Both buyers and sellers of fake sick notes at fault

People queue at a hospital in Shanghai, Sept 2, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

Around Dragon Boat Festival, there was a roaring trade in fake illness certificates. Beijing News commented on Monday:

Doctors' certificates are intended to be valid proof that a worker is ill and needs sick leave. They are a protection of the legitimate rights and interests of workers. In recent years, with the rapid development of e-commerce, online businesses have expanded into more areas, including the trade of "counterfeit" illness certificates.

The reasons why the selling of online "illness certificates" has flourished is the weak regulation and supervision of e-commerce and the lack of law enforcement. It is also a sign of degradation of social morals.

However, the buyers' behavior also merits punishment as they are violating the rules and regulations of their employers and cheating them.

Once the employer finds out the truth, it can be treated as absenteeism in accordance with the provisions of the labor contract signed between the workers and the company.

It was reported that a man purchased a sick note online in order to watch the 2014 World Cup. His deceit was discovered by his employer and the boss angrily dismissed him. This should be a warning to people tempted to buy fake sick notes that they risk losing their jobs.

For the sellers, it is breaking the law to forge or alter any State documents that bear a stamp. The social credit system needs to be maintained by everyone.