The Government of British Columbia announced new rules that limit when employers can ask for sick notes and will allow more time for health-care providers to spend with patients. The new employment standards regulations dictate that employers cannot ask for a sick note for a worker’s first two health-related, short-term absences of five consecutive days or fewer in a calendar year. These new regulations apply to all employees covered by the Employment Standards Act and set a minimum standard for the province.

Facts about sick notes

  • A health-related absence includes when an employee or a member of their immediate family is ill or injured.
  • The sick-note restriction applies to physicians and all 22 health professions designated under the Health Professions Act.
  • Health-care providers throughout B.C. have called for relief from administrative burdens, such as unnecessary sick notes, that take time away from patient care.
  • As of early November 2025, several provinces and territories in Canada have rules in place that limit when employers can ask for sick notes: Saskatchewan; Ontario; Nova Scotia; New Brunswick; Prince Edward Island; Northwest Territories; and the federal government.
  • The Canadian Medical Association estimates that in 2024, B.C. doctors wrote approximately 1.6 million sick notes.
  • In 2024, the Canadian Medical Association and Doctors of BC called for the elimination of sick-note requirements for employees taking a short-term absence from work due to illness or injury.

For further information about the new regulations, click here.