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Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS)

Physician Recommendation

Reference Number: MTAS-1981
Reviewed Date: 12/21/2022

If a physician or other licensed health care professional recommends that a worker stay home but the employee comes to work anyway, you must record the injury or illness on the OSHA 300 Log using the check box for cases with days away from work and enter the number of calendar days away recommended by the physician. 29 C.F.R. § 1904.7(b)(3)(ii). The days away must be recorded whether the employee follows the physicians recommendation or not, and you must encourage the employee to follow that recommendation. If you receive two or more physician recommendations, you may make a decision as to which recommendation is the most authoritative and record the case based on that recommendation. If a physician recommends that an employee return to work but the employee stays home, you must end the count of days away from work on the date the physician or other licensed health care professional recommends that the employee return to work.