Mail-known, civil servants take more disease days

Federal officials were less inclined to get sick to work during the peak of the COVID-19 Pandemie, according to new government data.

The figures shared by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat indicate that in 2020-21, when the Pandemie worked completely remotely, the average number of illness days for public service was 5.9. That number grew to 8.1 in 2021-22, 8.8 in 2022-23 and 9.2 days in 2023-24.

Most office workers remained at home a large part of 2020 and 2021 to work during the pandemic. While some federal office workers returned to personal work in 2022, it was only in the first few months of 2023 that all officials were gradually ordered to the office for at least two or three days a week.

Previously, the data shows that civil servants took 9.6 sick days in 2019-2020, 9.8 days in 2018-19 and on average 10.4 days in 2017-18.

Dr. Alykhan Abdulla, a general practitioner and administrative director of the College of Family Physicians or Canada, said that reduced exposure is one of the most important factors of reduced illness days. Abdulla said that employees could also have worked from home if they were sick during the pandemic, although perhaps less productive.

Abdulla said that sick days could rise again due to the increase in people’s exposure or their unwillingness to return to the office after the pandemic. He said he expected that the number will rise further than pre-Pandemic rates as a result of factors such as delayed health care, more exposures, mental health diseases and financial struggles.

Treasury Board says that the average use of illness days includes people who have not used sick leave and people who have used sick leave before they have access to long -term benefits.

Between 2017-18 and 2023-24, employees of the Canada Border Services Agency and Correctional Service Canada consistently belonged to the departments and agencies that took the most illness days.

A survey among federal officials who were published earlier this year suggested that employees at those organizations also probably recommend their office as a great place to work at those organizations.

The website of the Canada government says that full -time employees generally earn sick leave at the rate of just over nine hours a month.

It says that employees receive sick leave with wages when they are unable to perform their duties “due to illness or injury, provided that your employer is satisfied with your condition and you have the necessary sick leave credits.”

Catherine Connelly, professor and business research chairman of the Department of Human Resources and Management at McMaster University, said that people who work from home can come across fewer germs because they are not commuting and not near their colleagues.

Connelly said there is also the possibility that people work from home, even if they are only a bit sick.

“You may still be able to work, not take a sick day, but you can also rest extra because you don’t commute,” said Connelly. “Because of that extra rest, maybe not really sick, so sick that you have to take some free time.”