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Worker Submits 29 False Medical Certificates To Take ‘sickies’

Worker submits 29 false medical certificates to take ‘sickies’

A government worker submitted 29 fraudulent medical certificates to their boss so they could take ‘sickies’ – internal documents have revealed.

A department investigation found the worker “untruthful” and “lacked integrity” when they submitted the false medical certificates.

Despite this, department supervisors did not discipline the employee.

Worker submits 29 false medical certificates

The bureaucrat worked for the Department of Home Affairs, and provided the certificates between 2011 and 2017.

During the internal investigation, the two doctors who signed the certificates confirmed they did not issue them.  

The doctor to which 21 of the certificates are attributed confirmed he didn’t work at the medical centre on many of the dates listed.

The worker subsequently told investigators they didn’t visit the doctor because they had been bedridden.

The worker resigned as a result of the investigation, however, the department did not sanction them.

Details obtained under FOI

The details of the fraud are contained in documents obtained by Fairfax Media under Freedom of Information laws.

The documents also revealed another public servant had doctored a legitimate medical certificate using a photocopier, to falsely extend the time of their sick leave.

The department fined the worker after they showed “a level of remorse”.

Fraud a serious matter

Industrial advocate Miles Heffernan said fraud is a serious matter.

“If you commit fraud and lie to your employer about being sick, then you can expect to lose your job,” he said.

“You cannot lie to your employer, and you also cannot provide them with doctored documents to support your lie.”

In a statement to Fairfax Media, the Department of Home Affairs said that it “takes all allegations of misconduct and corruption seriously”.

 

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