The Malta College of Family Doctors president has called for clear policies on the procedures to adopt whenever employees report sick.

Prof. Pierre Mallia, who served as a company doctor for several years, was contacted by Times of Malta following the relaxation of certain sick leave procedures announced by the Social Policy Ministry on Thursday.

One would no longer need to submit a blue certificate to the Social Security Department if the period of absence from work due to illness is three days or less. Such document is required so the government could cover part of the employees’ wage during sick leave.

Noting that such a change was meant to cut red tape for the public, the ministry pointed out that employers could still ask for a copy of the certificate in the first three days if they so wished.

Prof. Mallia called for a more holistic approach by the authorities through the introduction of a policy on occupational medicine.

This is the term used to describe a particular branch that dealt with the prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries occurring at work or in specific occupations.

This sector needs regulation because, at present, it is up to the employer to decide whether to send a doctor or apply such procedure across the board to every employee

“This sector needs regulation because, at present, it is up to the employer to decide whether to send a doctor or apply such procedure across the board to every employee,” he said.

Prof. Mallia empathised with those workers who felt discriminated against in cases whereby they were treated differently from their colleagues who were not examined by a company doctor during their illness.

“There have been some instances where doctors feel like they are being used as a watchdog to ensure the employee is at home and not abusing sick leave,” he remarked.

On the other hand, if a worker used all the sick leave allocation every year and a suspicious pattern emerged, the issue had be dealt with involving both the human resources department and trade unions where applicable, he continued.

“One cannot penalise a worker on the basis of just one incident only because it would be difficult to gather enough evidence,” he warned.

Prof. Mallia remarked that the issue revolved around the level of trust between the doctor and the patient.

“If I suspect that one of my patients is abusing, I would urge him/her not to prolong the absence unnecessary. The reason is that refusing to issue a medical certificate is not as straightforward as it might seem because certain medical conditions are difficult to assess or verify,” he said.

He, therefore, recommended that occupational medicine be viewed holistically and, if necessary, have specific legislation to ensure that the abuse by either workers or employers was addressed more robustly.

Prof. Mallia also called on unions to be roped in to ensure such a policy would be more inclusive.

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