Guides
Do you need a sick note?
Since 28 October 2024, an employer in Ontario cannot make you get a doctor’s note for the three sick days the Employment Standards Act gives you.
The short version
Your employer can still ask for proof that is reasonable in the circumstances. What it cannot insist on, for those three days, is a note from a doctor, nurse or psychologist.
What the law says
Three days a year
The Employment Standards Act gives most employees up to three days of unpaid, job-protected sick leave each calendar year.
No doctor’s note for those days
Since 28 October 2024, employers cannot require a note from a physician, registered nurse or psychologist to take that leave.
Other proof is allowed
An employer can ask for evidence that is reasonable in the circumstances. That depends on how long you were off, any pattern of absences, and what the evidence would cost.
When a note can still come up
Beyond the three days
The ban covers the three ESA sick days. A longer absence, or sick days your employer gives on top of those, can come with other rules. Your contract or HR team will say.
Insurance and disability claims
An insurer can ask for medical evidence to support a claim. That is set by your policy, not by the Act.
Federally regulated work
Banks, airlines, railways and telecoms follow the Canada Labour Code rather than Ontario’s Act, and it has its own rules.
School and college
Schools set their own rules for missed tests and exams. Check your school’s policy before you book a visit just for a note.
If you do need a note
A note for an employer, an insurer or a school is not medical care, so OHIP does not pay for it. Clinics charge a fee, so ask what it will cost before the visit.
Kind Clinic will publish its fees on the physicals and forms page before we open.
Common questions
Can my employer ask for a doctor’s note in Ontario?
Not for the three ESA sick days, since 28 October 2024. It can ask for other evidence that is reasonable in the circumstances.
How many sick days do I get in Ontario?
Up to three unpaid, job-protected days each calendar year under the Employment Standards Act. Some employers give more under their own policies.
Is a sick note covered by OHIP?
No. A note for an employer or a school is not medical care, so the clinic charges a fee for it.
Can a walk-in clinic write a sick note?
Usually, for a fee. If your employer only needs reasonable evidence for an ESA sick day, you may not need one at all.
Sources
Checked against these on 3 October 2026.
Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Sick leave, on ontario.ca