Can you be terminated from a job due to poor health where you are backed up by physicians' excuses and you make up time missed when you can?

Answer 1

Most employment is "at will", meaning that either party can terminate at any time, for any reason, or no reason at all. "At will" employment differs from "contract" employment, where the contract protects both parties.

When an employee has health problems, an employer is not mandated to be sympathetic, understanding, nor to hold the position open, put up with call-offs (even if they are scheduled in advance), or to guarantee to continue employment during a long period of recurrent illness. An employer has one goal: to keep a business running with the minimum number of employees who have the maximum work output. If an employee is not at work, there is zero work output and other employees must pick up extra tasks/duties to do the work of the absent employee. So then, the employer not only is not getting maximum amount of work from the minimum number of employees, the employer is then also dealing with the rest of the staff who are upset about having to do extra work. In the big picture, the duties of "work" and the output both suffer.

After a while, employers tire of the headaches caused by an absent worker. Another physician slip simply begins to look like "one more excuse" to not be at work doing your job. An employer may feel sympathetic, on a personal level, but still has to do what is best for the company. Most employers will not put up with medical absenteeism anymore than any other kinds of absenteeism.

As examples, consider these comparisons:

- It's not my fault that my car broke down and will cost $3,000 to fix.

- It's not my fault that my doctor decided I should not be working for the next 7 days.

- My babysitter quit and I can't find anyone on short notice.

- My (body part) caused me problems and I can't make the problem go away quickly.

- I have no gas money to drive to work because my illnesses resulted in medical bills I need to pay.

- I have no energy / ability or feel too sick to work because I have this medical problem.

To an employer, after a series of "medical problems" with an employee, each of the above statements all sound the same and in the end, don't excuse absenteeism. Making up time "when you can" is not an employee right, nor do employers have to permit your hours to be worked in that way.