Time to scrap sick notes? Canadian doctors say to get rid of them – National [Video]

As cold and flu season ramps up in Canada, a group of medical professionals is calling for the elimination of sick notes for short-term illnesses.

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) released a report Monday stating that around one in three working Canadians were asked by their employers to get a sick note for a short-term health absence at least once in the last year.

This translates to around 12.5 million annual sick notes, the CMA estimated.

“This is a big problem. The Canadian Medical Association is calling for the elimination of sick notes for those short-term minor illnesses — those that don’t need a medical intervention, a diagnosis or a treatment,” said Dr. Kathleen Ross, a family physician and former president of the CMA.

These short-term illnesses include sicknesses that can “typically be managed at home,” Ross told Global News, including the stomach bug, migraines or the common cold.

“They really just need rest and some …