Fake doctor’s notes…. what next?

Disability management is a delicate subject in most organizations; the secret is to have a comprehensive policy that provides sick benefits for those who need it and enough rigour to detect questionable claims.

There is a website that allows individuals to select the fake doctor’s note that they wish to have created on their behalf, to give to their employer (see in the “Featured” section of this newsletter). All I can say is, what next?

Spread the Word

Most companies want to provide sick benefits for their employees, to provide security and financial protection in the event of illness. The policy is usually broken into 3 areas: ad hoc sick days, short term disability insurance and long term disability insurance.

1. Ad hoc sick days

• A company may provide between 3 and 6 paid sick days for temporary illness.

• This is usually “self funded”, meaning that the employer continues to pay the employee their regular base pay or hourly wage, through payroll while they are sick.

• An absence greater than 3 consecutive days may require a doctor’s note to be submitted to the employer.

2. Short Term Disability

• Short term disability insurance is meant to cover the employee for up to 26 weeks (there may be a two week waiting period for benefits to commence) and sometimes combined with the Employment Insurance sick benefits.

• STD insurance typically reimburses the employee for between 66% and 100% of their regular salary during this period.

• The 26 week period may have different benefit levels (i.e. the first 5 weeks may be at 100% of regular pay, the next 10 weeks at 75% and the last 11 weeks at 66%).

• A doctor’s note will be required to receive short term disability insurance.

• The insurer usually requires the employee to attend a “third party medical assessment” to corroborate the doctor’s note provided by the employee. The secondary assessment will be performed by a doctor chosen by the insurer and attendance is usually required for continuation of disability benefits.

3. Long Term Disability

• A comprehensive short term disability benefit file makes the application process for long term disability insurance easier.

• Long term disability insurance is usually administered through a third party insurer and the application and compliance process is determined by their policies.

• Extensive medical evaluation is required to be approved for long term disability by the employee’s doctor as well as a “third party medical assessor” chosen by the insurer.

• The level of financial benefit typically ranges from 50% to 75% of the employee’s regular base pay.

• For those employers who do not offer Long Term Disability insurance, the employee can apply for Employment Insurance disability coverage.

An employer of choice will always offer a comprehensive policy that covers ad hoc sick days, short term disability insurance and long term disability insurance. This is a valuable policy that most employees give very little thought, until they find themselves in need of the benefit. Many employers outsource the disability management process to a third party for ease of administration and a greater level of confidentiality.
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Jessica Gershonovitch

Conseillère en Acquisition de talents

Titulaire d’un baccalauréat en psychologie et d’un diplôme postuniversitaire en gestion des ressources humaines, Jessica possède une solide expertise en RH, enrichie par des expériences en Ontario et au Québec. Avec plus de sept ans d’expérience dans divers secteurs, elle a accompagné des entreprises de toutes tailles, de PME en croissance à de grandes organisations.

Reconnue pour son professionnalisme, son sens de l’initiative et sa capacité à créer des liens solides, elle conçoit des solutions sur mesure pour aider les entreprises à attirer les meilleurs talents et favoriser leur croissance.

En tant que consultante en acquisition de talents, elle allie compréhension humaine et stratégie organisationnelle pour garantir un excellent alignement entre candidats et clients.

Chaleureuse et dynamique, Jessica est passionnée par les relations humaines, adore rencontrer de nouvelles personnes et relever de nouveaux défis avec enthousiasme.

Jessica Gershonovitch

Talent Acquisition Consultant

With a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a postgraduate diploma in Human Resources Management, Jessica brings strong expertise in HR, shaped by her experience in both Ontario and Quebec. Over the past seven years, she has worked across various industries, supporting companies of all sizes—from growing mid-sized businesses to large, established organizations.

Jessica is recognized for her professionalism, initiative, and exceptional relationship-building skills. She delivers tailored recruitment strategies that help businesses attract top talent and drive growth.

