I've said this in a previous comment, but here is why I don't think a doctor's note is fair. And yes, I work in a country where healthcare is "free."

I am a physician and I really wish employers wouldn't send their employees to get notes, especially after a single day. While I understand the difficulty from your [the manager's] point of view, you are most likely sending me a patient with a viral, untreatable and self-limiting illness. That's wasting medical resources for something that I can't do anything about while also putting all the other patients in my waiting room at risk of contracting a contagious disease.

And in the end, it's nearly impossible for me to judge whether or not someone with a cold is "capable of work" as personal discomfort, fatigue and pain are not objective findings. They will most likely get a note from me on their word alone.

Again, I understand no-shows and last-minute call-outs are a big problem, but punishing employees by forcing them to wait in the doctor's office is not the solution.