B.C. changes law to stop employers from asking for ‘unnecessary’ doctor sick notes

British Columbia is changing its employment standards legislation to stop employers from asking employees for what the labour minister says are “unnecessary” sick notes. 

Minister Jennifer Whiteside says the move is to allow health-care workers to attend to patients and not spend time on the “administrative burden” of providing workers with sick notes to justify “short-term absences from work.” 

Whiteside says sick employees shouldn’t have to see a doctor or go to a clinic for a note because it doesn’t help people recover faster or prevent the spread of illness. 

The Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Health say in a statement that the current law allows employers to request proof of sickness from employees, but the changes will “clarify” that workers are not required to provide sick notes for short-term absences. 

Health Minister Josie Osborne says doctors across B.C. have indicated that dealing with “unnecessary paperwork,” like sick notes, takes up time they could be using to care for patients. 

The ministries say the new regulations will establish what constitutes a short-term absence, and they’re set to be in place before respiratory illness season begins this fall.