The COVID-19 global pandemic has taught many people the importance of social distancing and trying harder to maintain a healthful work environment. Even without a global pandemic, the annual cold and flu season is reason enough to take more precautions to maintain good health. So if you are feeling sick, you should do the right thing and take time away from work.
There was a time when local doctors made house calls. If you were sick or really in need of medical care, a doctor would come to your home and help you as much as possible before requiring a hospital visit. A virtual doctor’s appointment is the modern equivalent of a house call from your doctor.
If you are feeling sick from the cold or flu bug, a doctors’ note for work could enable you to stay home and get better. And if you have sick leave available, a doctor’s note could help you to get better without losing income from missing a day or two of work. You just need to make sure you have sick pay available and provide the doctor’s note for work to your manager or supervisor.
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FMLA and ADA Leaves Might Require Medical Confirmation
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) enables you to take extended time away from work to take care of medical issues or following the birth of a child. The FMLA is a great way to protect the workplace against the possible spread of illness. That is especially important during a global pandemic and any other year during the cold and flu season.
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The FMLA is not absolute in that you just need to request it and automatically receive paid time off. The federal law allows job providers to request medical confirmation of the condition for which you are seeking extended paid time off from work. If you do not provide the medical documentation, your employer could refuse your FMLA leave request.
The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) also enables you to take extended time off of work without losing your job. If you have sick leave available, you might be able to get paid for it. But the ADA also gives your employer the right to see a doctor’s note before letting you take extended time off from work.
When you have healed up and are ready to return to work, a doctor’s note likely will be required. Your employer has the right to know you are physically capable of doing the job. Your employer also needs to know you will not be a potential liability in the workplace due to illness or ongoing physical condition.
How a Remote Doctor’s Appointment Works
When the world is trying to pull out of a global pandemic everyone needs to do their best to help others stay well. That means workers who feel ill need to stay home if they show signs of COVID-19 symptoms. Unfortunately, the common cold and flu present symptoms virtually identical to COVID-19, so extra caution is in order.
You can schedule a remote doctor’s appointment with medical professionals who can assess your condition from afar. A live video chat enables you to describe your symptoms and obtain a doctor’s note for work without having to see a doctor in person. Your doctor could even do remote monitoring of your condition to regularly obtain information on body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and similar readings that could be transmitted via secure online channels.
When you are sick from a cold or flu, a remote doctor’s appointment is an easy, fast and affordable way to obtain a valid doctor’s note for work. If you have a medical condition that requires a more in-depth diagnosis, you will have to visit a doctor’s office or another medical facility.
Many Types of Remote Doctor Appointments
When you have a health issue that requires you to take time away from work, your employer has the right to ask for medical documentation that confirms your condition. A remote doctor’s appointment is the fastest and easiest way to do that. And your employer would have to accept the evidence as legitimate because it is from a genuine medical doctor.
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You also could get a prescription updated and sent to your pharmacy using remote appointments for medical care. As long as your doctor has the information to contact your pharmacy, you could obtain a prescription over the phone, online or with a mobile device and get it filled quickly so that you can feel better.
Remote doctor’s appointments can occur in many ways. You can do one electronically over a computer. You also could use your cellphone or a tablet device to schedule a remote doctor’s appointment that you would complete on your mobile device. Even the telephone could become an effective means of communicating with your doctor and obtaining an updated diagnosis for a relatively modest medical condition.
