Professional scepticism means that sick employees in America have to obtain a note from the doctor if they are ill for one day, as if they were kids in school.
Writing these notes can be the ‘bane of a doctor’s existence’, and one GP well and truly put their foot down with a great response to a guy’s demanding bosses.
The guy decided to stay home from work with a cold but was forced to wait at the doctor’s surgery for hours in order to get a sick note after his bosses insisted on it. Illogical right?
The doctor of course obliged, but not without making a polite suggestion to the guy’s employers…
The GP wrote:
[The patient] has had, by their own report, a cold today and sensibly stayed home from work rather than spreading this to his colleagues/customers.
I have no test for the common cold and therefore believe him/her, however you feel his time and mine should be wasted by making him sit in the walk-in clinic for hours and me spending my time writing a sick note that I could be spending on people who genuinely need my attention.
Please reconsider your policy on this – there are surely better ways of wasting your tax dollars.
Dr Bill Cavers, President of Doctors BC, said:
We’re trying to encourage sick people to stay home, not go into the public where they can infect other people. So going out when you’re sick and getting a doctor’s note contravenes all that we’re trying to teach people to do.
It’s a waste of our time many times and I think the policy should be reviewed.
The post has been viewed millions of times and Reddit users were outraged at the employer’s policy, recommending a re-think.
If only there could be more focus on building up trust in a professional environment…
