As there had always been a requirement to provide a medical certificate after being sick for three days or more, Thorn thought the new requirement could backfire and encourage staff to take several days off at a time.<\/p>\n
Burnt-out nurses at Whang\u0101rei Hospital are being asked to provide a medical certificate if they call in sick, a nurse representative says. Photo \/ 123RF<\/p>\n
Another concern was the ability to get a GP appointment within just one day<\/a>, with staff likely to be forced to go to White Cross or an online doctor, she said.<\/p>\n But Alex Pimm, Health NZ\u2019s group director of operations for Te Tai Tokerau, said there had been no changes to how sick leave was managed<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe may ask for a sickness certificate for short periods of absence in line with our policy and employment agreements,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that our kaimahi [employees] can be affected by winter illnesses so it is not unexpected to see more people away from work at this time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n Pimm praised the ED workers, saying Health NZ was proud of their professionalism, dedication and commitment to delivering excellent care.<\/p>\n Health NZ confirmed it would offer about 1800 roles to graduate nurses over the next year, with first job offers going out this week.<\/p>\n Rule \u2018punitive\u2019, professor says<\/p>\n AUT Social Transformation Research Institute director Professor Katherine Ravenswood acknowledged sick leave was difficult to manage<\/a>, especially in a busy hospital.<\/p>\n But she said if staff were asked to provide a medical certificate for just a day\u2019s sick leave, it would come across as heavy-handed and uncaring.<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially when we really don\u2019t want sick staff at work in hospitals which are full of vulnerable people who are already ill<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd, in a stressed healthcare system where it\u2019s hard to get GP appointments, is it wise to add more stress by requiring your staff to get a medical certificate?\u201d<\/p>\n Ravenswood said workplace stress and fatigue were hazards under New Zealand\u2019s health and safety legislation, meaning employers had a duty to take them seriously and prevent or mitigate<\/a> their impact.<\/p>\n \u201cIf staff are all getting sick, and are also stressed, then these kind of messages don\u2019t boost morale.<\/p>\n \u201cBlanket, hard rules come across as not trusting staff and as quite punitive.<\/p>\n \u201cIt assumes that everyone is gaming the system, without taking time to find out what\u2019s going on or \u2013 at worst \u2013 ignoring that it\u2019s actually workplace issues that are really behind this.\u201d<\/p>\nHealth NZ group director of operations Alex Pimm says it is not unexpected to see high levels of sick leave due to winter illnesses. Photo \/ Denise Piper<\/p>\n
Health NZ says it hasn’t changed its sick leave policy but may ask for a sickness certificate for a short absence in line with employment agreements. Photo \/ NZME<\/p>\n