Doctors Notes
Key resources to eliminate sick notes, and create better third-party medical forms .
“Let’s work together to free up doctors’ time to see more patients, while ensuring employers and educational institutions get the right medical information they need, when they need it.”
Past-President of Doctors Manitoba
The Truth About Sick Notes
Sick notes aren't the useful HR tool you think they are.
They don't work
Sick notes aren't effective for verifying illness, as patients often don't have symptoms left to check by the time they see a doctor. They are a false form of verification.
They risk workplace infections
People with minor illnesses or injuries often just need to stay home to rest and recover – not risk infecting others at work or clinic waiting rooms. Research shows 82% of workers would rather go to work sick than get a sick note.
They are a productivity drag
Eliminating sick notes can help boost productivity by avoiding the spread of infections in the workplace, as well as improve employee engagement.
They come at a high cost
Doctors appointments just to get a sick note add up, costing tax payers over $8 million per year and reducing access for patients with real medical issues. Eliminating sick notes would free up over 300,000 patient visits per year, the equivalent of adding more than 50 doctors.
A Better Way to Manage Absences
Doctors Manitoba has led over two years of consultations and planning to help employers and educational institutions to transition away from sick notes to verify sick days. This includes working with experts in human resource, legal, business, and labour leaders to identify alternatives that are more effective than sick notes.
Every employer and educational institution can make a difference — small or large, public or private — by adopting leading new practices and eliminating sick notes.
Sick Time Resources
Support for Limiting Sick Notes
There’s a strong consensus among doctors, employers, labour leaders, HR
experts, and others that eliminating sick notes is the right move for
Manitoba.
“Eliminating the requirement for sick notes for short-term absences supports both employee well-being and operational efficiency. As HR professionals, our goal is to foster a culture of trust and health. Removing short term sick notes allows employees to prioritize their recovery without unnecessary stress, while easing the strain on our already burdened health care system — ensuring medical professionals can focus their time on patient care, not paperwork.”
Vice President, Professional Services, TIPI Legacy HR+
More Resources Coming
We will be adding more resources soon to support the transition away from sick notes to verify short term absences from work or school. Our work will also focus on developing better approaches for when medical advice is needed by employers and educational institutions, such as accommodations or safe return to work.
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