Can my boss force me to work if I'm sick and have a note from the doctor? - Comparably | Comparably

Can my boss force me to work if I'm sick and have a note from the doctor?

Office Culture

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9 Answers

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    Top Employee Response

    Your boss or job cannot "force you," but they can tell you to work (or be reprimanded, punished, fired...) even if your doctor, dentist, surgeon says you should not. You can either work & risk further damage to your health, or not get raises, get bad reviews, pay cut, punishment or possibly fired, for whatever reason they wish to make up. Not much you can do about it.

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    Violates several laws, but he can try.

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    Regulations are different depending on where you work. Check with HR or your city regulations around sick time off.

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    No they can’t - not only is this an example of bad leadership - it puts the healthy team at work at risk of catching the illnesses

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    There are many underhanded ways to force you to go along with their demands!

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    This where PTO comes into play. If you have PTO you have the right to take a sick day. Also in more serious situations you can use short-term disability, long-term disability, or FMLA.

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    The solution here is to get a new job

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    No one can force you to work. If you're unable to work, stay home. Keep the note though, in case it ever comes up in the future. I believe HR would be much more likely to side with you if you have the paperwork.

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    No, I'm lucky to have a job where that doesn't happen.