The Newfoundland and Labrador government has introduced legislation to remove the requirement for employees to provide sick notes after three consecutive days of sick leave.
Minister Responsible for Labour Lisa Dempster proposed an amendment to the Labour Standards Act in the House of Assembly on December 3, aiming to alleviate administrative burdens on health care providers and reduce unnecessary visits to emergency departments.
“This proposed update to the Labour Standards Act will remove the requirement to provide sick notes which is causing an undue burden on the health care system,” Dempster said. “We also know that requiring employees with coughs, colds and other infectious diseases to visit a health care professional or facility for a note may contribute to the spread of infection.”
The amendment does not restrict employers from establishing their own sick leave policies but aligns Newfoundland and Labrador with five other Canadian jurisdictions that do not mandate sick notes.
Physicians have welcomed the move. “Physicians in this province commend the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly Minister Dempster and Premier Furey, for removing the requirement for sick notes from the Labour Standards Act,” said Dr. Steve Major, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association. “By removing sick notes from the Labour Standards Act, doctors will spend less time on inefficient administrative processes and have more time to spend providing care to patients that need medical attention.”
Dr. Major added that the change will reduce inappropriate use of emergency departments, unnecessary costs to the health care system and wait times for patients requiring medical intervention.
The government stated that the amendment is part of its commitment to address the needs of both employers and employees in the province’s labour standards legislation.
