The B.C. Ministry of Labour announced Nov. 12 new rules that limit when employers can ask for sick notes and will allow more time for health-care providers to spend with patients, effective immediately.

Under the new employment standards regulations, 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, a ministry media release said.

“When you’re sick with the flu, or your child comes down with a cold, the last thing you should have to do is go to your doctor or a medical clinic to get a piece of paper saying you’re sick,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Labour. “Unnecessary medical appointments take time away from patients who need to see their doctors and nurses, don’t help people get better any faster and risk further spread of illness.”

These changes are based on input from health-care providers, who pointed to scientific evidence that shows most minor illnesses for adults, such as a cold and influenza, have symptoms that typically resolve within five days, the ministry stated.

“No one should have to choose between their health and their job,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “These new rules ensure that when people are unwell, they can stay home to recover and help prevent the spread of illness without the added stress of getting a sick note. This change also reduces unnecessary administrative burdens for doctors and allows them to focus on what matters most: providing care to patients.”

These changes help ensure the province’s health-care professionals, such as physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and midwives, can focus on patient care, not paperwork. Removing the need for unnecessary sick notes also alleviates the burden from workers of the extra time and out-of-pocket costs associated with getting a note, including transportation and child care, the ministry said.

The new regulations set a minimum standard and apply to all employees covered by the Employment Standards Act.

Dr. Katherine Bell, president, B.C. College of Family Physicians noted: “Every day, family doctors spend hours on unnecessary administrative tasks. What’s really exciting is how the provincial government is listening to our community-based family physicians and putting the solutions we know will make a difference into action. This is an important step toward improving access to care and making our health-care system work better for everyone.”

The ministry media release contained 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.

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