Updates And Changes To Managing Employee Sick Leave In British Columbia

On November 12, 2025, the government of British Columbia announced that effective immediately new requirements under the Employment Standards Regulation would prevent employers from asking employees for medical notes to support their sick leave.

Under the new 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 health-related absence includes when an employee or a member of their immediate family is ill or injured.

This new regulation applies to all employees covered by British Columbia's Employment Standards Act (the "Act").

This change comes on the heels of recently proposed amendments to the Act introducing serious illness and injury leave protections for workers. The proposed amendment would provide employees with an unpaid job-protected leave for as long as 27 weeks within a 12-month period to undergo medical treatment. This leave would