The health service, employers and the country in general have enough on their plates without GPs and bosses having stupid rows over whether or not people should have a medical cert to cover the days they take off because of swine flu.

Ibec says its members have every right to ask employees to produce a doctor's cert because they fear swine flu could be used as an excuse for unwarranted absenteeism.

While in ordinary circumstances, the production of medical evidence of sickness is perfectly reasonable, employers need to use common sense in their approach to H1N1 absenteeism. The policy of the HSE is to advise people not to go to their doctor's surgery if they have flu-like symptoms because they do not want the H1N1 virus spreading. Companies that insist sick staff go to the doctor will only increase the risk of more people contracting the virus, with greater burden on the health service and, inevitably, more people falling sick and taking days of work with the flu.

Employers and employees who work with a sense of trust and common purpose will get through this pandemic with fewer problems than those who have such a poor view of their staff they think they are all malingerers.