Sick Day Abuse Investigation Services

Sick day abuse has grown to be a difficult hurdle for employers in both Canada and the United States. While many employers are legally required to facilitate a pre-determined amount of time off to their staff, such offerings could be vulnerable to abuse. COVID-19 prompted illness in many sectors, but there are members of the public who have seen opportunities from these waves of sickness. Embellishment or false claims of sickness hurt more than just the employer, but challenge the North American economy as it continues to refocus on productivity and bounce back from the economic losses of the pandemic era.

Should members of your workforce to push the limits on their sick leave, some employers may be forced to hire additional help or experience productivity issues when talent is unavailable to work. Employers can, however,  leverage several private investigation tools offered by AFIMAC to get to the bottom of suspicions of paid time off abuse. For the employees who have acted inappropriately, such solutions can hold those accountable for their actions with fair and unbiased third-party investigation solutions. Identify those who have acted in bad faith and act in the best interest of your business.

The Challenges of Sick Leave Policies & Sick Day Abuse

For many years employers have had to take the claims from their workers at face value, trusting that they are in fact sick or have good reason to take a personal day. This honor system, especially with the rise of remote work, is unfortunately primed for abuse from those who are taking leave to avoid work entirely. In a post-pandemic world, employers continue to push employers and federal governments for more robust and expansive sick leave offerings, something that many employers may not be able to afford.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2022 a 26 percent rise in illnesses across private industry employers. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic, employers continue to experience significant absenteeism that may be fraudulent. Even with the most stringent sick leave policies in place, employers have few options for validating the claims of their staff. This rising trend could cost the North American economy billions in wages

The costs of ongoing sick leave abuse are significant, with employers being forced to hire additional talent to manage such issues or risk a decline in productivity. Some sectors, especially in healthcare, just don’t have the human resources in place to fill in these temporary vacancies. Employers risk experiencing a decline in the quality of care that could harm those that they serve.

In other cases when an employer leans on skilled workers, including manufacturing, teaching, banking, and air travel, ongoing abuse of time off policies could eat away at profits and challenge the bottom line.

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Private Investigation Services For North American Employers

While there are many employees that use their sick leave appropriately, should time-off abuse go on without consequences it is likely to inspire others to follow suit. Employers can partner alongside AFIMAC Global to get to the bottom of their suspicions and determine for certainty if claims of sickness are in fact genuine. Such solutions can send a clear message to a workforce that fraudulent sickness claims will have consequences, and that the employer is actively working to investigate any issues.

Point to hard evidence that an individual member of your workforce has made false claims about their health and use such evidence to support disciplinary action or termination. AFIMAC continues to work closely alongside employers facing concerns of benefit claims abuse, but also abuse of sick days as well.

Abuse of Sick Leave & Solutions For Employers

The private investigation offerings of AFIMAC are available across both Canada and the United States, best suited for employers who maintain large workforces across different job sites. Investigations can be conducted both online and in person, leveraging traditional private investigation tactics but also social media monitoring. The information gathered by our investigators adheres to all local and federal privacy policies, giving employers fair and unbiased information to support business decisions.

Deploy surveillance services and determine for certainty whether an employee is making false claims about their health. AFIMAC has specialized in work-related private investigations for decades, with all of our investigation offerings individualized for each client. Get in touch with us today by filling out the form below and learning more about your options. AFIMAC also maintains many offerings related to insurance benefits claims abuse, workplace investigations, and screening solutions suitable for human resource managers and senior leadership. Connect with us for any of your private investigation needs.

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Updated January 20th, 2024: Get to the bottom of suspicions and hold your staff accountable for their actions. Uncover fraud in your workplace and build a culture that is focused on the task at hand.