Sick Leave and Medical Certificates

Sick leave is regulated by the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. During every sick leave cycle (three years), employees are entitled to paid sick leave equal to the number of days they have worked over six weeks.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

1. Employees who pretend to be too sick to work and then attend a non-work- related activity, should not expect to get away with their dishonest behaviour.

2. In the first six months of employment, the employee is entitled to ONE day paid sick leave, thereafter they are allowed the full amount of days available.

3. You are not required to pay the employee sick leave if he does not provide a medical certificate for being absent more than two consecutive days or more than two occasions during an eight week period.

4. Employees on fixed term contracts have the same benefits.

5. Mondays, Fridays and Public holidays counts as separate occasions.

WHAT IS THE STATUS OF A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE?  

Where a medical certificate merely states that the employee was examined by a doctor and that the doctor “was informed” that the employee was sick, the medical certificate cannot be accepted as proof that that employee was in fact ill.

WHAT SHOULD BE ON THE MEDICAL CERTIFICATE:

• The practitioner's name.
• The practitioner’s field of study, e.g. surgeon or oncology.
• The doctor’s qualification.
• The registration number of the practitioner.
• The name of the patient.           
• The full period of treatment (exact dates should be specified).   
• Nature of the illness is not compulsory.
• The medical practitioner’s signature, date, telephone number as well as the address should be completed in the space provided.
• The doctor should sign.

TIP: Have a rule in your company by what time and how you want your employees to inform you about their absence and expected return date and let your employees sign a leave form for every sick day.      

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