If an accommodation is needed, you must work with the employee to plan an accommodation which allows them to work to the best of their ability and you to have your needs met.

In some cases, you may need medical information to determine what limitations the employee has and what needs have to be accommodated. Each case is unique.

Best practices suggest you should be prepared to pay the costs of medical reports required.

The following information should assist you to know what medical information it is appropriate to ask for.

Medical Certificates:

Reasonably Necessary

You are entitled to the medical information that is “reasonably necessary”.

Determining what is “reasonably necessary” involves balancing your right to information with an employee’s right to privacy. When you ask an employee to provide medical information, you should consider the following:

• Do you need the requested information to determine the employee’s job capacities and responsibilities?
• Do you need the information to accommodate the employee?
• How will you protect the employee’s privacy?
• Does the information need to be shared with other people, who and why?

Available Medical Information

Generally speaking, you are entitled to the following:

• Nature of the illness
• Whether the illness or condition is permanent or temporary
• If temporary, the estimated time frame for improvement to occur
• Restrictions and limitations, and how long these might be impacting the employee
• Any treatment or medication that might impact the accommodation or the ability to perform his or her job
• A clear and unequivocal opinion as to the employee’s fitness to return to work
• Doctor’s Opinion as to fitness to perform specific components of the employee’s job
• The duration of any limitations or restrictions following the employee’s return to work

Prohibited Medical Information

Generally speaking, you are not entitled to the following information and an employee has the right to refuse to provide it unless, based on the specific facts, disclosure impacts the accommodation process or the employee’s ability to perform his job.

• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Medication details
• Subjective symptoms
• Objective findings
• Test results

Medical Certificates Information PDF