On November 12, the British Columbia (BC) government announced the introduction of new rules regarding “sick notes” in the workplace, which came into effect immediately.
The regulations limit employers’ ability to request sick leave certificates from employees. Specifically, they cannot request sick leave certificates for short-term sick leave of five consecutive days or less on the first two occasions in a year (January 1st to December 31st). Absences due to health reasons include illness or injury of a close family member. The regulations apply to all employers under the Employment Standards Act.
According to a statement from the British Columbia government, this is part of an effort to reduce administrative burdens on medical facilities and improve the functioning of the medical system. Minister of Labour Jennifer Whiteside said, “If you have the flu or your child has a cold, you shouldn’t have to go to the hospital to get a ‘sick card,'” noting that unnecessary visits to the hospital take up time from doctors and nurses and increase the risk of spreading the disease. She explained that the new rules will allow medical professionals to focus on treating patients and reduce the time and financial costs for employers.
The government emphasized that the move was based on input from medical professionals and is based on scientific evidence that most mild illnesses in adults, such as colds and flu, improve within five days.