diff --git a/services/workflow/workflow/server.py b/services/workflow/workflow/server.py
index e5a8124b8beb414ba3e340fad0318080236e73a0..e42d8d5cf47bf2efc9c2f187438394182de3a24e 100644
--- a/services/workflow/workflow/server.py
+++ b/services/workflow/workflow/server.py
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ class WorkflowWorkingDirRestService:
             )
 
         qa_notes_text = ""
-        with open(str(qa_notes_path), "r") as qa_notes:
+        with open(qa_notes_path, "r") as qa_notes:
             qa_notes_text = qa_notes.read()
 
         return Response(status_int=http.HTTPStatus.OK, json_body={"resp": f"{qa_notes_text}"})
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ class WorkflowWorkingDirRestService:
                 },
             )
 
-        with open(str(qa_notes_path), "w") as qa_notes:
+        with open(qa_notes_path, "w") as qa_notes:
             # sanitize input before writing/persisting
             # \\u0000 is an invalid character that is incompatible with postgres json columns
             # from StackOverflow: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/63092267/how-to-handle-api-responsesjson-containing-x00-or-u0000-in-its-data-and-s