OTTAWA - Recent government data reveals that federal public servants are taking more sick days now compared to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, the average number of sick days taken by public servants was 5.9 in 2020-21, when most employees worked remotely. This figure rose to 8.1 in 2021-22, 8.8 in 2022-23, and reached 9.2 days in 2023-24.

During the pandemic, many office workers remained at home, significantly reducing their exposure to illness. Although some federal employees returned to in-person work in 2022, a full return to the office for all public servants did not occur until early 2023, when they were required to work at least two to three days a week.

Prior to the pandemic, sick day averages were higher, with public servants taking an average of 9.6 sick days in 2019-20, 9.8 days in 2018-19, and 10.4 days in 2017-18. Dr. Alykhan Abdulla, a family physician and board director of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, noted that reduced exposure during the pandemic was a key factor in the lower sick day rates. He explained that employees might have worked from home even when feeling unwell, albeit less productively.

Dr. Abdulla anticipates that sick days may continue to rise due to increased exposure as employees return to the office, as well as factors such as delayed healthcare, mental health issues, and financial difficulties. The Treasury Board clarified that the average sick day usage includes both those who did not take any sick leave and those who exhausted their sick leave before accessing long-term disability benefits.

From 2017-18 to 2023-24, employees at the Canada Border Services Agency and Correctional Service Canada consistently reported the highest number of sick days. A recent survey indicated that employees in these departments were also among the least likely to recommend their workplace.

The Government of Canada states that full-time employees earn sick leave at a rate of just over nine hours each month. Sick leave with pay is granted when employees are unable to perform their duties due to illness or injury, provided they have the necessary sick leave credits.

Catherine Connelly, a professor and business research chair in human resources and management at McMaster University, suggested that working from home may expose employees to fewer germs since they avoid commuting and close contact with co-workers. She also mentioned that employees might choose to work from home even when slightly unwell, allowing them to rest more effectively. "You can maybe still work, not take a sick day, but also rest extra cause you’re not commuting," Connelly said. "Because of that extra rest, maybe don’t get really sick, so sick that you have to take some time off."