Medical Absence Management For Employees
Table of Contents
Medical absence management is an important tool for supporting your health and well-being.
- Medical absences over five consecutive days may be referred to Human Resources (HR) if the medical documentation:
- Medical leave includes any injury, disease, including mental health, that prevents an employee from performing the full duties of their job
- Medical absences over five consecutive days may be referred to HR if the medical documentation:
- indicates a long-term absence
- has no expected return date
- extends an existing medical leave
All medical documentation should be submitted to the Online Medical Absence Portal.
If you have questions about medical absence please reach out to MedicalLeave@carleton.ca in HR. Please include your employee ID.
- This applies to all employee groups, however, please reference the appropriate sick leave provision of the relevant collective agreement Labour Relations – Human Resources.
Our Principles
Care with Compassion
Support employees with empathy and respect throughout their sick leave and return to work process. Safeguard employee’s privacy, work with managers to reduce stigma surrounding all medical conditions and promote a culture of inclusion and psychological safety.
Flexibility with Support
Offer personalized plans that reflect each employee’s health needs and recovery pace. This includes flexible scheduling, modified duties, gradual return options, and collaboration with the treating medical practitioner and managers.
Clarity with Communication
Keep employees informed about their sick leave options, available benefits, and the return to work process. Use clear, compassionate language and check in regularly. Ensure managers are trained to have supportive conversations with employees and use feedback from all parties to improve the program.
What You Should Know
If you are unwell and unable to attend work it is your responsibility to:
- Seek and be under active medical attention as recommended by your treating medical practitioner
- Inform your manager of your absence
- Submit medical documentation that supports your leave to the Online Medical Absence Portal
- Caregivers can submit medical documentation on behalf of the employee to MedicalLeave@Carleton.ca
- Participate in the accommodation and return to work processes
If you have a question, please contact our Absence Management Specialists.
What type of medical documentation is required?
Documentation requirements
All medical documentation must be forwarded to HR by the Online Medical Absence Portal or by email to MedicalLeave@Carleton.ca. These documents are confidentially stored.
For privacy reasons, diagnosis information is not required
A medical documentation is considered satisfactory when it contains the following information:
- Confirmation the employee is under a treatment plan as recommended by the treating medical practitioner
- Functional limitations that preclude the employee from carrying out the essential functions of their role
- The estimated length of the limitation or absence
- Return to work prognosis
Functional Abilities Forms (FAF)
If a FAF is required, one of the following forms will be sent to the employee for completion by their treating medical practitioner.
Functional Abilities Form – Cognitive
Functional Abilities Form – Combined
Functional Abilities Form – Physical
It has been identified that the leave is due to work-related issues. A representative from the HR team will be in contact with you for further details.
*A WSIB claim may also be initiated if it has been identified the leave is considered work-related.
Once you start a medical leave
HR will reach out to you for periodic updates on prognosis and the ability to commence a return to work plan with or without temporary accommodations.
HR will manage the leave and provide supportive resources.
It is important that you communicate with HR using a non-Carleton email, and or provide a phone number where we can reach you.
Returning to work
If you are returning from a medical absence, long-term disability or a WSIB (Workers’ Safety Insurance Board) absence, you may require a transitional period to return to full duties.
- Return to work requests are supported by satisfactory medical documentation.
- Although a medical practitioner may recommend a specific accommodation based on identified limitations, it is the employers responsibility to provide a reasonable accommodation until you are able to execute the full duties of your role.
- Return to work plans may span weeks, slowly increasing the number of hours and/or duties, until you are fully back to work.
- HR will work with managers to support a reasonable return-to-work request as part of the accommodation process.
- An accommodation agreement is created in collaboration with the manager, you, and HR. The agreement will outline the type and duration of the accommodation.
- If you are a member of a union, then you have the right to have a union representative participate in accommodation requests.
- HR will check in with you and the manager during and after the return to work process.
Your roles & responsibilities
- Seek medical attention and follow recommended treatment as outlined by your treating medical practitioner.
- Inform your reporting manager of your absence.
- Provide satisfactory medical documentation as requested by HR.
- Participate in the accommodation and return to work process.
Resources
- Workplace Mental Health
- Canada Life Resources for employees
- Employee and Family Assistance Program
- At Work Services – by Canada Life
- Medical Absence Management
If you have any questions or require support please contact MedicalLeave@Carleton.ca.
Definitions
Accommodation – Workplace accommodations are adjustments that allow a person with a disability to continue to work. This may include the use of special equipment/devices, adjustments to hours of work/ duties or both.
Return to work – A program that re-integrates a disabled/injured employee back into the workplace. Formalizes the work expectations during the integration period. The transition to full duties may be weeks in duration.
Satisfactory medical documentation is required to support return to work plans and any workplace accommodation
Functional Abilities Form (FAF) – Document completed by your treating medical practitioner, indicating prognosis, physical and/or cognitive limitations/abilities, supporting leave, return to work and accommodations.
Occupational – An injury or illness that occurred at work or during a work-related event, that results in at least one of the following: work lost time; lost work pay; sought medical attention. These absences are reported to WSIB and administered by Human Resources.
Non-occupational – An injury or illness that is not work-related that results in absence from work. These absences are case-managed by Human Resources.
Manager – for faculty members your manager is considered to be your Dean.