When a worker falls ill and rightly needs time off work, must justify the state of illness to his employer, with the certificate of illness.
From the national contract for the category, it may also result that it is sufficient to communicate the unique protocol number of the certificate (PUC).
If the family doctor is unable to send the certificate electronically to the employer, the employee will necessarily have to deliver it himself and then send it to INPS.
The unique certificate protocol number (PUC) of the medical certificate can usually be found at the head of the certificate. Thanks to this number, the employer can find the medical certificate and download it from the INPS website.
Who sends the medical certificate to the employer?
The medical certificate must be sent directly by the worker to your employer within 48 hours following the medical examination.
However, in some cases, the doctor can send the certificate directly to the employer, subject to written authorization from the worker.
A very important aspect: the employer is required to guarantee the privacy of the worker and not to disclose the information contained in the medical certificate.
Failure to notify the employer of the worker’s absence due to illness may constitute a case of disciplinary offence.
The worker on sick leave is required to undergo a medical examination by the general practitioner. If the health conditions do not allow a transfer, the visit takes place at home.
How long do you have to send the sickness certificate to work?
The worker is required to send the certificate of illness to the employer within 48 hours following the medical examination.
This term can be extended according to the provisions of the national collective agreement of reference or to specific company rules, but in any case it is important to respect this deadline promptly to avoid any penalties or complications in the workplace.
What happens if you don’t have a sick certificate?
If you don’t have a sickness certificate, it will be impossible for you to take sick leave from work, because you won’t be able to certify it.
This means you may be considered unexcused absence from work, with consequent repercussions on the employment contract and salary. Also, if you fail to send your sickness certificate to your employer in due time, you may incur in any disciplinary sanctions by the company.
To avoid all of this, if you don’t have a sick certificate, we recommend that you request holidays or paid leave for the necessary days.
How to obtain the certificate of illness if the doctor does not respond?
If your general practitioner is unresponsive or unavailable and therefore unable to provide you with a medical certificate, there are several options available to you.
First, you can contact another trusted doctor for a visit and the consequent issue of the certificate. You can, for example, call the doctor who is replacing your GP or another doctor.
Alternatively, you can apply to emergency services for an immediate assessment of the health conditions and the consequent issue of the certificate of illness; or also to the medical guard.
In any case, it is important to promptly inform the employer of your situation and the reasons for the delay in sending the medical certificate.