Removing sick note requirements is good — as a first step, says labour group | CBC News
The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour says an amendment to remove the requirement of sick notes in the workplace under the Labour Standards Act is a good first step for the province, but want private employers to follow suit.
“Unions have long been calling for an elimination of that requirement,” federation president Jessica McCormick told CBC News Wednesday.
“I think we learned some very important lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic, around the pressure that it can put on our health-care system.”
The Labour Standards Act currently requires workers to provide an employer with a sick note from a doctor, nurse or nurse practitioner after three consecutive days of sick leave. Labour Minister Lisa Dempster said on Tuesday the change was made to alleviate the burden those notes can have on the health-care system.
However, the amendment doesn’t include employers. Companies can still have their own sick note policies, the amendment simply removes the requirement from the Act.
“There are so many people who don’t have access to paid sick leave, so it does kind of make me wonder whether or not all employers will follow this same kind of process,” McCormick said.
“There may be some employers who still require sick notes for that type of leave, and so the Federation of Labour is calling on employers to make sure that they follow suit with what the minister is recommending here.”
McCormick said she hopes more can be done in the future. She says now is the right time to look at labour standards with a wider lense.
She has called on the provincial government to implement 10 days of paid sick leave, as not everyone has access to it and hopes removing the sick note requirement can bring more equity into workplaces for both workers and employers.
Doctor welcomes move
Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association president Dr. Steve Major says he’s also happy with the amendment and anticipates it will cut down on the administrative burden that doctors face.
“Right now, family physicians are just overwhelmed with every administrative task we do,” he said. “It’s just one less burden that we feel on a daily basis that’ll help for motivation and help for physicians to feel better in the works they’re providing.”
Having appointments, just to write sick notes, takes doctors away from necessary work, he said, and people without family doctors end up going to walk-in clinics and emergency rooms.
“If somebody has to make a doctor’s appointment just to come in for a note, that takes away access for somebody who actually would need that appointment,” Major said.
But the provincial NDP continued to voice concerns over the amendment on Wednesday, saying allowing employers to still ask for sick notes defeats its purpose.
“Removing the portion requiring sick notes from the Act is great, but by not replacing it with stronger language banning employers from seeking sick notes, what is being changed?” Labrador West MHA Jordan Brown said in a news release issued by the party.
“If we want to make a difference for employees, and take stress off the health-care system, we need be a leader. Just removing this section of the legislation does not do that.”
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