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ARTICLE · 21 NOVEMBER 2025

British Columbia Legislation Prohibiting Sick Notes For Short-Term Absences Now In Force

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In May 2025, the British Columbia government passed Bill 11, Employment Standards Amendment Act, 2025 ("Bill 11")...

CanadaEmployment and HR
Jordan Thompson
Jordan Thompson
Fabian Jankovic
Fabian Jankovic
Andrew Gould
Andrew Gould
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In May 2025, the British Columbia government passed Bill 11, Employment Standards Amendment Act, 2025 ("Bill 11"), which amends the Employment Standards Act (the "ESA") to prohibit employers from requesting a medical note in "specified circumstances" to prove that an employee's short-term absence was related to illness or injury.

On November 12, 2025, the government passed a regulation setting out the "specified circumstances" in which employers are prohibited from requesting a medical note. Employers are now prohibited from requesting a medical note for an employee's first two health-related leaves of up to five consecutive days in the same calendar year.

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