BC Moves to Restrict Sick Notes
BC introduced legislation in April, 2025, to restrict sick notes and leave health care providers with more time to spend with patients.
Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Labour, has introduced Bill 11, amending the Employment Standards Act to help ease the administrative burden on B.C.’s health-care practitioners by clarifying when it is appropriate for employers to request a sick note from workers.
Currently, the act allows employers to request “reasonably sufficient proof” that an employee is sick. The changes to the act will clarify employers can’t request, and employees are not required to provide, a sick note written by a physician, nurse practitioner or registered nurse as evidence that the employee’s short-term absence from work was related to illness or injury.
Regulations will be established following engagement with stakeholders. Regulations will set out how many days is considered a short-term absence, and how often an employee may be absent before their employer can request a formal sick note. While the initial thrust of the regulations will deal with notes from doctors and nurse practitioners, the regulations may also consider notes from other health professionals.
The regulation will be implemented prior to respiratory illness season in fall 2025.
“When you’re sick, the last thing you should have to do is go to your doctor or a medical clinic in order to get a piece of paper saying you’re sick. Not only is that difficult for a sick person to do, but it doesn’t help you get better any faster or prevent the spread of illness.”