WHAT TO KNOW
We have received several cases from APS members involving problems with medical documentation submitted to Canada Life, which resulted rejection on the grounds that the doctor’s medical certificate did not contain all the required elements needed to assess the case.
Medical absence report form
To avoid a rejection based simply on non-compliance (lack of information to process the case), it is strongly recommended to have the official “medical absence report” document completed for any absence for which you consult a physician for an estimated absence of 5 days or more.
Another doctor’s document may be compliant if it contains the required elements set out in the above-mentioned form. That said, why take the chance of having compliance problems if you can avoid that by using the official form!
Here’s a direct link to the form:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0M_tDxcShhsSFZGTWt6MmF6dW8/view?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0M_tDxcShhsQk8wWXVBY1hOLWc/view?
You can also find it by visiting the “What to do when you go on sick leave” iO page.
Have it with you at every medical appointment
The best way to avoid compliance problems is to always bring a copy of the form with you to every medical appointment, so that your doctor can complete it if a medical leave of absence of 5 days or more is required. If you have a family doctor, you may want to suggest that he or she keep a copy in your file.
Additional information
We invite you to read CBC/Radio-Canada’s process and corporate policy:
https://io.cbcrc.ca/?lang=en/#/resources/disability-management-gestion-d-invalidite-1.3099082
Starting off on the right foot
It’s true that this obligation can be unpleasant. However, it is an essential step in processing your request for paid sick leave of 5 days or more.
Start off on the right foot and get the absence process off to a good start.