Feigned Illness | Incapacity for Work

Is one of your employees regularly absent on weekends or Mondays, after holidays, or even during upcoming sporting events? Do you doubt the veracity of their claimed incapacity for work? Have you perhaps heard rumours that the supposedly ill employee is working on their own home or employed by another company, instead of resting in bed?

Healthy scepticism is appropriate, but certainty can only be provided by the business investigators of our Kurtz Detective Agency Zurich and Switzerland: +41 44 552 2264.

Fraudulent Medical Certificates as a Convenient Means of Securing Leisure – Evidence by Detectives

Most employees naturally aim to behave in accordance with their contract and thus retain their employment. Unfortunately, there are also those among the workforce who pursue their own interests without regard for colleagues or employers. This includes false sick notes, which in some cases become a veritable national pastime. The employee may, for example, extend a weekend, avoid missing a match of their favourite football club, participate in a multi-day ski trip with friends, or accompany their daughter to an equestrian competition. While supporting children in their hobbies is certainly a pleasant moment for parents, it does not change the fact that a feigned illness to obtain leisure unlawfully constitutes an act of fraud. In Switzerland, a survey by the commuter magazine 20 Minuten found that around 36 percent of employees have at least once gained leisure time through such excuses.

Typically, such occasions would be taken as annual leave or a day off, but a delinquent employee does not want to compromise their regular free time for these activities. Therefore, they visit a trusted doctor to obtain a sick note, often for several days. If such incidents become frequent, it is time to contact our experienced business detectives in Zurich to put a stop to the practice. We are happy to provide non-binding information by phone or via our contact form regarding our capabilities for legally admissible evidence collection against sick-note fraudsters.

“Sick” in the Maldives? | Zurich Detectives Investigate Throughout Switzerland and Worldwide

It is possible that your employee is providing their labour to a direct competitor during their sick leave, advancing a secret self-employment in the same industry, working on their own home, or renovating their apartment. While you assume they are recuperating at home, they are engaged in other – health-undermining – activities. In one past case, Kurtz Investigations Switzerland was able to prove that an employee used their sick leave to attend a concert of their favourite hard rock band, which took place over several days as part of a music festival. We have also encountered employees brazen enough to obtain sick leave to go on holiday.

Regardless of the specific case, our Swiss detectives are usually able to provide evidence of the employee’s fraud. We observe the suspect, document activities relevant to the investigation undertaken during their sick leave, and, if necessary, investigate cross-border, as we work closely with other international detective agencies, selected police authorities, and former intelligence personnel. Contact our Kurtz Detective Agency Zurich with your case by phone at +41 44 552 2264 or by email at kontakt@kurtz-detektei-schweiz.ch.