In order to lighten the burden on doctors during this year’s flu epidemic, Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke and Employment Minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne are asking employers to no longer require medical certificates for absences of up to three days, according to a letter addressed to the president of the National Council of Labour (CNT).
In December, the association of general practitioners (GPs), Domus Medica, raised the alarm over a surge in doctors' appointments. Despite this, Voka, the association of Flemish employers, previously said that it did not intend to do away with certificates for short-term absences.
Taking matters into their own hands, the ministers sent a letter to the CNT, which represents both employers and unions. They asked for an official opinion on the matter to be presented on 18 January, which aims to abolish the requirement for sick notes for absences of less than three days. This system would be trialled until April.
The Federal Government also wants the input of the CNT on the introduction of digital certificates and a self-assessment system for illness, comparable to those that existed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Within this new framework, workers who feel ill could answer a series of questions online. An algorithm would then determine whether the worker should stay at home or go to work, automatically issuing a short-term note of sick leave.
This tool would be activated during peak periods of virus circulation. Belgium has already done away with the requirement to submit sick notes when an employee is away from work due to illness for just one day. This is often exploited, with Monday being the most common sick day in Belgium.
Currently, more than one in five (22%) of patients accessing primary care physicians for flu symptoms tested positive for the virus. Consultations for confirmed flu cases now amount for 106 per 100,000 persons.
