Not all medical certificates submitted by medical employees are true. Some are genuine and cannot report to work but recently it has been seen that many are fake. No one can claim or analyze when did it all start to abuse the system and trust of employers.
It was reported that an AVL fan and casino worker requested a medical certificate from a local general physician so that he could take a day off and enjoy the match viewing. He managed to get the certificate made. He didn’t lie and told the employer he is taking the off to watch the match. The employer suggested that he should instead swap shifts or request annual leave.
The employee didn’t take any option and rather decided to go ahead with medical leave and told the employer that he cannot dispute a medical certificate. He went for the match. The employer terminated him. So he lodged a claim for unfair dismissal. Courts dismissed the claim as the employee could not prove that he was sick.
The medical certificate was given 4 days prior to the leave day. No doctor can diagnose that a patient will fall ill after 4 days so the certificate was fake. Also the employee was fit and had no conditions.
If one is using a medical certificate, use it correctly and responsibly. Most online doctors now recommend employers to also keep an eye and not accept it when they know it is being misused.
It is a funny and unique case because nothing of it would have happened if the employee had just submitted the certificate without telling the real reason of taking the leave. The employer would have taken the employee at his word and accepted the legitimacy of the medical certificate.