Public servants in Canada are once again using sick leave at rates similar to those pre-pandemic. This trend particularly has a heavy toll on agencies such as the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Correctional Service Canada (CSC). Recent data shows that workers in these departments had some of the highest sick day averages from 2017-18 to 2023-24.
In fiscal year 2017-18, public servants at the CBSA and CSC took an average of 10.4 sick days. This figure dropped somewhat to 9.8 days in 2018-19 and then down to 9.6 days in 2019-20. That trend turned around during the pandemic – the average number of sick days plunged to 8.1 during 2021-22. Public servants still mostly work remotely, and median public sector sick leave usage has skyrocketed. After reaching a height of 8.8 days in 2022-23, they increased again to 9.2 days in 2023-24.
A recent survey revealed that employees at the CBSA and CSC were among the least likely to recommend their workplaces as favorable environments. Employees are having a hard time reacclimating to in-office work after having been away for so long. Perhaps this is why the use of sick days has recently grown.
Workplace health expert Dr. Alykhan Abdulla says increasingly, people are calling in sick to work. He thinks that this trend is due to their greater exposure to illness as they go back in person. He noted that the shift to remote work reduced exposure to contagious disease. This was a major factor in the dramatic reduction in sick days experienced during the pandemic.
“Reduced exposure is one of the main drivers of reduced sick days,” – Dr. Alykhan Abdulla
Labor relations expert Catherine Connelly confirmed these feelings too, when she spoke about her experience with working from home. She added that people who work remotely often have more germ exposure because of less time spent commuting and fewer germs while interacting with coworkers.
“You can maybe still work, not take a sick day, but also rest extra cause you’re not commuting,” – Catherine Connelly
Because of the nature of their job, most federal office workers were able to work remotely for much of 2020 and 2021. As part of a gradual return to normalcy, public servants were instructed to return to the office for at least two or three days a week in early 2023. Dr. Abdulla explained that during the pandemic, employees often worked remotely while sick. Their productivity as a caucus frittered away during this period.
Sick days among public servants are increasing. This trend raises critical questions about workplace wellness and employee experience as companies return and modify to a post-pandemic workplace.
