No time for sick notes in overburdened, understaffed health-care system
Opinion
It's hard to believe we're still having this conversation in 2025. Yet here we are: some employees across Manitoba are still being told by their bosses to get a note from a doctor when they call in sick.
Despite widespread agreement among health professionals, labour advocates, and even some employers that this practice is outdated and wasteful, the Manitoba government has yet to pass legislation to end it.
Let's start with the obvious. Manitoba has one of the worst doctor shortages in the country. You hear it from virtually every corner of the health system: there aren't enough family doctors, walk-in clinics are jammed and many people in rural and northern areas have to wait days — or weeks — just to get a basic appointment.
'Manitoba is one of only two provinces in Canada that hasn't taken any legislative action in this space to limit the use of sick notes, so we hope to change that,' said Dr. Nichelle Desilets, president of Doctors Manitoba. (Tim Smith / The Brandon Sun files)
And yet, in the middle of this health-care access crisis, we're still diverting doctors' time to write useless notes that serve no medical purpose and cost taxpayers an estimated $8 million a year. It's a colossal waste of time and public health-care resources.
According to Doctors Manitoba, eliminating sick notes would allow for an extra 300,000 patient visits per year, or the equivalent of adding 50 more physicians to the health-care system. That is significant.
As a result, the advocacy organization that represents doctors in the province, asked the government this week to bring in legislation that would ban sick notes for absences of 10 days or less.
Requiring a sick note doesn't verify illness in any meaningful way. It's not good health policy, and it's not good workplace policy. In fact, it can make things worse.
The note itself doesn't prove anything. A doctor can't tell if someone had a migraine, the flu or food poisoning the day before. They just take the patient's word for it and write the note. It's a rubber stamp. If someone wants to abuse a sick day, they're going to do it with or without a doctor's note.
Requiring a note could even discourage some people from staying home while sick if it's too difficult or time consuming to find a doctor who'll write one.
It should come as no surprise then, that the Canadian Medical Association has called for an end to sick-note requirements. The organization argues the notes serve no clinical purpose and simply burden the health-care system.
It's one of those rare issues where just about everyone agrees — except, apparently, the Manitoba government, which still hasn't introduced legislation to stop the practice outright.
Some Manitoba employers loosened their rules around sick notes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. But without legislation, there's no standard. It's a patchwork.
Most jurisdictions across Canada have already taken action. British Columbia, for example, banned mandatory sick notes for short absences. Ontario has similar provisions and Quebec discourages their use.
'Manitoba is one of only two provinces in Canada that hasn't taken any legislative action in this space to limit the use of sick notes, so we hope to change that,' said Dr. Nichelle Desilets, president of Doctors Manitoba.
If the Manitoba government is serious about wanting to expand primary care and reduce unnecessary strain on the system, this is low-hanging fruit. We don't need a government task force or a blue-ribbon panel to study it.
This shouldn't be a difficult decision for the NDP government. While in opposition, they introduced a private member's bill that would have banned employers from requiring sick notes unless the worker was absent for more than seven days. Like most private members' bills, it was defeated. It's time to resurrect it.
This isn't just about health care, it's about treating workers with dignity. It's also about preventing workplace outbreaks. Encouraging people to 'tough it out' or drag themselves to a clinic for a note increases the risk that they'll infect others, especially in places such as schools, stores or in health care itself.
Some opponents may argue that banning sick notes will open the door to abuse – that people will call in sick more often. However, there's no evidence that happens in provinces where notes are no longer required.
Tuesdays
A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world.
At a time when Manitoba is desperately trying to recruit and retain physicians — and promising to expand access to primary care — making doctors spend hours a week writing sick notes is indefensible.
Every appointment used for a sick note is one less slot for a child with asthma, a senior with diabetes or a parent trying to get a referral to a specialist.
This change is long overdue. If Manitoba wants to modernize health care and support working people at the same time, it should act now.
Ban sick notes. Free up doctors' time. It's a no-brainer.
tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca
Tom BrodbeckColumnist
Tom Brodbeck is a columnist with the Free Press and has over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom.
Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press's editing team reviews Tom's columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
9 hours ago
- Global News
B.C. desperately needs a 2nd forensic psychiatric hospital, report finds
B.C. needs a second forensic psychiatric hospital to deal with a constant demand for beds, a new report has found. A forensic psychiatric hospital is a facility where people who have committed a crime or been involved with the law have been found not criminally responsible for their actions. Under Canadian law, a person is found not criminally responsible if a judge finds they committed a criminal act under the influence of mental illness and they cannot possess the capacity to understand that their behaviour was wrong. There is only one forensic psychiatric hospital in the province, located in Coquitlam and known as Colony Farm. The facility has 190 beds. The province also has six forensic clinics for people who have received a conditional discharge, where they do not have to attend Colony Farm but must take part in monitoring and ongoing treatments. Story continues below advertisement The annual report from the British Columbia Review Board states that the number of people found not criminally responsible remains the same as the previous year, which remains the highest it has been since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the number of accused people discharged by the board who have had their cases closed has decreased from pre-pandemic years. 'It is likely that the impact of dramatically reduced community-based services for forensic patients,' the report states. As a result, the board found that Colony Farm is under constant pressure as more new accused people are being admitted than are being discharged. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Of course, the Board cannot discharge patients when it is unsafe to do so,' the report states. 'Further, the Board regularly hears of accused persons who are in the community but are not complying with the Board's orders. In many cases, these accused ought to be returned to custody.' With limited beds available, the board said an obvious solution is a second forensic psychiatric hospital. 'The Board notes that Ontario has 11 forensic hospitals serving a population of 15.9 million. B.C., by contrast, has one forensic hospital serving a population of 5.6 million,' according to the report. Story continues below advertisement 4:14 B.C. premier comments on Vancouver Chinatown stabbings Colony Farm was thrust into the spotlight again after a man who was on an unescorted leave from there stabbed three people at a festival in Chinatown in 2023. Blair Evan Donnelly pleaded not guilty earlier this year in the stabbing case. However, this was not the first time he had been involved with the law. In 2006, Donnelly said God wanted him to kill his 16-year-old daughter, Stephanie, when they were living in Kitimat, B.C. According to court documents, on Nov. 23, 2006, Donnelly went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, stabbing his daughter several times, first in the chest and then in the neck. After the attack, Donnelly went to the church and prayed, according to the documents. Story continues below advertisement On Jan. 23, 2008, a judge found Donnelly not criminally responsible due to mental disorder in the second-degree murder of his daughter. He was sent to Colony Farm. In 2009, Donnelly was before the courts again in Surrey. That file is currently sealed, but according to a 2011 report in the Vancouver Sun, the B.C. Review Board granted Donnelly unescorted leave and a violent incident involving a weapon took place. The story also said that in February 2009, Donnelly was granted unsupervised community visits up to 28 days in length. It was during one of these visits in October later that year that he stabbed a friend and was held criminally responsible for that incident. In 2023, then-Vancouver police Chief Const. Adam Palmer said Donnelly was out on a day pass when he allegedly stabbed three people in an unprovoked attack at the family event in Chinatown. Donnelly could go to trial later this year.
Calgary Herald
12 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
'Nothing threatening about it': U of C study explores how robots could address social isolation in seniors
Article content Loneliness and social isolation are growing challenges for older adults living in care facilities. But a recent study by a University of Calgary student suggests that robots might be able to fill the gaps where existing programs fall short. Article content Fahimeh Mehrabi, a PhD student in psychology at the U of C, presented a research paper earlier this month at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences in Toronto, titled Wired for Companionship: A Meta-Analysis on Social Robots Filling the Void of Loneliness in Later Life. Article content Article content Article content Article content Her research compiled available quantitative studies that measured loneliness before and after using robots. When she combined and reanalyzed the data, the results were promising. Article content 'Our findings showed that all types of social robots, whether simple or more advanced, can help. As long as they are designed to engage and interact, they are effective,' she said. Article content The idea isn't as far-fetched as it sounds — social robots have been tested in elder care for more than a decade in countries such as Japan and Turkey. Article content Article content Models range from human or pet-like robots that offer comfort through touch and movement, to voice-activated AI companions that can engage in conversations. Often, they offer some combination of both. Article content Unison, the not-for-profit organization that runs the Kerby Centre in Calgary, is all too familiar with the prevalence of social loneliness and isolation among its clients. Article content 'There was a recent study that found prolonged isolation was as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day,' said Larry Mathieson, president and CEO of Unison. Article content Unison is tackling senior isolation and loneliness through a wide range of traditional programs at the Kerby and Veiner Centres. These include hundreds of fitness, music and social classes available in person or online. Article content During the COVID-19 pandemic, Unison's online classes helped seniors learn new tech skills and stay socially active. Online classes under its Active Aging department stayed in place post-pandemic due to their accessibility and positive effects.
Global News
12 hours ago
- Global News
‘Razor blade' sore throat? What to know about latest COVID variant
The COVID-19 variant that may be driving a recent rise in cases in some parts of the world has earned a new nickname: 'razor blade throat' COVID. That's because the variant — NB.1.8.1. or 'Nimbus' — may cause painful sore throats. Dr. Gorfinkel joins us to break down what to know and other top health news stories.
