Number of RCMP Officers on Sick Leave a ‘Critical Issue’ Impacting Operations and Finances: Report

The number of RCMP officers on long-term off-duty sick leave has reached an all-time high, and has become an “area of concern” for frontline officers and senior leadership within the organization, according to a new report.

The Management Advisory Board (MAB), which advises the RCMP commissioner, said in a May report that long-term off-duty sick leave (LTODSL) is “one of the most critical issues” facing the RCMP, as it impacts the operational, financial, and reputational aspects of the organization.

“It is safe to say we heard about this issue almost every time we interacted with RCMP members, and the views all converged on the need for a rethink of the model,” MAB member Ghayda Hassan said in the report.

The report found that the number of RCMP members on LTODSL had increased significantly from 2010 to 2024, with the incidence rate climbing from 28.5 occurrences in every 1,000 regular members to 81 in 1,000 members—a 184 percent increase.

The report also found that as of the start of 2025, there were 1,413 RCMP regular members on LTODSL, which represents 7 percent of the force. Of these, 580 members had been on sick leave for a year or longer, while 243 had been on sick leave for two years or longer.

The rise in LTODSL cases presents an “area of well-being concern at the individual level and poses significant operational challenges at the organizational level,” and also has the possibility to impact public safety in Canada, according to the report.

It also noted this has “significant” associated financial costs, with the minimum salary costs for LTODSL being at $58 million in 2024 alone.

The report found that the current sick leave model does not offer a financial incentive for employees to return to work, while the sick leave process lacks consistency and communication gaps exist in the system.

It recommends that the RCMP re-examine its unlimited sick leave policies, which offer full pay, and consider reducing pay after a pre-established period of employees being on leave. The report pointed to the Edmonton Police Service as a model that the RCMP could adopt, where pay is reduced to 90 percent or 75 percent, at the chief’s discretion, after 85 days of an officer being on sick leave.

The report said the current model used by the RCMP is “unsustainable in its current state” and is having a negative impact on the force’s human, financial, and technical resources. It also said that the system could be “paradoxically” preventing ill or injured members from receiving the attention they need in a timely manner. 

The National Police Federation, which represents 20,000 RCMP personnel, did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.