Doctors of BC is pleased that the Premier’s promise during the election last fall to eliminate routine sick notes is coming into fruition—an issue that Doctors of BC has spent more than ten years advocating for. Not only is writing thousands of sick notes to service employer absenteeism policy not a productive use of doctors’ limited time, but it places an unnecessary burden on an already overburdened healthcare system.
In most cases when an employee decides to stay home from work due to illness, the best remedy is rest—the illness isn’t one that can or needs to be treated by a doctor, such as a common cold.
“Requiring a sick patient to leave their home can do more harm than good. It can delay the patient’s recovery time, it can put other patients at risk of infection, and can cause sicker patients to wait longer to see the doctor,” says Doctors of BC president, Dr Charlene Lui. “This change will free up doctors’ time to see other patients, and is part of broader efforts by Doctors of BC to reduce overall administrative burdens for physicians.”
In certain circumstances, such as prolonged absence from work, or if a physician can provide meaningful insight into an employee’s condition, a sick note would be appropriate. In these instances, the cost of the sick note should always be covered by the employer.
We look forward to the opportunity of working with the Ministry of Labour in its engagement with stakeholders to establish new regulations for employers for both short term and longer term employee absences.