Whenever one applies for sick leave, its purpose is to allow the person to take the time off to rest and recuperate, not participate in strenuous activities.
A man in China lost his job after his employer accused him of lying about his condition upon reviewing CCTV footage that showed him walking extensively while on sick leave.
Applied for sick leave 3 times
Details of the case, which originally took place back in 2019, was published by the Ministry of Justice on Oct 29 of this year, reported SCMP.
A man named Chen, who worked at a company in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, applied for sick leave twice for a back strain he suffered at work in February and March and submitted a hospital diagnosis as evidence.
After a month-long rest, he came back to work. But after working for half a day, he experienced pain in his right foot and applied for sick leave again.
Chen also provided a doctor’s note which advised him to rest for a week. A week later, he went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a foot spur, leading him to extend his sick leave.
Fired from job
The company then asked Chen to submit his hospital check-up documents. But when he arrived, he was reportedly stopped by a security guard.
A few days later, he was informed that he had been fired from his job for failing to turn up at work and for lying about his condition.
Battle in court
Following his dismissal, Chen filed a labour arbitration case against his former employer. An investigation was carried out and the authorities ordered the company to pay him 118,779 yuan (approx. RM69,500) in compensation.
The company then sued Chen and showed CCTV footage of him sprinting towards the company on the day he applied for sick leave for foot pain.
It also submitted software record which recorded Chen walking 16,000 steps on the same day.
In response, Chen argued that the company’s claims were invalid, adding that he had provided comprehensive hospital records, including medical scans of his waist and foot.
After two trials, the court ruled in Chen’s favour and found that he had been unfairly dismissed by the company.
The case has since sparked widespread discussion online, with netizens opining that the company had violated Chen’s rights.
What do you think of this? Share with us in the comments!
READ ALSO:
