Statement from Dr. Nichelle Desilets, President of Doctors Manitoba
November 18, 2025

Doctors are very encouraged to hear the Manitoba government plans to eliminate sick notes in the year ahead. 

Doctors Manitoba recommended eliminating sick notes over a year ago. We have met with private and public employers, unions, HR experts, and other stakeholders to build consensus about eliminating sick notes. We’ve shown that sick notes aren’t an effective HR tool to verify absences. We all end up paying for sick notes through longer wait times to see a doctor and as taxpayers too.

Manitoba was one of only two provinces in Canada that had not taken action to limit sick notes in any way, but today Manitoba is about to move from worst to first in Canada when it comes to limiting sick notes. This is good for patients, good for employers, and good for physicians. On behalf of physicians, we thank the provincial government for its commitment to eliminate sick notes, and we look forward to continued collaboration. 

By the numbers:

• Over 600,000 sick notes requested per year in Manitoba
• A third of the time, patients no longer have symptoms to verify by the time they see their doctor. These are unnecessary medical appointments that cost taxpayers over $8 million per year. 
• Eliminating sick notes will free up the equivalent of 300,000 patient visits per year. 

You can learn more at Sick​Of​Sic​kNotes​.ca.