World Cup sick-leave scandal
By Xu Chi |
June 23, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SICK-LEAVE letters with doctors' certificates are being offered for sale on the Internet to World Cup fans too tired to go to work the day after late-night matches.
Orders have been "huge" and the first batch of letters were due to be delivered to buyers early next week, some sellers contacted by Shanghai Daily said.
Some claimed their sick-leave letters were issued and authorized by local hospitals, such as Shanghai No. 6 and No. 8 people's hospitals, but hospital officials denied they were the suppliers.
Li Xiaohua, a local lawyer, is warning people not to get involved in the illegal business, as purchasing and using the forged letters will breach the Labor Contract Law and the violators face losing their jobs. And anyone selling such letters could be guilty of a criminal offence, he said.
Some sellers are charging 20 yuan (US$3) for a one-day sick-leave letter, while offering a big discount for a 14-day letter - only charging 120 yuan.
"If you want to watch the football games, I can offer you a two-week sick-leave letter showing that you were suffering a gastric ulcer," a local seller, Li Hui, who had set up a consulting firm and started his Internet business on May 22, told Shanghai Daily.
Li said more than 50 soccer fans had contacted him, wanting letters to send to their bosses to allow them to rest at home rather than come to work.
"Your boss would not doubt the letters," Li told our reporter. "If you want longer vacations, I can even provide you with certification of pregnancy, though more expensive."
Other sellers say they are running out of stock of sick-leave letters.
"Too many World Cup fans are calling us for the letters, but we have to keep a low profile to avoid attention from the police and the hospitals," said another seller, surnamed Yang.
Yang said he purchased the letters from friends working at local hospitals, but he couldn't buy too many at any one time.
However, Hu Jianping, an official at the Shanghai No. 8 People's Hospital, denied that they were the source of the sick-leave letters and said the sellers were forging doctors' notes and seals.
"The strict regulation of our hospital would not allow any doctor to abuse their power for their own profits," said Hu.
He said a valid doctor's note should be sealed by the doctor and the supervision office. He believed the sellers forged the seals and were taking advantage of the hospital's reputation.
Orders have been "huge" and the first batch of letters were due to be delivered to buyers early next week, some sellers contacted by Shanghai Daily said.
Some claimed their sick-leave letters were issued and authorized by local hospitals, such as Shanghai No. 6 and No. 8 people's hospitals, but hospital officials denied they were the suppliers.
Li Xiaohua, a local lawyer, is warning people not to get involved in the illegal business, as purchasing and using the forged letters will breach the Labor Contract Law and the violators face losing their jobs. And anyone selling such letters could be guilty of a criminal offence, he said.
Some sellers are charging 20 yuan (US$3) for a one-day sick-leave letter, while offering a big discount for a 14-day letter - only charging 120 yuan.
"If you want to watch the football games, I can offer you a two-week sick-leave letter showing that you were suffering a gastric ulcer," a local seller, Li Hui, who had set up a consulting firm and started his Internet business on May 22, told Shanghai Daily.
Li said more than 50 soccer fans had contacted him, wanting letters to send to their bosses to allow them to rest at home rather than come to work.
"Your boss would not doubt the letters," Li told our reporter. "If you want longer vacations, I can even provide you with certification of pregnancy, though more expensive."
Other sellers say they are running out of stock of sick-leave letters.
"Too many World Cup fans are calling us for the letters, but we have to keep a low profile to avoid attention from the police and the hospitals," said another seller, surnamed Yang.
Yang said he purchased the letters from friends working at local hospitals, but he couldn't buy too many at any one time.
However, Hu Jianping, an official at the Shanghai No. 8 People's Hospital, denied that they were the source of the sick-leave letters and said the sellers were forging doctors' notes and seals.
"The strict regulation of our hospital would not allow any doctor to abuse their power for their own profits," said Hu.
He said a valid doctor's note should be sealed by the doctor and the supervision office. He believed the sellers forged the seals and were taking advantage of the hospital's reputation.
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