Can you lose your job if your employer asks you for a medical note and you provide one?
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Can you lose your job if your employer asks you for a medical note and you provide one?
My son called in sick for 2 days to his hourly job. They told him he needed a medical note to return to work or he would lose his job. His doctor provided him with a note and he took it in, my son was then told that they want to make an example out of this situation for the other employees so he is no longer employed there even though he complied with the request of a valid medical note.
Asked on May 8, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, Washington
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
The only real issue is, did your son do one of the following:
1) Have paid time off (e.g. sick days) and use them for his absence?
2) Follow to the letter a "call out" policy about calling out sick, IF the employer has such a policy (there is no legal requirement for an employer to have such a policy)?
3) Get employer approval *in advance* for the absence?
If the answer to any one of the above is "yes", your son should not have been fired, and he may have a wrongful termination claim against his employer. But if the answer to all is "no," then he may be fired for an unauthorized absence, even if the reason was medical and even though he provided a doctor's note. An employer may legally choose to make an "example" of an employee who has unauthorized absences.
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