Sick Leave Fraud Due to “Important” Appointments

There is certainly at least one employee in your company who occasionally calls in sick for one or two days. Even if that person appears surprisingly fit and cheerful after just two days, this alone does not prove that illness was not the reason for their absence. However, if such incidents occur repeatedly, you should take action and contact the detectives at Kurtz Investigations Bonn for a free and no-obligation consultation regarding our employee verification services: +49 228 2861 4084.

The “Yellow Holiday Certificate” – Detectives of Kurtz Investigations Bonn Prove Fraud and Abuse

Of course, there may be occasions when an employee has a valid reason to be absent from work. However, if they obtain a “yellow holiday certificate” from a doctor because they either do not dare to request a day off or because you, as the employer, saw no possibility of granting their request, they cause you financial loss under false pretences and thereby commit fraud. If, for example, a grandfather is celebrating his 90th birthday or someone must attend their best friend’s wedding as best man, these may indeed be legitimate personal reasons for a day of special leave. Provided the leave request is submitted in good time and the employee’s conduct is otherwise impeccable, few employers would refuse such a request.

However, a grandfather will hardly celebrate his 90th birthday on a regular basis, and at some point the entire circle of relatives and friends will already be married. If an employee is therefore regularly and often at short notice “ill” for brief periods, you as an entrepreneur should take notice. Reasons for such appointment-related sick notes may include matches of a favourite football club, children’s performances, visits from relatives, public viewing during the FIFA World Cup, or a special concert. Particularly during major international football tournaments, a certain regularity of short-notice absences can be observed. If you suspect that one (or more) of your employees has something “more important” to do than attend work, contact the detectives at Kurtz Detective Agency Bonn. We will investigate the matter, conduct discreet surveillance of your employee and provide court-admissible evidence. Call us for a no-obligation consultation: +49 228 2861 4084.

Case Study: Concert More Important Than Work

In June 2015, Kurtz Detective Agency Bonn handled a case in which an employee was determined to attend a concert by the band “Böhse Onkelz” at the Hockenheimring, camp there from Thursday to Sunday and not return to work until Tuesday, using Monday to recover. As the holiday request had been submitted only a few days before the concert and the employer was unable to arrange replacement staff at such short notice, the request had to be denied. The employee promptly obtained a sick note and then – as documented by our Bonn detectives – spent the weekend partying at the Hockenheimring.