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Find out when you need a medical excuse note and legal ways to get one
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Everyone loves a day or two off work or school, right? Well, if the reason for your little “vacation” is an illness, injury, or some other medical condition, that kind of saps the fun out of the whole thing. What’s even worse is when your employer or school administration decides to penalize you, withhold pay, or even threaten to fire you or expel you because of the days you missed. Yuck! But there’s some good news: if you can obtain a medical excuse note from your doctor that covers the days you were absent, you can take the recovery time you need and not receive any negative backlash. Here’s how you do it.
Key Components of a Medical Excuse Note
- A medical excuse note should include the reason for your doctor's visit, the date and time of your appointment, and when you’re allowed to return to regular activities.
- The doctor’s note should also include your doctor’s official signature and be printed on their office’s letterhead.
- Real medical excuse notes can only be obtained from a certified health professional, such as a doctor.
Steps
Section 1 of 6:
Getting a Medical Excuse Note for Work or School
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Schedule an appointment with your doctor. We know it’s difficult to see a doctor on short notice or if you’re feeling too poorly to leave home. If seeing a physician in person isn’t feasible, schedule a virtual appointment using a service like TelaDoc or MDLIVE, and the doctor who visits with you over the phone can send you an excuse note electronically. [1] X Research source
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Tell your doctor about your medical issue. Your doctor must verify the problem and determine the best course of treatment. This is important because the nature of the treatment and your estimated recovery time will dictate how long you’ll need to be absent. [2] X Research sourceAdvertisement
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Ask the doctor to fill out and sign a medical excuse note. Do this as soon as possible after the examination, so neither you nor your physician forget about it.
- In some instances, the doctor may ask you when you would prefer to return to work or school. In that case, choose a date that you believe you will be able to recover sufficiently by to resume your regular duties or attend classes.
- If your doctor believes you can return to work or school right away, but you disagree, find another doctor and get a second opinion. Otherwise, you’ll have to negotiate absences without the benefit of a medical excuse note.
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Make a copy of the note and provide the original to your workplace or school. Keep a record of all medical records associated with your visit, as well, in case they decide to investigate further. [3] X Trustworthy Source US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission U.S. government agency that enforces civil rights in the workplace Go to source
- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) allows covered employers to contact a worker's doctor and ask for additional information about their health or disability if the inquiry is related to the job and shown to be a business necessity.
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References
- ↑ https://www.quick.md/quick-tips/getting-a-doctors-note-online-will-it-be-accepted/
- ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/doctors-note-for-work
- ↑ https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/enforcement-guidance-disability-related-inquiries-and-medical-examinations-employees
- ↑ https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/forgery-laws.html
- ↑ https://eudoctor.org/blog/consequences-of-using-fake-doctors-note
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/healthcheckup.html
- ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/doctors-note-for-work
- ↑ https://www.commerce.gov/hr/employees/leave/fmla/serious-health-condition
- ↑ https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla
- ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/doctors-note-for-work
- ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/doctors-note-for-work
- ↑ https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/employers-health-information-workplace/index.html
- ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/doctors-note-for-work
- ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/doctors-note-for-work
- ↑ https://www.commerce.gov/hr/practitioners/leave-policies/excused-absences
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