Control of medical certificates and applications for sick leave benefit

Step 1: Control of medical certificate

• When you receive an e-mail from NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration) about a new medical certificate for one of your employees, click on the link in the e-mail and log in with electronic ID. Note: If you have received a medical certificate for an employee for whom you are not the manager, you must either notify NAV of this yourself in the electronic solution, or contact the Group for Absence and Reimbursements (e-mail).

• Check that the information provided in the medical certificate is correct.
  Checkpoints:

  1. Sick leave rate and sick leave period: If you discover errors, contact the employee for clarification, or request a new medical certificate.

  2. Backdating: Check that the medical certificate is not backdated, i.e. that the medical certificate has been issued at a later date than the start date for absence due to illness with a medical certificate. What do you do about cases of backdating?

  3. Employees who have been on sick leave for more than 1 year: If the medical certificate concerns an employee who is working full- or part-time after one year's sick leave (in full or in part), ask the person in question whether he/she is entitled to sick leave benefit. You must also contact the Group for absence and Reimbursements, since such cases require special follow-up.

• If the medical certificate is correct, you do not need to take any further action (there is no approval button).

• Check previous medical certificates and assess the need for a follow-up interview.

Step 2: Control of application for sick leave benefit

Note: Sick leave benefit is only paid by UiO and reimbursed by NAV if the application has been submitted within the deadline. As a manager, you have a special responsibility to ensure that this takes place. Follow the procedures below.

At the end of each sick leave period, the manager receives a new e-mail from NAV:

• If the employee has not submitted an application for sick leave benefit within the deadline, you will be notified. Contact the employee and request that the sick leave application be submitted immediately.
• If the employee has submitted an application for sick leave benefit within the deadline, you will be notified. Click on the link in the e-mail, log in with your electronic ID and check the application for the following:
  1. If the employee states that they have used self-certification of absence, check whether the self-certification is registered in the self-service portal. This must be done before the application can be approved, see the guidelines (pdf) (dfo.no) (Norwegian). Note: ?sick for part of the day? should not be confused with ?self-certification? and should not be stated in the application.
  2. If the employee does not state that they have taken holiday during the period, you must clarify whether holiday was agreed in advance and whether it has been taken or not, see the regulations. The application and the self-service portal must reflect the same, see the guidelines (pdf) (dfo.no) (Norwegian). Note: ?extra day off during Christmas? may not be confused with holiday and should not be stated in the application.
  3. If leave of absence on welfare grounds, compensatory time off or senior free days have been granted during the period, the employee must not state this as leave of absence in the application for sick leave benefit. Check in the self-service portal whether such leave of absence days have been granted, see the guidelines (pdf) (dfo.no) (Norwegian). If unpaid leave of absence has been granted during the period, contact the Group for absence and Reimbursements for further clarification.
  4. If the employee states that she/he has stayed in countries outside the EEA during the period, there are three possible scenarios:
     1. The employee has ticked the check box for holiday: This is ok and you do not have to do anything else.
     2. The employee has been on a business trip abroad (e.g. to attend a conference): The employee must tick the check box for full work during this period.
     3. The employee stays in a country outside the EEA during the sick leave period (e.g. travel on health grounds): Check that the employee has applied to NAV to retain sick leave benefit during a stay abroad outside the EEA (NAV 08-09.07) (nav.no).
  5. If the employee states that they have worked more than the medical certificate would indicate, check whether this is correct.
• If you discover any discrepancies in the application for sick leave benefit concerning any of these aspects, the employee must submit a new corrected application for sick leave benefit. The application and the HR portal must also reflect this. If you are in any doubt, or have any questions, please contact the Group for absence and Reimbursements.