In the United States, there are many laws guiding the relationships between the employer and the employee. These laws include that which deals with issues regarded leaving work and getting paid. These laws also cover the use of doctor’s note which is to be accepted by an employer to grant the employee a paid leave.
Some of laws that deal directly with issues of labor and health include the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). These laws if followed to the letter should guide employer and employee relationship when it comes to leaving work because of illness.
Well, one fact that cannot be denied these days is that quite a lot of workers do use fake doctor’s note to get excused from work. Since the health privacy law does not permit the doctor to reveal any information regarding the health of the patients, some employees like to use fake doctor’s notes to get by. This article on using a doctors note is perfect. You can learn a lot more about it here.
The truth is that using a fake doctor’s note is illegal especially if the employer has to pay for sick leave. In different areas of the United States, the law on fake doctor’s notes may be different but there is actually a common ground for all the 50 states, which is using the name of a real doctor on the note.
If you are caught with the name of a real doctor on your note, that is forgery in all 50 states. If you are not punished for using a fake doctor’s note, you could be punished for forging the name of doctor. This could mean dismal from work or the risk of prosecution and jail term.
Having said that, if you are planning on using a fake doctors note to escape from escape from assumed “work-related” stress, to for extra vacation, or to sort – out any kind of personal emergency, you should really consider the legality of your action. Fake doctor’s note is not illegal and it should be avoided if you can. No, amount of excuse for its use can justify the illegality of fake medical excuse.