The Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister Responsible for Labour, proposed an amendment to the Labour Standards Act in the House of Assembly today that will remove the requirement for employees to provide employers with sick notes after three consecutive days of sick leave.

This amendment alleviates the administrative burden for physicians and nurse practitioners, minimizes unnecessary use of emergency departments, reduces financial strain on employees and helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases to vulnerable populations. This amendment does not restrict an employer’s right to establish their own sick leave requirements and policies.

In Canada, the requirement for sick notes varies by province. This amendment aligns Newfoundland and Labrador with five other jurisdictions that do not require sick notes.

The Provincial Government is committed to ensuring labour standards legislation in Newfoundland and Labrador addresses the needs of employers and employees.

Quotes
“This proposed update to the Labour Standards Act will remove the requirement to provide sick notes which is causing an undue burden on the health care system. We also know that requiring employees with coughs/colds and other infectious diseases to visit a health care professional or facility for a note may contribute to the spread of infection. This amendment is another example of how we are listening and responding to the needs of employers and employees.”
Honourable Lisa Dempster
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister Responsible for Labour
Minister of Labrador Affairs

“Physicians in this province commend the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly Minister Dempster and Premier Furey, for removing the requirement for sick notes from the Labour Standards Act. The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association has been advocating for this change since the early 2000s and we applaud the Furey Government for listening to doctors. By removing sick notes from the Labour Standards Act, doctors will spend less time on inefficient administrative processes and have more time to spend providing care to patients that need medical attention. This will also reduce inappropriate utilization of emergency departments, reduce unnecessary costs to the health care system and will reduce wait times for patients who need medical intervention.”
Dr. Steve Major
President, Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association

-30-

Learn more
Issues Addressed by the Labour Standards Act – Environment and Climate Change

Follow us on X @GovNL and @ECC_GovNL

Like us on Facebook