Elimination of routine sick notes could free up thousands of medical appointments every year: Doctors Manitoba
Posted September 29, 2026 4:41 pm.
Manitobans will no longer be required to give their employers routine sick notes starting Thursday.
The Manitoba government made the announcement Tuesday.
It’s a decision that’s being supported by Doctors Manitoba and one that Winnipeggers feel has been a long time coming
“Our colleagues have lobbied for a long time to get that change,” said gastroenterologist Alexandra Ilnyckyj, who has been a physician for over 30 years.
Ilnyckyj says that she doesn’t typically write sick notes for patients but will write them when it pertains to disability leaves when her knowledge of a disease is required.
“It’s very demanding for the primary care provider to be providing these notes when the employer and the employee should be negotiating the policy between the two of them as how they are going to work sick time,” she said.
On Tuesday, the board chair of Doctors Manitoba said this new legislation will allow doctors to spend more time doing what they are trained to do: taking care of patients.
“When you consider that over 600,000 are requested per year in Manitoba, over 1,500 per day, this is a big change that could free up 300,000 medical appointments per year,” Nichelle Desilets said.
Going forward, employers are only allowed to request sick notes after a week of absences and after 10 cumulative workday absences over a calendar year.
“I think it was overdue,” said Ilnyckyj. “Clearly people get all sorts of illnesses, and need time off from work.”
“You shouldn’t have to prove that you’re sick to anyone,” added Winnipegger Max Frank. “Some people can’t get GPs, so you’re waiting in an overcrowded waiting room and bogging things down. So yeah, it shouldn’t be up to anyone but the person who’s sick if you’re sick or not.”
