I AGREE with Mr Francis Cheng that employers should be required by law to accept all medical certificates ("Require bosses to accept all MCs"; Forum Online, last Friday).
The Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) website says an employee is entitled to paid sick leave only if he satisfies three conditions - he must have served the employer for at least three months; he must inform or attempt to inform the employer of his absence within 48 hours; and the sick leave must be certified by the company's doctor or a government doctor.
The first condition will put daily-rated workers or workers on short contracts at a disadvantage; foreign workers may also be penalised unfairly.
The second condition may not be applicable if the worker is seriously injured.
The last condition limits the patients' autonomy in choosing the medical facilities they trust.
Advising the patient to rest is part of medical management. To prove that the doctor has recommended this, a certificate is signed and issued. Therefore, an MC is a legal document.
Medical professionals here are registered with the Singapore Medical Council. This ensures they meet the required standards. Thus, all MCs are equally authentic and the third condition for paid sick leave is redundant.
While bosses can cite the MOM's conditions in not granting paid sick leave to employees, it reflects poorly on how they value and treat their staff. Bosses who reject MCs are assuming the risks and consequences of forcing their staff to work against doctors' advice.
Similarly, if a medical practitioner were to endorse any MC issued by a colleague, he is assuming responsibility for the patient.
As long as the conditions set by MOM stay the same, the poor, the vulnerable and those without a voice will continue to suffer.
Leong Choon Kit (Dr)
