Important Changes to BC Employment Standards: What Employers Need to Know
This month, British Columbia introduced two significant updates to the Employment Standards Act that impact all employers:

1. Limits on Sick Notes (Effective November 12, 2025)
Employers can no longer require a doctor’s note for most short-term sick leaves. Specifically:

• No medical note can be requested for the first two health-related absences of five consecutive days or fewer in a calendar year.
• Employers may only request documentation if:
  • The absence exceeds five consecutive days,
  • It’s the third or subsequent short-term leave in the same year, or
  • Medical information is needed for return-to-work or accommodation purposes.
    Even then, “reasonably sufficient proof” does not normally include a doctor’s note. Examples could include a pharmacy receipt or employee declaration.

2. New Serious Personal Illness or Injury Leave (Effective November 28, 2025)
Employees who are unable to work due to a serious personal illness or injury are now entitled to up to 27 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave within a 52-week period.
To qualify, employees must:

• Be unable to work for at least one week, and
• Provide a certificate from a health practitioner confirming the inability to work and expected return date.
  This leave can be taken in blocks of one or more weeks and applies regardless of length of employment.
  
  

Read detailed info here.