Henkilöstö- ja laki-asiat/ Työhyvinvointiyksikkö/

Transcription

1 Reporting absences due to illness; health care appointments during working hours; implications of renewed Kela policies on occupational health care practices

2 Purpose and objective of these instructions The purpose is to 1) establish increasingly detailed and flexible practices that are based on the general collective agreement for Finnish universities (valid from1 March 2012 to 31 March 2014), and 2) describe operational models and responsibilities assigned to employees, employers and occupational health services brought about by the changed practices regarding the sickness allowance paid by Kela as of 1 June The objective is to increase opportunities to detect prolonged incapacity for work as soon as possible, facilitate recovery and return to work after an absence due to illness, as well as harmonise policies on health care appointments during working hours

3 1. Absences and leave from work All absences must be reported to the supervisor without delay. Reports of absence 1 3 days: No medical certificate required 4 5 days: Doctor s or nurse s certificate required 6 days or more: A doctor s certificate is always required, unless otherwise decided. Employee s report: When the employee returns to work, he or she must submit the Notice of absence form to the supervisor, who will submit it to the campus service centre. The nurse s or doctor s certificate must be submitted to the campus service centre as soon as possible after the illness has been diagnosed.

4 1. Absences and leave from work All absences due to illness are recorded in the University s staff information system and submitted to the provider of occupational health care services. The diagnosis is not submitted with the absence report. The amount of sick pay is determined on the basis of the duration of the sick leave and Kela s decision on the sickness allowance. The purpose of partial sick leave is to support employees incapacitated for work to return to work and to remain employed. Employees are entitled to temporary childcare leave for a maximum of four working days to care for a child under 10 years of age or to care for a child with a disability or a longterm illness. A doctor s or a nurse s certificate is required for the fourth day of absence

5 2. Occupational health care and doctor s appointments As a rule, doctor s appointments should be scheduled outside working hours, but if this is not possible, with minimal loss of working time. Alma provides up-to-date information on occupational health services, including opening hours

6 2. Occupational health care and doctor s appointments During working hours, staff may use occupational health services in the following cases: 1. The acute nature of the injury or illness requires immediate attention. 2. The employee is attending an examination ordered by the employer (medical examinations for new employees or age-related medical examinations) or a statutory medical examination or needs to acquire a medical certificate required by the employer. 3. The employee is attending a mass screening or age-related examination offered by the health authorities (including municipal mammography screenings) if these are not available outside working hours; however, this does not apply to re-examinations and follow-up examinations. 4. The employee is attending a pre-natal examination which must be conducted during working hours. 5. Medical care is not available outside working hours. 6. The appointment cannot be scheduled outside working hours without causing unreasonable inconvenience. 7. The doctor has ordered laboratory or x-ray examinations in cases 1 4 Merja above. Soosalu

7 2. Occupational health care and doctor s appointments Staff must seek occupational health services outside working hours in the following cases: 1. The employee is attending a health check-up. 2. The employee is treated or monitored because of a previously diagnosed illness or previous injury. 3. The employee is receiving regular dental treatment or sees an eye specialist for a check-up or an examination that does not require acute treatment. 4. The employee is attending physical therapy. 5. The employee is attending laboratory or x-ray examinations (other than those specified in cases 1 4 in the previous slide)

8 3. Amendments to health care policies The purpose of the early support model adopted by the University of Helsinki is to: 1) support individual employees and the work community, 2) promote coping, advance smooth work processes and job satisfaction, and thus 3) boost work ability. Amendments of the Sickness Insurance Act and the Occupational Health Act entered into effect on 1 June 2012: -> Prevention of prolonged incapacity for work, prolonging of working careers

9 3. Renewed health care policies New practices: 1. Employees must submit a Notification of absence form to their supervisor as soon as possible. Absences lasting more than three days must be validated by a doctor s or nurse s certificate, which must be submitted to the campus service centre. 2.Cooperation between the employer, employee and occupational health services will intensify. 3. The employer must inform occupational health services of absences due to illness as soon as the absence lasts more than a month. 4. The employer must apply for sickness allowance from Kela within two months of the beginning of the employee s incapacity for work. 5. The employee must submit to Kela an occupational physician s statement on his or her level of capability for work and his or her potential to return to work no later than when he or she has received sickness allowance for 90 days

10 3. Amendments to health care policies 1. The employee submits 1) a Notice of absence to the supervisor and 2) a medical certificate to the campus service centre. 2. The supervisor submits the Notice of absence to the campus service centre. 5a. Occupational health services 1) invites the employee and employer to a meeting if the absence is prolonged (but has not yet lasted 90 days), 2) drafts a statement for Kela on the employee s level of capability for work, and 3) sends the statement to the employee. 3.The campus service centre records the absence in the Personec system. 4.The employer reports absences to occupational health services. 6. The employee submits the statement to Kela before he or she has received sickness allowance for 90 days. 5b. At the employee s consent, the employee s own health care unit may provide information needed for the statement. 7a. Kela makes a decision on the sickness allowance. 7b. The employer and employee take action to ensure that the employee returns to work and remains employed

11 4. Additional information available from: Heidi Lassila, Anna-Riikka Lehtinen, Anja Ström, Riitta-Liisa Lindholm, Nora Wetterstrand,