can i be fired or suspended for calling in sick with a doctors excuse from work.?

Question

i was told i would need to see my supervisor before i can work my next shift.

Answer 1

There's a remote chance you could be, but probably not. They probably have had a lot of people call in sick when they really could have come in to work, and they are just concerned that you might be following in their footsteps. It doesn't take too many slackers to ruin a workplace for everyone else. Just remember the position your supervisor is in. If he or she is sick they usually don't have a choice but to come in to work. Let your supervisor know you'll make every effort to come in to work even if your not feeling that great, as long as you are not contagious and will make other employees sick. Your company and supervisor(s) will probably not want you to come in if you were that sick.

Unfortunately for most employees, especially employees who are in an "at will" employment situation, the cards are stacked in favor of the company and not the employee. Unless an employee has some kind of contract, a company can fire any employee without a reason. I know because I saw it done all the time. It only took a few employees to call in saying they were sick when they really weren't, then whenever ANYONE really did call in sick, supervisors and even co-workers didn't believe anyone being sick. There were also some cases where full-time employees would start calling in sick, not so much because they were sick, but because they were really stressed out with full time employment and that was really making them sick - they really should have been part time at best. All of this eventually makes it difficult for anyone to use sick time legitimately and makes the workplace a difficult place to work.

By the same token, however, it's in the company's best interest to not continually fire people as easily as that, but to try to work something out. If a company fires it's employees too readily, eventually it's going to lose customers and lose good standing in its community. If the community the company is in finds out how awful it is for people to work there, a lot of people will not go there to shop or conduct business.

So, my advice to you is take a moment to give your employer the benefit of a doubt. They've probably had to fire a few for trying to work the system and unfortunately, that spoils it for the everyone. They need to know that you are not one of those employees that are going to make things difficult for them and set a bad example for other employees (if they let you off the hook easily, other employees will think they can get away with cutting out on work too). So you shouldn't necessarily take it personally, your company is just trying to run a business and it can't if everyone decides to not show up for work. And they also want their employees to be happy at work and somehow show a positive attitude. Maybe they're just concerned that you're not happy in the position you are in, or that you're having second thoughts about your employment there. They just need to know. If you were really sick, then you were really sick and they need to back off.

By the same token if your company continually makes your life miserable, you should be prepared to find a better job and one that you will enjoy more and not feel so stressed out about. When enough people leave a place of employment unfairly, that employer will have to change policy in favor of its employees.

Answer 2

Though some of these people have pretty good answers, the answer is not as clear cut as most here have posted. It actually depends where you live. In Georgia, US, there is a 'fire-without-excuse' law. If an employer wants to fire you, they can, and you cannot take that person to court unless you can PROVE they fired you with ill intentions based on disability, gender, sexual orientation, race, religious affiliation, etc. etc. If you cannot, then the employer can simply advocate 'We were just tired of her/his employment', and the individual cannot do anything about it. However, most likely if you are fired then you can call a lawyer and challenge the action. If you are sick then there is a very probable excuse for not coming into work! If you were fired for this reason in a state where there is no such law, as in Georgia, then you can take legal action against the employer IF (a HUGE if) your contract is worded in such a way as to imply that your boss cannot drop you like a hot potato if she feels like. I hope I was helpful :) Check your state's/country's laws employment!

Answer 3

Could be that they just want to talk to you and ensure that you have an excuse. Most companies don't want to deal with firing someone who has a note....... especially if you are working for a chain company. If that is the case you could take it higher up.

But most states have "work at will". That means you can be fired for any reason. If you have been late before, missed shifts and been out sick a bunch of times you won't have a leg to stand on.

If you never have any of these issues they will just say fine you were sick. Not saying this is you but this is what many people don't get....... if you are never late and don't call out when you just want to call out for no reason but having a day off no one bothers you.