As a Talent Acquisition Consultant, she combines a deep understanding of people, roles, and business needs to create perfect matches between clients and candidates.

Outside of work, Jessica is warm, energetic, and passionate about building meaningful connections. She enjoys meeting new people, spending time with loved ones, and embracing new adventures with a contagious enthusiasm.

Fiorenza Capitanio

Spécialiste de la paie et avantages sociaux

Professionnel de la paie et des ressources humaines avec plus de 20 ans d’expérience en paie, avantages sociaux, rémunération et comptabilité.

Fiorenza est titulaire d’un baccalauréat en programmation. Elle tombe amoureuse de la comptabilité et de la paie et obtient un diplôme professionnel suivi d’une certification de spécialiste de la paie.

Ayant une solide expérience en programmation, elle excelle dans l’implantation de nouveaux systèmes de paie. Elle est trilingue (anglais, français et italien) et a travaillé avec des multinationales s’occupant de la paie dans toutes les provinces canadiennes et dans plusieurs pays. Elle possède une connaissance approfondie des processus de paie, des législations et de la conformité.

Son adaptabilité et ses compétences en résolution de problèmes font d’elle une ressource de confiance pour toute organisation cherchant à rationaliser et optimiser ses opérations de paie.

En dehors du travail, vous la trouverez dans la cuisine en train de cuisiner pour la famille et les amis. Pendant son temps libre, elle aime chanter et découvrir de nouveaux endroits.

Fiorenza Capitanio

Benefits & Payroll Specialist

Fiorenza is a seasoned Payroll & Human Resources professional with over 20 years of experience in payroll processing, benefits administration, compensation, and accounting. She holds a bachelor’s degree in programming, which has given her a strong technical foundation in payroll system implementation and optimization.

Her passion for accounting and payroll led her to earn a professional degree, followed by a payroll specialist certification. Throughout her career, she has worked with multinational corporations, managing multi-country and Canadian provincial payrolls. As a trilingual expert (English, French & Italian), she effectively navigates global payroll regulations, ensuring compliance with payroll legislations and tax requirements.

Fiorenza’s problem-solving skills and adaptability make her a valuable asset to organizations seeking to streamline payroll operations and enhance efficiency. Her deep expertise in payroll compliance and system integration positions her as a trusted payroll consultant in the industry.

Beyond work, Fiorenza enjoys cooking and baking for family and friends. In her free time, she loves to sing and explore new destinations.

Pascale Guichard

Consultante Acquisition de talents

Pascale a occupé plusieurs postes en tant que Consultante en acquisition de talents. Elle a aussi été coach carrière et conseillère juridique en droit de l’emploi. Elle est spécialisée dans le recrutement corporatif de cadres exécutifs et professionnels ainsi que dans le recrutement pour l’industrie juridique. Pascale est passionnée par les ressources humaines et le recrutement ainsi que par l’enseignement qu’elle a pratiqué durant plus de 10 ans en France où elle enseignait en droit de l’emploi et les RH. Quand elle ne travaille pas, Pascale aime voyager, cuisiner, la marche et la randonnée et passer beaucoup de temps avec son mari et ses amis. Pascale est très dévouée et elle aime particulièrement accompagner les candidats dans leur recherche d’emploi et les guider dans les meilleurs choix de parcours professionnel. Elle est reconnue pour l’excellence de son service envers ses clients et les candidats.

Pascale Guichard

Talent Acquisition Consultant

Pascale has held several positions as a Talent Acquisition Consultant. She has also been a career coach and legal advisor in employment law. She specializes in corporate recruitment of executives and professionals as well as in recruitment for the legal industry. Pascale is passionate about human resources and recruitment as well as teaching, which she practiced for over 10 years in France where she taught employment law and HR. When she is not working, Pascale enjoys traveling, cooking, walking and hiking, and spending a lot of time with her husband and friends. Pascale is very dedicated and she particularly enjoys supporting candidates in their job search and guiding them in the best career path choices. She is recognized for the excellence of her service to her clients and candidates.