A newly introduced bill aims to give more time for patient-care by restricting sick notes.
On Tuesday this week, BC Minister of Labour Jennifer Whiteside introduced Bill 11, which would change the Employment Standards Act to clarify when it’s ok for employers to ask for a sick note from workers.
Currently the act allows employers to ask for proof that an employee is sick. With these changes, the province says employers can’t ask for proof and employees aren’t required to provide a sick note to prove they missed work due to illness.
Whiteside says when you’re sick, the last thing you should have to do is go to your doctor or medical clinic to get a sick note.
“Not only is that difficult for a sick person to do, but it doesn’t help you get better any faster or prevent the spread of illness,” said Whiteside.
Minister of Health Josie Osborne says this bill comes as they’ve heard from doctors that unnecessary paperwork robs them of time they need to see patients.
“Eliminating sick notes for short-term absences is just one of the actions we are taking to cut administrative burden, make our system more efficient, and free up health professionals to focus on providing care to British Columbians,” said Osborne.
The province says after engaging with stakeholders, regulations will be established to set how many days is considered a short-term absence, and how often may an employee be absent before their employer can ask for a formal sick note.
They plan to implement these regulations before the respiratory illness season this fall.
