any other document than the certificate.

Please advise me on all options available to tackle this situation. In genuine cases, we have no issues supporting employees, even if it's for three to four months, but now I believe he is taking advantage of that.

Thanks and Regards,

Nisha

Dear madam,

If the employee is taking unauthorized leave and his work is being hampered, you can issue him a show cause notice if these leaves are not sanctioned.

Dear Madam,

If your company policy or Standing Orders of the company have provisions, you can send him to the particular or government doctor and seek a second opinion about his sickness or illness. He doesn't seem to be interested in traveling, which may be due to his domestic reasons. You can call him and ask him for his such action with the assurance to help him if the reasons are genuine. Punishment doesn't always work.

BS Kalsi, Member since August 2011

Leave and Medical Certificate Verification

Leave is not a matter of right. The Leave Sanctioning Authority has the discretion to refuse leave if the situation warrants it.

If the authenticity of the medical certificate is in doubt, the employer can seek a second opinion from a doctor of standing or even from a medical board. Similarly, if the employee is frequently on medical leave, their fitness for continuing in employment could be ascertained.

It is the norm in the government that if an employee proceeds on leave with a medical certificate, they cannot resume duty unless a fitness certificate is produced.