Employment Update: Restrictions On Employer Sick Note Requests In Canada - Nov 2025

The government of British Columbia recently passed new rules regarding short-term sick leaves, and in particular introduced new restrictions on requests by employers for employees to provide "sick notes".

In doing so, British Columbia joined other Canadian lawmakers that have moved decisively in recent years to curb routine demands for sick notes, aiming to reduce strain on the health-care system and simplify short-term absence management. Several jurisdictions now prohibit or tightly restrict employer requests for medical certificates for brief absences, with British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and the federal jurisdiction each implementing clear thresholds and procedures. Others, including New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, have maintained or refined longer-standing frameworks that set parameters for when a note can be sought.