Simple issue: Having an employer asking for a Swiss sick note instead of the sick note provided by the doctor in my current country of staying ...is this normal? can a Swiss employer ask for a Swiss sick note? (which of course I cant get till I am out of the country anyway...)
Are you allowed to work for your CH employer outside of CH? That might be what they are getting at.
One can also get sick during vacation or on a business trip. Sick days are not vacation days. Sick days are to get well, vacation days to relax.
basically I have been sick from a couple of weekends ago and got a sick note for all the 5 working days till Friday; after feeling well during the following weekend I took chance to visit my relatives back in my country and had a relapse, so got a new sick note from the doctor at the current location.
Are they entitle to ask for a Swiss one? that would mean that I have to travel back under the current sick note ...it doesnt seem fair/correct
Just call up the Swiss doc who wrote the initial one and explain the situation and ask them to write a new sick note.
Sick notes from different doctors (unless different specialists) are a bit of a red flag as employees could be trying to get more sick days off. And some employers just have zero trust (or perhaps there were other flags).
At my work place, one is not allowed to travel or leave the local area when on sick leave. Not sure if this is a CH rule, insurance rule, or employer policy but it does make sense. That is probably where it is coming from. Do check your company rules on sick leave.
Presumably you became sick while abroad. Get a letter from whatever doctor is treating you and give it to your Swiss doctor, or get that doctor to send it. When you return to Switzerland ask your doctor to write a sick note covering the period of illness.
And get well soon.
??? Your work place dictates where you are? That makes no sense. Of course if you are caught skiing whilst home sick for back pain it does not work but if someone is sick for mental illness going up the mountains makes all the sense. Never heard of this rule
I think it's an insurance thing. I was having a checkup with a nurse while in the middle of a long-term sick leave and happened to mention that I'd popped over the border into France over the weekend. She gave me a stern lecture about how that was forbidden. Apparently if you're too sick to work you are also considered too sick to travel, and insurance might not pay up if you have any problems while abroad and need to seek treatment.
Hmmm you might to read your insurance policies then, you may be surprised what you find...
- Accident polices, usually covered via an employer, can places restrictions on your coverage
- Health Insurance can do the same
- Some car insurance policies restrict cover to essential travel - shopping and trips for medical attention etc.
A friend of mine had a minor car accident while off sick with a broken finger and his insurance refused to pay for the repairs as it was not essential travel.
Sick notes have consequences beyond being off work, it is advisable to know what they are before doing out of the ordinary stuff.
I read my policies very carefully and there is nothing about that. My employer does not publish their policies but will now ask - I guess we are talking about loss of gain insurance. I have had employees on sick leave travel and it was all cleared - but was a few years back to the world may have changed since then.
Unless it's a company car, I can't see how they can justify this.
Tom
Probably travel during a strict lock-down where non-essential travel in general is not allowed, but this was never the case in Switzerland.
Because if you are sick or injured the may not be fully capable of operating a vehicle....
In the case of my friend mentioned earlier he had a broken figure...
Indeed it is the case. Like I said not sure what entity is behind it but the above discussion on insurance makes sense. I was brief but I should have mentioned there are exceptions but these require Dr or prior approval, such as visiting family in case of mental illness etc., I. e. justification required.
So I now got hold of our policy and says something around the fact that one should not engage in any activity which will jeopardize recovery which I guess is quite vague and down to interpretation. Thank you for bringing this up as I had never read the GCI itself (this is related to payment of salary in case of incapacity to work) I guess each insurer makes their up.
For OP - the GIC also mention the need for a Swiss doctor to validate the note.
More interesting for me was that it also says you are not covered if you were ill already but no employer asks you to disclose illness which may later lead to incapacity of work and an employee thinking they are covered when they are not so I wonder how these cases are then handled.
Interesting and one learn something new everyday.