Summary
RMO No. 78-98 sets guidelines on issuing medical certificates for leave purposes.
Key points
- Required contents. The certificate must clearly state the employee’s name, the diagnosis, the length of confinement (inclusive dates of sick leave), and the attending physician’s name and license number.
- Form of the certificate. It is written on the physician’s own prescription pad. If that is not available, the clinic’s or hospital’s official letterhead is used.
- Sick leave over 5 days. Certificates for sick leave exceeding 5 days go to the medical clinic for approval and authentication within 2 weeks after the employee reports back to work. The employee hand-carries it for evaluation by the clinic physician, except for a reasonable cause.
- Very long leave. Sick leave applications exceeding 21 working days or 1 month, and those unreasonably long, need an affidavit from the attending physician. It must attest that the medical condition really requires a long absence from work.
Who is affected
- Employees applying for sick leave
Deadlines and effectivity
- Sick leave over 5 days: certificate submitted within 2 weeks after the employee reports back for work
- Affidavit required for sick leave exceeding 21 working days or 1 month
Summary by Tax Resources PH. It is not a substitute for the full text of the issuance or professional advice.
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