The project to re-introduce the compulsory medical certificate for a one-day absence, provided for in the “super-note” by trainer Bart De Wever, will neither reduce the number of workers unable to work nor effectively fight against short-term absenteeism. This is what Lode Godderis, CEO of the external prevention service IDEWE and professor of occupational medicine at KU Leuven, explains in a press release this Wednesday.
According to Lode Godderis, the medical certificate for one day of absence does not provide any added value and has several disadvantages. “All the elements indicate that it does not contribute to preventing absenteeism. By emphasizing control, we close the door to communication and dialogue on the future return to work,” he believes.
As part of its policy to combat absenteeism, Bart De Wever’s super-note plans to remove the possibility of being absent up to three days per year without a medical certificate. A measure that Lode Godderis considers ineffective, recalling that the medical certificate has not made it possible to contain the trend towards absenteeism in recent years. He calls for a more structured absenteeism and reintegration policy, based on shared responsibility between employer and worker.
“Abuse is a professional attitude problem that must be addressed at work, not in a doctor’s office,” he emphasizes. Rather than a simple certificate, it advocates a direct exchange between the worker and their supervisor from the start of the absence. This would, according to him, make it possible to avoid unjustified absences while facilitating a gradual return to work.
Lode Godderis is also campaigning for the introduction of a “fitness note”, which would replace the traditional medical certificate. “This note would allow doctors to focus on what the worker is still capable of doing, rather than focusing only on their limitations,” he explains. A measure which, according to him, is also supported by Voka, the Flemish employers’ organization.
The expert concludes that the absence of control should not be equated with a lack of follow-up, emphasizing the importance of maintaining contact between the employer and the worker from the start of the absence to maximize the chances of reintegration .
-> Read the manifesto for reintegration
Also read:
> The day of sick leave without a certificate soon to be abolished, according to the note from trainer Bart De Wever
> The Christian Mutuality opposes the end of the sick leave day without a certificate
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