The winter season is conducive to viruses and childhood illnesses. Colds, tonsillitis, bronchiolitis… To stay with their child, employed parents must justify their absence to their employer with a medical certificate. But this process could soon be simplified.
Childhood illnesses are numerous, especially as winter approaches. And when toddlers are kept in daycare or in a community, they tend to pass on all the germs. Gastroenteritis, tonsillitis, colds, but also chickenpox… are common in children. The parents are then forced to stay with them, to keep them warm at home. Especially since the nursery can refuse a child if he or she is too ill, to avoid contaminating other babies. But when we work, a medical certificate is mandatory to be able to benefit from sick child leave days. You then have to run to the pediatrician to justify your absence to your employer, or failing that, take a day of RTT or a day of paid leave. Result: pediatricians’ waiting rooms are crowded, and they sometimes spend hours each week writing certificates, for a simple common cold or gastro that could be treated in a few days. A measure which could soon be simplified.
As part of the bill for access to care, an amendment voted by senators aims to no longer make a medical certificate compulsory to benefit from sick child leave. This measure aims above all to respond to “Doctors’ expectations regarding the reduction of unnecessary medical certificates“In fact, they spend on average one and a half to two hours per week to issue medical certificates to parents.
Instead, parents could then justify their absence to stay at home with their sick child, with a simple sworn statement. This bill must now be the subject of a joint committee with the deputies. If it is passed, it would then simplify the procedures. However, certain illnesses still require a medical examination depending on the child’s state of health.