Aussie man slams 'wild' workplace act - but not everyone is on his side

Daily Mail​

5 days ago

Workplaces that demand medical certificates from their employees have come under fire for the 'ridiculous' policy - but some say it's a necessary requirement.
TikTok personality Anthony Voulgaris said it was 'wild' that staff were expected to leave their homes to fulfil the requirement while unwell.
'You know what's wild to me, bosses requiring a medical certificate when you're sick, like 'hey, can you please give us a medical certificate the day you're sick?',' he said.
'What do you mean? I was f**king sick, I wasn't going to the doctor's.
'I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying in my house... that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.'
Voulgaris said if he was sick, he would not be up for leaving his bed to prove it.
'How about you just take my word for it? What happened to trust?' he said.
Dozens of Aussies were quick to slam the policy, with many pointing out that it's become increasingly difficult to secure a same-day appointment with a GP.
'The last thing I wanted to do was leave my bed... But who can get into the doctors same day?' one asked in the comments.
'No literally like you want me to get up… and do the entire doctor process… [I] may as well come to work,' another said.
'I once had gastro and was throwing up every 20 minutes so I called in sick to work. They asked for a doctors note and I physically couldn't leave the house or I'd throw up everywhere,' a third shared.
'So I got the note online, paid for it, and apparently it was invalid to my work because it wasn't signed from an actual doctor's office.'
But others defended the contentious workplace requirement.
'If people didn't take advantage of it they'd probably be a bit more lenient. Too many people [are] taking days off just because and expecting to get paid,' one argued.
'[It's because] you all talk s*** to get days off,' another said.
'It's for the people who call in sick every day and show up once in 30 days,' a third agreed.
A former receptionist at a doctors office shared a warning for those tempted to forge a medical certificate.
'As a previous medical receptionist these actually take up spots for people who actually need to see a doctor,' she said.
'P.S. don't forge, (employers) do call and check.'
Dr Max Mollenkopf previously told the ABC that appointments for medical certificates, sometimes up to three a day, were taking time away from his patients in poorer health.
'If someone is sick and they want to see me, every day of the week, I want them to be able to come in. I didn't sign up to do medicine to do HR policy on behalf of large corporations,' he said.
The Fair Work Commission said workplaces can create their own sick leave policy and can ask staff to provide evidence for just one day off work.
'An employee who doesn't give their employer evidence when asked may not be entitled to be paid for their sick or carer's leave,' the tribunal said.