Again it depends on what kind of company you work for regardless and that would have been helpful to know. Since you really don't have serious legal recourse a bit of butt kissing would be helpful. Usually when someone is in trouble word gets around with coworkers. Do you have anybody you work with who might be able to tell you something? So when you do go in you know what to expect and have time to think about it you can figure out the best way to handle it.

Either way if you can and have time go apply for another job if you can. If you do get fired you will be ahead of the game and you will feel better about it. And in walking into your cuurent job you will feel a bit more empowered walking in knowing you have interviews coming up. Your employer may sense this and all could be well. But in that light you may find tat you want to start fresh somewhere else at some point anyway and work for a company that won't fire you even with a note. You could keep your current job for a bit and make the switch on your terms.

Good luck. Often getting fired turns out to be a good thing as one often finds a better place after.

Answer 4

Doctors Excuse For Work

Answer 5

Because I've worked in HR and have had to monitor attendance policies, I can tell you that the advice you are getting from others here is not always correct.

It all depends on your employer and what their policies are.

In both companies where I monitored attendance, the company allowed so many days of absences per period. So you need to check your attendance policy in the employee handbook. If you have missed a lot of days, even a doctor's note won't protect the absence.

Why do I say this, because most HR personnel realize that a person who asks for a doctor's slip usually can get one, even without seeing a doctor. Very few doctors will refuse a patient that note, and since it usually states "please excuse for medical reason" these notes have been abused in the past by someone who wanted a day or two off from work and then called the doctor after the fact for a doctor's slip. Unfortunately, there are people who abused this, so that's why HR gets cynical about doctor's excuses.

Your best protection is to see if you are eligible for the FMLA. If you have worked 12 months for the same employer and have worked 1,260 hours in the past 12 months and have not exhausted your FMLA benefits, you may be able to get protection for that reason. There will be paperwork to complete for that reason.

So, if this is simply your first absence, then the company may be willing to allow the absence, but if this is a recurrent issue, most likely the doctor's note won't provide much protection.

Answer 6

Not really enough info but here goes. Usually you cannot be fired if you have a written doc's note. But. If you are always sick and calling out and have a bad track record already then I think they can if there are too many absences. It is usually up to the employer. Some jobs that you are on an assembly line, you really mess it up for the others. They have all they can do to fill the spot before the entire line has to get going. That messes with their production. If you work by yourself and it's not a production type thing then I don't see how they can unless you are always out. It's really up to the employer. Check out what their policies are as far as being sick. Otherwise I don't really think they can. And it also varies state to state. Good luck.

Answer 7

I have never checked with my states labor board, but I have always been told that in my state, which is a free will state, an employer can fire you for basically any reason they want. That doesn't mean that you can't take action against them, if say it were for complaints from you against sexual harrassment, or file for unemployment.

In the office were I work, a new "rule" was just set into place concerning "sick" days. We receive daily bonuses, however any day that you call in sick, you not only miss the bonus for the day you missed, but also the day you return. Kinda a punishment I guess you can say. And if you call in on a Monday or Friday, you miss 2 days once you come back. Really sorry if you ask me, but what can you do?

Your best course of action would be to call your state labor board to know what laws your state has to protect you.

Answer 8

fired suspended calling sick doctors excuse work

Answer 9

It depends on the company. I have a friend who works at a place where they say there are no sick days. She brought a doctor's note, and they told her it didn't matter. There were no sick days. She said a friend of hers started throwing up at work and they told her to go home and did not penalize her. But unless they sent you home, they counted your missed day as unexcuzed. After three unexcused days they fired you.

But most jobs have sick day policies. If you are too sick to work for more than 3 days you can apply for F.M.L.A. (family medical leave act). With this they can not penalize you for the days you missed, but they also do not have to pay you for those days.

Answer 10

I am a supervisor and absolutly not!!! as long as the excuse it written for the day of the absence and it actually states u were to be off that day. Unless you didnt call in before your shift. Most companies have a improper call off procedure. This is when you either dont call or call late.