Each month, our APSA Advocates answer your questions about workplace challenges, the AD 10 policies and how they’re applied.
Questions? Submit them anonymously here.
Hello, I’m Laya Behbahani, the chair of APSA’s Advocacy Committee. On behalf of the committee, I’m answering your questions about sick leave.
Questions? Submit them anonymously here. Your question will be answered in a monthly advocacy corner issue. For an immediate answer, please contact us.
I was on medical leave, came back to work and found that I needed sick leave for another incident. I spoke to the Wellness and Recovery office, and at first, they were very supportive. We had friendly discussions, and they asked questions about my health and medical history. I trusted them, so I gave them personal details and spoke about my previous illness. Later, I found out that my application was denied, and Wellness and Recovery used the information they got from our friendly chats to deny my sick leave. What do I do now?
Any meetings with Wellness and Recovery are still meetings with your employer. If you ever go to a Wellness and Recovery meeting in the future, I’d advise having an APSA representative. An APSA representative will support you and help you navigate through the process of sick leave, the return to work and the transition to long-term disability (if necessary). We will also help you safeguard any issues involving your medical privacy.
I would recommend calling APSA to review your application for sick leave and determine the best course of action for your circumstances. Though it’s more challenging to reverse a decision, an APSA representative can advise you what to do, as every sick leave issue is case-specific.