Employers In B.C. Prohibited From Requesting Medical Notes For Short-Term Absences

Recent amendments to the British Columbia Employment Standards Act (ESA) limit an employer's ability to request medical notes for short-term employee absences. Effective as of November 12, 2025, employers in B.C. may no longer request a medical note from a healthcare practitioner for an employee's first two medical absences of five days or less in a calendar year.

The purpose of the amendment is to reduce administrative burdens on healthcare practitioners and increase capacity to treat patients in need of medical care. In practical terms, employees are allowed to take up to two short-term, medically related absences of five days or less without providing a medical note from a healthcare practitioner.