Honour system won't work, say bosses and HR experts

According to general practitioner David Tan Hsien Yung, this honour system practice of giving 10 to 14 days of sick leave a year without an MC is common in San Francisco.

Dr Tan, who has just returned from an attachment there, wrote to The Straits Times Forum last week, calling on the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to consider removing the need for sick leave to be certified by a doctor - as stated in the Employment Act.

More patients requested a medical certificate (MC) on Monday, a check with general practitioners revealed. With today being a public holiday, that sick leave, if granted, would have led to a four-day weekend for some of them.

But while it is possible that workers may exaggerate the extent of their illnesses to get an MC, bosses said they would still prefer this doctor certification to an honour system where staff can call in sick and stay at home without seeing a doctor. 

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