Can I validate a doctor

I supervise about 25 employees and have 2 with slight attendance problems. Employee #1 called and said she broke down on her way to work and her car was being towed to the shop. When I asked for a receipt, she admitted she lied and said she was really at home but was fighting with her boyfriend. I wrote her up for dishonesty and told her she would be terminated if it ever happened again.





A few days later, employee #2 said she couldn't come to work because she had an infection and headache and was going to the doctor. I asked for a receipt again. Employee #1 came and said it was a lie and employee #2 was really going to a concert. She said employee #2 told her she was faking a receipt for me.





Today I have the receipt. It is not signed by a doctor and it has no phone number but the address is there. I googled the address and it has the name of the doctor at that clinic, but she got the first name wrong.





Do I confront her?



Due to hippa the doctor''s office can not say anything but I would call the office and speak to the office manager and just ask if she can confirm that this receipt is from the doc's office.




I think so, I think you need to ask her for the phone number (she will probably give you the real one) and ask the doctor about it.





I would give her one more chance before you confront the doctor, to admitt it, though. And have the consequences of employee #1. If she gives you the phone number and figure out it was fake, terminate her.





If employee #1 was lying, terminate her.




I don't think legally you can. HIPPA law prevents doctors from releasing personal information. Also ask yourself does employee #1 have a problem with employee #2? It sounds awfully suspicious that she would say this about a fellow employee just days after she got in trouble for a similar thing.




Yes, confront her. Your employees right to privacy says that they cannot discuss any personal information, but they might be able to validate whether or not the person was treated there. Do you have an HR department you could safely refer the matter to?




That doesn't even sound like a receipt. I say confront her.