Doctor: There Are ‘Better Ways of Wasting Your Tax Dollars’

A Canadian doctor’s alleged letter excusing an employee from one day of work has gone viral for calling the practice of writing sick notes a waste of time and money.

The doctor wrote that the patient, “has had, by their own report, a cold today and sensibly stayed home from work rather than spreading this to his colleagues/customers.”

“I have no test for the common cold and therefore believe him, however, you feel his time and mine should be wasted by making him sit in the walk-in clinic for hours and me spending time writing a sick note that I could be spending on people who genuinely need my attention,” the note said.

“Please reconsider your policy on this,” the doctor concluded. “There are surely better ways of wasting your tax dollars.”

Business Insider reported that the patient is an employee of Pizza Hut, which says in its 2011 employment manual that employees may be required to provide a doctor’s note to verify their illness when taking sick leave.

Both the Ontario Medical Association and Doctors Nova Scotia have urged employers to stop requiring employees to turn in sick notes for time off, CBC reported.

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