Question regarding department policies for sick leave

The department that I work for requires employees to have the doctor put what is wrong with you on your doctors excuse. I was a small business owner prior to becoming a firefighter and I feel that I have a good understanding of how sick leave abuse is disruptive and costly to any business but this practice seems to be in direct violation of employee privacy standards. The department also requires that if you take Family sick leave that you put the condition of your child/wife or family member on your doctors excuse. As well as these policies, district chiefs are sent to residences daily to check on employees to make sure they are home as a house arrest policy requires employees to be at their homes unless going to doctor, church, pharmacy, or grocery store. I do not object to this policy but am curious to know what other departments have in place regarding sick leave policy. Please tell me what your department requires and also any policies your department has to curb sick leave abuse.

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Permalink Reply by Capt. Chris W. Button on November 22, 2011 at 9:46am

As others have stated, asking for private medical information is against the law unless you've listed the department as someone who is authorized to look at your info. In our department, if I miss 3 days of work on sick leave, I must bring in a doctor's note releasing me as fit for duty. Nothing about my condition is mentioned, just that I'm able to do the job. That's all the department needs to know. Either I am able or not able to work.

As for me checking on someone, I'm not going to do it. Maybe a FF is feeling stressed out and wants to take a day off to go fishing. If that helps his mental health, who am I to say? Since I am not a licensed physician, I'm not even going to pretend to know what is or isn't a valid medical reason.

Along with sick leave, we have a policy for emergency leave. You notify your District Chief to request permission to be off on "emergency leave." (We don't have that leave type, so emergency leave means "I'm not coming in so use whatever leave I have available.") My problem is what makes this guy's excuse valid and this guy's excuse not. I'm not about to get in the middle of that. It should say that we NOTIFY our DC, not request permission.

There are people who are going to abuse sick leave no matter what. I think the only solution is to do what some have mentioned. Do away with sick leave and implement Earned Time Off/Total Time Off or whatever you want to call it. That way I have X amount of leave. If I use it up, I don't get paid. Simple solution in my book.

Question regarding department policies for sick leave

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