Toronto school boards are turning to private investigators to address skyrocketing costs from teacher absenteeism by uncovering cases of sick-leave abuse, according to a recent Toronto Star article. The investigators have indeed found misuse and the fallout has been significant, with some educators losing their jobs. For instance, 5 teachers were fired after calling in sick and then spending the day at the casino.
This course of action is available to employers who believe that sick leave, especially extended leave, is being misused. This is akin to the common practice of insurance adjusters using private investigators to observe the activities of long term disability or other injury claimants to see if they are engaging in offroad racing, horseback riding, or other physical activities that are inconsistent their claimed disability.
For private employers, sick day misuse generally poses less of a problem as private employers tend to provide only a few paid sick days per year, with larger employers providing short-term disability benefits at 70%+ of salary, which are adjudicated by third parties who scrutinize medical evidence before approving payout of such benefits.
However, when the province did away with teacher banking of sick days in 2012, it substituted short-term and long-term disability entitlements that pay out at up to 100% of teachers’ salaries and require much more policing by school boards. They also do not have the natural incentives to save up and bank sick days for payout on retirement, leading to abuse. Absenteeism has also reported exacerbated Ontario’s dire shortage of educators, leaving schools short staffed and students without a permanent teacher.
For employers generally, balance is required when addressing absenteeism. Oversight and review of medical documentation is necessary to prevent abuse and manage costs, but it must be done in a manner that respects employee privacy and maintains trust in the workplace. Heavy-handed tactics, when not warranted, can create a culture of fear rather than accountability.
This story highlights the need for better monitoring of sick leave in school boards, but is also a reminder that in all sectors, sick days should be used for their intended purpose — medical need to be off work, not extra vacation days to be enjoyed on a use it or lose it basis. Diligent employers can generally tackle this issue without the use of private investigators by meeting with employees regularly to understand root causes of absenteeism, like stress and burnout, and to deter misreporting of sickness by requiring proper medical documentation to support absences.
