There will soon be restrictions on when an employer can ask for a doctor’s note and the Halifax Worker’s Action Centre says that is excellent news.
Lisa Cameron, Executive Director of the Halifax Workers’ Action Centre said “When an employer demands a medical note for a worker experiencing a short-term illness, not only does this encumber the employee who should be focused on their health, it also creates administrative obstacles for health care professionals. Everyone’s time is wasted.”
The new rules says they can only ask for notes if the worker has been sick for five days in a row or have missed work due to injury, twice within the past year for five days or less.
“While these restrictions are a great start, there should be no exceptions,” says Cameron. “Nobody should be punished for being injured or sick, period.”
This comes after the provincial government announced they are cutting back on the amount of paperwork for healthcare professionals, but WAC thinks it should go further.
They are calling on the province to allow ten permanent sick days for workers, so that all workers experiencing short-term illnesses are protected.
The restrictions go into effect in July.
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