B.C. changes law to stop employers from asking for ‘unnecessary’ doctor sick notes
VICTORIA — British Columbia is changing its employment standards legislation to stop employers from asking employees for what the labour minister says are “unnecessary” sick notes.
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.
