Irish employees have been obtaining €25 digital sick certs, without ever seeing or speaking to a doctor in the process.
The Irish Independent recently carried out an investigation into six different websites providing digital sick certs in Ireland, half of which only required the user to fill out an online form before receiving the cert or prescription.
The certs usually cost between €25 and €45, with the possibility of paying an extra fee for an express service. There were also options to request a backdated cert if needed.
Under the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) scheme, employers are obliged to accept these digital certs, provided the doctor who issued the cert is registered to practice medicine in Ireland. Interestingly, however, the Department of Social Protection does not accept digital medical certs for social welfare schemes, as they are deemed not to meet the required standards.
Sick cert advice from the Irish Medical Council
The Irish Medical Council has issued advice on the matter, stating that while employers must accept digital sick certs under the SSP scheme, they can however check that the doctor who issued the cert is registered with the Medical Council. This can be done by searching for the doctor’s name on the council’s register.
If the doctor is not registered to practice medicine in Ireland, employers are not required to accept the medical cert as being valid.
Top tips for managing sick leave
Managing employee sick leave can be a tricky area of HR, but there are policies and documentation that can help:
- An absence policy is an important document which can help to ensure consistency and compliance when it comes to absenteeism.
- Keeping records can help employers to identify any patterns or trends when it comes to employee sickness and absence. For instance, do more employees call in sick following major sporting events or national holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day?
- Conducting a ‘return to work’ interview provides a valuable opportunity for the employer to understand the employee’s medical issues, whether they are personal or work-related, and what accommodations may need to be made to reduce future absences. This can also help to deter employees from ‘pulling sickies’ to get extra days of annual leave.
Unauthorised absence
If an employee presents an invalid medical certificate, or if they present a cert outside of the timeframe specified in the company’s sick leave policy, their absence may be categorised as an unauthorised absence. When an unauthorised absence occurs, the employee in question may be subject to disciplinary procedures.
Again, having clear and robust absence policies in place is the best way to ensure that both you and your employees are fully aware of your rights and obligations when it comes to sick leave and unauthorised absence.
