Do we need sick notes?

[Mendalla]

The CMA has come out to state that sick notes should not be required for short term illnesses that would not otherwise require a medical visit. So flus, colds, uncomplicated stomach bugs, even mild COVID and RSV. They take doctors' time away from other, more important work and with many Canadians not having a family doc, they can generate unnecessary visits to walk-ins or even ERs.

At my workplace, they can ask after 3 days but our health & safety nurse has discretion and often only asks when an illness gets into short-term disability (more than 7 days) so these sorts of illnesses usually don't need one. I have certainly not had to produce them and I have been off for a week at a time with things like flu and COVID. Now with the option to work from home (we are hybrid), I often can start working again once I feel up to it, often after a couple days, since I'm not risking exposing my team but not everyone is in that position.

Time to scrap sick notes? Canadian doctors say to get rid of them - National | Globalnews.ca

As cold and flu season ramps up in Canada, a group of medical professionals is calling for the elimination of sick notes for short-term illnesses.

globalnews.ca

Thoughts? Do you think employers should ease off on requiring sick notes? Should governments force the issue by regulating sick notes, as Nova Scotia did?

 

[Waterfall]

I don't think it's necessary personally. The doctors have better things to do

 

[paradox3]

Doctor's notes as an attendance management strategy were growing in popularity during my career.

This was in the hospital sector.

Not sure what goes on now

 

[Luce NDs]

As usual though there will be those that abuse it either way and always blame the other for the abuse ... somewhat like political obsti**nation ... seizure?

Can folk learn better onus ?

 

[GordW]

People have been questioning the sick note thing for many years now. I t never made much sense anyway, given that getting in to see a Dr. is rarely a same-day thing in many parts of the country. I think it has a lot to do with a) trusting employees and b) a culture which insists that you have to be half-dead or you have to be working.

 

[Jae]

Have no real issue with sick notes. If I'm sick, I send a KakaoTalk message to my student(s) saying sorry, I can't teach that day, and then next time I see them we schedule a make-up class. Works the other way, too

 

[GordW]

Have no real issue with sick notes. If I'm sick, I send a KakaoTalk message to my student(s) saying sorry, I can't teach that day, and then next time I see them we schedule a make-up class. Works the other way, too

In the context of this thread that is not a sick note, it is good communication. A sick note is when you have to have a medical practitioner say "yes this person is actually sick" and in that case they are a little insulting and infantilizing -- not to mention either impractical or a waste of professionals time.

 

[Mendalla]

In the context of this thread that is not a sick note, it is good communication.

That's really how it should work, though. I let my boss know I am off sick, we put it in the attendance tracker. Boom done. Only if there is reason for concern or if it is a longer term thing that gets into short-term disability (i.e. benefits and insurance) should medical notes or reports be involved. Saves effort for HR, the doctor, and the employee.

 

[chansen]

I've never needed one for work - I've never had the sort of job where someone would ask for one. And my early working years were spent dragging my sick self to work, which fewer workplaces want nowadays. Getting other people sick doesn't help the company. And with remote work, it's less necessary.

I do recall classmates of mine needing a sick note over missing a test or an exam. That's a little more sticky, and I would guess if students could self-report an illness, many would take advantage and abuse the privilege. But I don't think that's worth the time doctors spend writing them.

 

[Mendalla]

I do recall classmates of mine needing a sick note over missing a test or an exam. That's a little more sticky, and I would guess if students could self-report an illness, many would take advantage and abuse the privilege.

I think I have heard that university health clinics tend to get very busy around exam time for some strange reason. Yeah, I do kind of get universities requesting them in that scenario. Bit unfair to the students who show up otherwise since the sickies effectively get extra study time so you probably need to ensure the illness is legit.

Moving to remotely administered testing and away from test-based grading period (my MLIS program was all term work, no exams) would help reduce the need for it. Of course, then you have students claiming illness as a reason for missing the deadlines. I had some take-home exams in my undergrad, too. One of my philosophy exams was basically picking two out of three short essay questions and we had from end of classes to the exam date to complete it and hand it in. Or something like that. We are talking almost 40 years ago so I might be missing on some details. And I know projects were a bit component of Little M's engineering program.