Sick note requirements to be removed from N.L.'s Labour Standards Act
Proposal would see the end of necessary notes after 3 days of sick leave
The Newfoundland and Labrador government proposed an amendment in the House of Assembly on Tuesday to remove the requirement for workers to provide a sick note to their employer after three days of missed work.
The amendment to the Labour Standards Act was proposed by Labour Minister Lisa Dempster.
The 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.
"This requirement to provide sick notes places an undue burden on the health-care system," Dempster told the House.
"We know that requiring employees to visit a health-care professional or facility for a note may also … expose medically vulnerable individuals to coughs, colds or other infectious diseases."
The Canadian Medical Association has called on provinces to eliminate sick notes. So far, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec have adopted the move.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association applauded the decision in a news release issued by the province on Tuesday.
The bill was briefly debated in the House on Tuesday. PC MHA Lela Evans called the amendment a welcomed change.
NDP MHA Jordan Brown rose to share concerns his party has about the move, saying sick notes could still be required if an employer asks for it or mandates it in company policy.
The amendment does not restrict an employer's right to establish their own sick leave requirements and policies.
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