Fake sick notes drain billions from SA economy, labour experts warn

Labour experts say fake sick notes and widespread absenteeism are costing South Africa billions each year. Unu Health estimates that fake sick notes cost the economy about R19 billion a year. Employers and lawyers are increasingly reporting invalid medical certificates and dubious clinics as part of the problem.

Who is affected and how

Industry voices told reporters that employers across sectors suffer when staff take time off with dubious medical certificates. Labour experts describe the abuse of sick leave as a major contributor to economic loss.

Experts describe common practices

Labour expert Andrew Levy said submitting a sick note known to be fake is a criminal offence and described routine instances where employees obtain certificates without being genuinely ill.

“It’s a problem. And the abuse of sick leave costs the economy billions,”

he said.

Levy told reporters that sometimes doctors who want to earn a fee will provide a certificate when a patient is not actually sick, and he said there are also bogus practitioners who issue notes without examining patients.

Examples from employers and lawyers

Levy described a case in which a private investigator found employees obtaining certificates from the same source. He said the investigator discovered people working behind a table issuing medical certificates in exchange for payment.

Another labour lawyer, Michael Bagraim, said he encounters invalid sick notes frequently and that some are written on stolen medical pads. He added that employees sometimes pay legitimate doctors to issue illegitimate notes, while others receive certificates from bogus doctors or administrative staff acting on behalf of clinicians.

Scale and verification difficulties

A study by Andrew Levy found absenteeism of about 5% and reported that, among those absent, some workers were faking sickness daily. Bagraim said that in many cases it is difficult for employers to verify sick notes because doctors are not available by phone or do not respond.

He also told reporters that employers who hire private investigators sometimes discover a high rate of invalid certificates Michael Bagraim said it transpired that almost 30% of the sick notes were invalid.

What experts say needs attention

Both Levy and Bagraim highlighted the financial harm to employers and the economy from illegitimate sick leave. They pointed to a mix of pressure on genuine practitioners, bogus clinics, and administrative practices that undermine the integrity of medical certificates.

Reporting for this article is based on coverage in The Citizen.