WHEN WORKERS GO ON EMERGENCY SICK LEAVE

EMERGENCY SICK LEAVE

Employers cannot get away with this. Even those companies with stable health and welfare programs for employees cannot escape this realistic situation of having employees go on an emergency sick leave. Emergency as stated is unexpected. One will not know that he’ll be sicked the next day. It is unplanned ( well should be ) hence , the so-called emergency sick leave.

EMPLOYER’S POLICY ON SICK LEAVE

A common practice when an employee goes on an emergency sick leave is to call the immediate supervisor or the HR Department for information about their absence because of sickness.

Either of the HR or the immediate supervisor may receive the notice from the employee concerned. And both have the responsibility to inform one another.

There is a need to inform the immediate supervisor so as to take immediate action on his section or department’s ongoing task which might get pend because of ones absence. Likewise the HR Department is needed to be informed for payroll and attendance monitoring purposes.

COMMON REPLY WHEN A PHONE CALL ON EMERGENCY SICK LEAVE WAS RECEIVED

When an employee calls on his sudden illness in order to inform his immediate supervisor or the HR Department, it is important to talk to the concerned lightly while giving him the instruction on what to do. This should be done consistently whether or not the sickness is true or false.

A suggested reply should have a sympathetic tone and must provide information on what is required for him to do in order to avoid being charged as “abandoning the post” or AWOL,  like this printed sample : “ We are sorry to hear about your sudden illness and we hope that you can recover quickly. Please provide a medical certificate if you would be absent for 3 or more days. So please attach the medical certificate to the Sick Leave notification or application form upon your comeback to work. State in the form as well on how long have you been on sick leave.”