“Access to reliable, quality health care is important to our members and to all Manitobans, wherever they live in the province. The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce strongly supports work to shift away from sick notes and improve access to health services. Ultimately, good quality healthcare is key to strong communities and a thriving environment for economic growth.”

“Health care is important for our members, and CFIB is supportive of measures to reduce the administrative burden on doctors and business owners, while ensuring employers have access to the tools and resources they need to help transition away from use of sick notes.”

“When workers are sick, the best thing for them to do is stay home to prevent infecting others and focus on feeling better. Forcing workers to go to their doctor’s office to get a note about a cold or flu is a waste of everyone’s time and a burden on our health care system. It’s time for Manitoba to catch up with other provinces and get rid of the outdated practice of requiring sick notes for short term illnesses.”

“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.”

“As part of that support, we do not request sick notes from Canada Life employees as part of our standard process to verify short term absences. This allows our people to focus on getting better when they are sick and reduces the administrative burden on the health care system, so that our health care professionals have more time to care for their patients.”

“We recognize the need to work in new ways to improve health system capacity. We have taken action by removing the regular use of sick notes, working to address absenteeism in more effective ways. The health system can be a leader in changing this common HR practice and we would encourage all employers across all industries to be brave and make the move away from asking for sick notes for short term absences.”

“This change is designed to ease the burden on Healthcare Providers by reducing the need for sick notes and freeing up appointment slots for patients who require medical attention. It also acknowledges that many common illnesses, such as colds, coughs, or the flu, do not always necessitate a clinic visit. By minimizing unnecessary appointments for sick notes, we can reduce the spread of illness in waiting rooms and ensure that Healthcare Providers can focus their time on patients who truly need care.”

“We do not ask employees for sick notes because we encourage a work-life balance and at times being away sick is just part of it. We trust our employees and have mutual respect. To require a sick note just adds stress and unnecessary cost to the employee needing the day to get well. We also do not want to add to the time consuming cost to physicians who are focusing on much more important needs in the community.”