We are seeing a few of the same things pop up of late so we thought we’d drive a bit of awareness about them.
Fake Med Certs
Most employers wouldn’t think to check the authenticity of a medical certificate prepared by a medical clinic.
We suggest you do as we are seeing more fake med certs popping up.
A quick google and you will come up with plenty of examples or perhaps the worker has an old one that they updated - with an ACC number and all. It isn’t too difficult.
We suggest giving the medical clinic a quick phone call on receipt of a med cert to check that a] the doctor does indeed work there and b] that the certificate is indeed valid.
The clinic will not be able to discuss specific details due to privacy requirements unless of course, you have an ACC Medical Authority in place. If you don’t, you should! Reach out to us so we can discuss.
30 Days Time Off Awarded
Doctors / GP’s can only prescribe 14 days off via an ACC45 form as per ACC’s rules.
We are seeing more and more med certs with an initial 30 days / month being prescribed. This is not ok and cannot be done. ACC’s criteria states:
“As a GP or nurse practitioner, you can issue a medical certificate for a maximum of 14 days as part of the initial ACC45 injury claim. The ACC18 is used to certify beyond the first 14 days.”
There are a number of doctors / GP’s who are not as familiar with ACC due to not having been exposed to the NZ framework. So the process is innocent enough however, still not acceptable.
There are few injuries that require 30 days off especially for a sprain or strain. It suggests a lack of proper diagnoses and or due process. All at the expense of the workers wellness and the employers finances.
It is ok to push back. It is even better to bypass doctors / GP’s altogether for any and all strains and sprains. Curious? Reach out!
