In the article, Sigríður Dóra Magnúsdóttir, Director General of Heilsugæsla höfuðborgarsvæðisins, pointed out that primary care centers in the capital area, together with Læknavaktin, the on-call reception, issued approximately 50,000 certificates and confirmations for short-term illness for companies and schools last year. The full article can be read in the latest issue of Sameyki’s magazine.

“Let’s be clear. There is no medical purpose in people coming to a doctor to have short-term illness certified. Those of us who have worked as family practicioners for a long time know that, in many cases, people come in after the illness has passed to obtain a certificate for their employer. The physician can ask about symptoms and certify that the individual has described them, but there is nothing to observe, nothing to treat, and no medical purpose to the visit. Physicians want to see people who are ill and whom they can help, not people who are fully recovered or those with a common cold or stomach upset who should simply stay home and recover,” Sigríður Dóra wrote.

She emphasized, however, that health centers are very keen to see individuals who experience recurrent short-term illnesses. “Such cases can often indicate that something underlying needs further examination. That is a task for our doctors, and one they are both expected and willing to undertake, but on the patients’ terms, not their employers’.”

Confirming that an employee is telling the truth

Sigríður Dóra said it is clear that when an employer requests a physician’s confirmation of an employee’s short-term illness, they are effectively asking the physician to verify that the employee is telling the truth about being ill.

“It is not the role of physicians to act as a kind of disciplinary tool for employers. If a supervisor suspects that an employee is falsely claiming illness, that is a human resources matter, not an issue for the healthcare system or family physicians. If someone intends to misuse sick leave, short-term certificates will not prevent it,” she wrote.

Collective agreement provisions must be revised

Provisions regarding sick notes appear in many collective agreements, including Sameyki’s agreement with the state. It states that a supervisor may require a medical certificate whenever deemed necessary. It also states that if illness or injury results in incapacity for work for more than five days, this must be confirmed with a certificate.

“This needs to change, and we want both employers and labor unions to join us in this effort. We are calling for provisions of this kind regarding short-term certificates to be removed from all collective agreements. We understand that amending collective agreements takes time, and therefore we also call on employers and labor unions to agree to disregard such provisions until they have been formally revised,” Sigríður Dóra wrote.

Employers and unions should support primary care

“Our position at Heilsugæsla höfuðborgarsvæðisins is clear. We do not want our doctors to spend their time writing unnecessary certificates. Certificates for short-term illness are at the top of that list. I firmly believe that responsible employers and union representatives will join us in this effort. Here, you can take a direct and immediate role in protecting the healthcare system, and the best part is that it does not cost your organization anything to stop requesting these certificates,” Sigríður Dóra concluded.