Sick notes have long been a point of frustration for many businesses. Employees don’t want to spend hours in a clinic for a piece of paper, employers are left short-staffed while someone waits to be seen, and HR teams are stuck enforcing the rules. In Manitoba, new provincial rules around sick notes will soon come into effect, while federally regulated trucking companies remain governed by different legislation altogether.
Understanding what applies to your operation, and how to communicate it clearly, will be critical.
For Companies Operating Solely within Manitoba
Proposed changes in Manitoba’s Employment Standards would significantly limit when employers can ask for sick notes. Under the new rules, employers would be prohibited from requesting a medical note for absences of seven calendar days or less. In addition, employers could not request sick notes for fewer than ten cumulative workdays of absence in a calendar year.
If an absence goes beyond those thresholds and a sick note is legitimately required, the cost would shift to the employer. Any fee charged by a healthcare provider for issuing the note would need to be paid by the company, not the employee.
For provincially regulated trucking companies operating solely within Manitoba, these changes will apply once the legislation is in force. For those employers, this will require a rethink of attendance management practices that may have relied heavily on medical documentation.
For Companies Operating Across Provincial and/or International Borders
Many Manitoba trucking companies operate across provincial or international borders, which place them under federal jurisdiction. Federally regulated employers are governed by the Canada Labour Code, not provincial employment standards. Under the Code, employers are prohibited from requesting a sick note for absences of fewer than five consecutive days. That rule already exists and remains unchanged.
Importantly, the upcoming Manitoba sick note rules do not apply to federally regulated employers. A trucking company regulated under the Canada Labour Code is not required to adopt the Manitoba standard, even if it has terminals or employees based in the province.
How to Avoid Confusion
Employees talk to each other. News travels fast at truck stops, terminals, and online forums. Employees may hear that “sick notes are banned now” without understanding the nuances between provincial and federal regulation. HR and operations leaders will need to be proactive and clear in their messaging.
One of the most effective ways to address confusion is to start with transparency. Explain which legislation governs your company and why. Avoid legal jargon and be prepared to repeat the message more than once. A short, written summary, paired with conversations at orientations, safety meetings or toolbox talks, can go a long way.
If you do need to make the change, be clear that not asking for a sick note does not mean absences go unmanaged. HR teams should reinforce expectations around reporting absences properly, communicating early, and following call-in procedures. Clear attendance policies, consistently applied, matter more than medical paperwork.
Even for federally regulated trucking companies that are not legally required to follow Manitoba’s expanded restrictions, there is a broader conversation worth having. From a good-citizen perspective, reducing reliance on sick notes benefits everyone. Manitoba’s healthcare system is under real strain. Every appointment booked solely to obtain a note is an appointment that could have gone to someone who truly needs medical care.
It can be challenging for anyone to access a family doctor for a sick note; with their irregular hours and time on the road, truck drivers face extra barriers to accessing care. Encouraging unnecessary clinic visits adds to that burden. Moving toward trust-based attendance management, supported by self-attestation or internal reporting tools, helps keep employees healthy without clogging waiting rooms.
Choosing not to ask for sick notes unless necessary sends a strong message to employees. It signals respect, recognizes the realities of the job, and aligns workplace practices with broader public health goals. While legislation sets the minimum standard, many trucking employers are discovering that modernizing sick leave practices improves morale and reduces administrative friction.
Whether you are provincially or federally regulated, now is the time to review your policies, train your managers, and communicate clearly with your workforce. The rules may differ, but the direction is clear. Fewer sick notes, more trust, and a shared responsibility to support both workers and the healthcare system we all rely on.
For more information on the upcoming Manitoba changes and a toolkit to support a move towards absence management without sick notes, visit doctorsnotes.ca.
Looking for more great articles related to HR and the trucking industry? Visit our HR Articles page!