B.C. is changing the rules on when workers can be asked for sick notes. Here’s how.

B.C is moving to do away with “unnecessary” sick notes for short-term absences from work, the labour minister announced.

B.C. is bringing in legislation restricting when sick notes are required for employees who miss work.

Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside introduced a bill to amend the Employment Standards Act Tuesday, saying it will save doctors and nurse practitioners time spent on “unnecessary” paperwork while also relieving sick workers of the burden of booking an appointment for the sole purpose of obtaining a note.

“When you’re sick, the last thing you should have to do is go to your doctor or a medical clinic in order to get a piece of paper saying you’re sick,” Whiteside said. “Not only is that difficult for a sick person to do, but it doesn’t help you get better any faster or prevent the spread of illness.”

An estimated 1.6 million sick notes were written last year in B.C., the province said in a statement announcing the changes.

Current legislation allows an employer to request “reasonably sufficient proof” of injury or illness without placing limits on when this proof is required, the announcement said. The change will spell out that a note is not necessary for short-term absences.

New regulations – yet to be developed – will define what constitutes a short-term absence, as well as the circumstances in which a sick note can be requested. Those regulations will be in effect before the 2025 respiratory illness season, which starts in the fall.