Absenteeism 0113_A01 Absenteeism - Fleet Street Publications

Absenteeism
c) They may be sick or injured
An employee is entitled to 30 days’ paid sick leave if he
works five days a week, and 36 days’ paid sick leave if
he works six days a week. During the first six months of
employment, an employee is entitled to one day’s paid
sick leave for every 26 days worked (Section 22 of the
BCEA 75 of 1997).
An employer is not required to pay an employee if he
has been absent from work for more than two
consecutive days; or on more than two occasions during
an eightweek period; and the employee has failed to
produce a medical certificate stating that he was unable
to work for the duration of his absence (Section 23 of the
BCEA).
If your employee has been off sick you have to
recognise a valid medical certificate signed by a
properly registered medical practitioner.
Warning: You must recognise medical certificates from
all properly registered doctors with university medical
qualifications, homoeopaths, traditional healers and any
other practitioners who are properly registered with a
professional council established by an Act of Parliament.
TIP
You are entitled to check on the validity of all
medical certificates by phoning the doctor involved,
to verify the authenticity of the certificate. You are
not entitled to ask the relevant doctor any questions
about the employee’s illness, without the
employee’s consent. Also be aware that, even if the
certificate was signed by your employee’s doctor,
he might not be a registered practitioner.
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