Three-quarters of Canadians support legislation to curb sick notes for short-term minor illnesses that do not require medical intervention: survey

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 28, 2024 /CNW/ - The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is calling for the elimination of sick notes for short-term minor illnesses, which could prevent as many as 12.5 million unnecessary health-care interactions in a single year.

A new survey conducted by Abacus Data on behalf of the CMA shows that approximately one-third of working Canadians were asked by their employers to produce a sick note for a short-term absence at least once in the last year.

"Sick notes are not a health systems issue, they're a human resources issue," says Dr. Joss Reimer, president of the CMA. "We understand that organizations have policies in place to manage their human resources, but when 6.5 million Canadians don't have access to a family doctor and patients wait far too long for specialty care, physicians need to focus their time caring for patients who need medical care. We need to be there for patients who need us when they need us."

Results from the CMA's 2021 National Physician Health Survey indicate that 53% of physicians feel highly burned out, with administrative burden being one of the main contributors. Sick notes burden physicians with unnecessary administrative tasks, detract from patient care, exacerbate health care system inefficiencies and inequities and may contribute to increased spread of viral illnesses.

In a new position paper, the CMA recommends legislative changes to restrict the requirement for sick notes and promote alternatives such as self-certification and flexible leave policies. This approach aims to alleviate the administrative burden on health care providers, improve patients' access to care and enhance the overall efficiency of the health care system. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Canadians indicated their support for legislation to restrict requests for sick notes for short-term leave.

The Abacus Data survey was conducted with 1,500 working adults in Canada from Oct. 7 to 10, 2024. The margin of error for a comparable random sample of the same size is +/- 2.53%, 19 times out of 20.

The Canadian Medical Association leads a national movement with physicians who believe in a better future of health. Our ambition is a sustainable, accessible health system where patients are partners, a culture of medicine that elevates equity, diversity and wellbeing, and supportive communities where everyone has the chance to be healthy. We drive change through advocacy, giving and knowledge sharing – guided by values of collaboration and inclusion.

SOURCE Canadian Medical Association