According to today's news, an emerging, we-don't-think-our-employees-are-really-sick-without-a-doctor's-note "trend" has medical professionals beginning to stick their tongues out and say: "Unnnngghhh." At least in Canada.
It's hard to know how many U.S. employers are busy passing notes back to the corner office, but our federal laws and Department of Labor guidelines don't seem to prohibit employers from doing it.
The DOL, to its credit, does suggest employers think twice before requiring a doctor's note during a pandemic, when doctors might be more busy than usual. That's nice?
But doctors -- and nurses, and receptionists -- are busy RIGHT NOW, every day, all day long, and they don't have time to waste writing ten doctor's notes this hour to various employers when the pharmaceutical rep is waiting in the lobby, a current patient has just one more question, and the doctor will be with the rest of us shortly.
It's up to companies to give doctors a break so they can focus on treating patients. Employers might also switch over to a PTO (paid time off) system, and, well, trust that hard-working employees are actually sick when they call in sick. Doctors can also complain, which sounds like it's starting to happen.
Sure, there are employees who will call in "sick" far too often, but busy doctors simply don't have time for all this busy work. The medical field already has enough paperwork to do. Please make a note of it, employers.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
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